Monday, July 29, 2013

How we used essential oils on summer vacation, Part 1

This was our first vacation since I have immersed our family in essential oils.  I wasn't sure which ones to take so I ended up taking a bunch.  I put most in my suitcase in a small case with my vitamins and some in my purse.  I always have a stash on hand in my purse anyway.  I got nervous when we were approaching security check at the airport because my husband wasn't sure how security would handle them.  So we put the oils I had in my purse in a clear pouch and put them in a bin for security check.  No problem.  By the way, we did the same for the flight home but I paired down the number of bottles I kept in my purse and we had no problem on the way back either.

Now, which oils did we use?

In the car on the way to the airport and even before leaving the house as we were packing, I could feel my anxiety coming up about getting everything packed, the house cleaned, and getting to the airport on time so I put a couple drops of Peace & Calming into my hands, rubbed it onto the back of my neck, and then cupped my hands in front of my nose and inhaled it a bunch of times to "keep calm and carry on." My husband often comments when I put it on like that in the car how nice that smells then both he and my daughter get the benefits during the car ride as well.

When we boarded the airplane just on time at full capacity, the air conditioning had been broken and was being repaired, and the outside temperature was 104 degrees F.  It was so unpleasantly hot and my breathing felt a bit labored.  So I put a couple drops of Peppermint into my hands and rubbed it onto the back of my neck and whoosh....instant air conditioning.  Such a cool feeling on the back of my neck.  I also inhaled it a bunch of times as well which helped me to breathe easier.   Just be careful with Peppermint.  It has an intense sensation on your skin and some people may not like using it neat (straight out of the bottle) because of that.  You may like to put a drop in a carrier oil like olive oil and then use it to decrease the intensity.

Then we finally departed after sitting delayed in the airplane for over an hour and we were on our way.  Once we had been airborne for a couple of hours, my knee pain (which I have been dealing with for several months) was really intensifying possibly due to the cabin pressure.  I was so thankful my sister-in-law mentioned how she was using her Deep Relief Roll On then applying Peppermint on top of that to deal with pain.  Thankfully, I had just received my Deep Relief in the mail and packed it since I had just run out of Pan Away.  When she told me how she was using it when her family "gets it in the neck" I thought, "Wow, that's a great use of her intuition which led her to that smart application."  I remembered learning that Peppermint is a driver oil, meaning it strengthens the effect of oils placed on underneath it.  Remember the intense sensation I talked about a minute ago with Peppermint?  Well when dealing with pain, it is a welcome effect (for me anyway).  I did find in that intense situation I needed to take some acetaminophen (which I rarely use) and then go walk up and down the aisles.  I was so thankful to get relief from that episode.  Then throughout my vacation when I felt my knee twinge a little, I just put on the Deep Relief Roll On and it was a nice relief for the minor pain as well.  I am really liking the roll on application.  It is so quick and easy.

So, I am realizing I have so much more to tell you (including how we used them in the hotel room and to deal with sunburn etc), but I think I'll stop here to put this into more manageable chunks for reading and writing.  This is just me sharing how I use these essential oils.  How do you use them?  I look forward to reading your comments here or on facebook or hearing from you via email or the next time I see you in yoga class or at a Holistic Moms Network meeting, etc.  We learn from each other and we benefit from knowing we are not alone in navigating our lives in this world.  Thanks for being part of my journey.

May we know peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, and peace in the world.
Angela

Monday, July 15, 2013

Essential Oils Information Session


with Angela Cays and Amara Wagner

Tuesday, August 13th
Highland Yoga
www.highlandyoga.com
Rt. 23 North, Butler, NJ

10:30am-12:00pm

Come learn about essential oils:
What are they?
How do they benefit me?
When should I use (fill in the blank) oil?
How do I use it?

Angela will share about the oils she uses and diffuses in her yoga classes as well as the oils she uses for herself and her family.

Amara will share about how essential oils are made and what to look for when choosing an essential oil to use given the manner in which we consume them to benefit us body, mind, and spirit.

Questions are welcome about specific oils, methods of use, and health concerns you're wondering might benefit from essential oil usage.

Angela Cays teaches yoga class at Highland Yoga on Tuesdays at 9am and Saturdays at 10am and has been filling in for Audrey this summer on Mondays at 9:30am.  She also teaches at Ananta Yoga in Wayne, NJ on Wednesdays at 7:30pm and Parisi Sports Club on  Wednesdays at 6:00am. She maintains commentary from her yoga classes and life on her blog:  www.yogawithangela.blogspot.com

Amara Wagner is a wonderfully knowledgeable, grounded, and spirited health coach. Visit her website at www.amarawellness.com to learn more about her.

There is no charge for this information session.
Please RSVP to amara@amarawellness.com to reserve your spot.