How Essential Oils Heighten Your Yoga Practice
It’s no secret that essential oils properties can enhance your yoga practice. We’ve learned that both yoga and essential oils work on balancing body, mind, and soul; but how do we actually begin using essential oils during our yoga practice?
What are essential oils?
“Essential oils are the essence of a plant, a gift from the earth, distilled and prepared for you to bring the power of nature into your home.
Inside many plants—hidden in roots, seeds, flowers, bark—are concentrated, highly potent chemical compounds. These natural compounds are essential oils.
Essential oils give a plant its scent, protect it from hazardous environmental conditions, and even assist it with pollination, among other important functions and benefits.”(sourced from dōTERRA)
I love using dōTERRA oils; knowing they are certified therapy grade makes me feel I’m using safe oils in my home and on my body :)
Depending on your goals and your personal scent preferences, there are many different essential oils to consider for your practice.
I use them at home but I also love using them for yoga. Whether it’s to help with balance, or relieve some stress before I start to move, or for sore, achy muscles after a hard class; there’s many ways to get creative with using oils both at home and in your yoga practice.
I use dōTERRA essential oils and have a variety of oils, roller bottles, blends, and capsules. Most oils come in a single oil, typically in a 5ml-15ml bottle with a dropper top. Other oils are pre-blended; a combination of oils to provide specific benefits. Some oils come in a roller bottle, making topical application super easy.
Ways to use essential oils:
Aromatic - through smell, this is the experience of smelling aroma
diffusing oils in a room diffuser
applying to hands and inhaling
wearing as a personal fragrance
Topical - application of oils to allow oils to absorb into the skin*
massage
apply to targeted areas
add to lotions/moisturizers
Internal - the consumption of oils throughout the body by ingesting*
add to a glass of water
use in cooking
veggie capsules
under the tongue
*Note - not all oils are safe for topical or internal consumption, please read all labels/bottles carefully before using your oils*
Essential oil diffuser - there’s so many styles, find which works for you!
Which essential oil should I use for…?
For grounding: patchouli, ginger, and cedarwood essential oils
To promote clear breathing, and breath awareness: basil, spearmint, rosemary, myrrh, frankincense, and eucalyptus essential oils
For calming the senses: chamomile, vetiver, geranium, ylang ylang, and lavender essential oils
For centering and balance: myrrh, sandalwood, frankincense, balance, and cedarwood essential oils
To uplift the senses: lime, clary sage, and lemon essential oils
To cleanse your body, and mind: lemon, grapefruit, lemongrass, and wild orange essential oils
To soothe sore muscles: peppermint, spearmint, cypress, basil, lavender, and rosemary essential oils
How to use essential oils in yoga:
Balance - using balancing blends like dōTERRA’s Balance blend or the Align blend from their yoga collection can help with promoting a centering and balancing sensation
Calm - Many oils promote a calming effect, perfect for adding to any yoga practice
Meditate - Helping activate the sense through aromatherapy can be a great way to get calm before meditating.
Energizing - Need a pick me up? Use uplifting oils like citrus for a boost of energy before starting movement
Post-yoga “perfume” - stinky after class? Give yourself a mist or roll on some of your favorite oils to cover up that yoga stank!
Loving your oils? Share a picture and tag me! :) @YogiAllie
