I just read the title of this blog and I sound like a junkie… giving advice for the first time you “use…” Well, I guess I am. This post discusses potential first time essential oil reactions.
I am an oily junkie.
But I also know that for some of us, the first time we use the oils, it can be an overwhelming experience. I wouldn’t want anyone finally making the decision to use essential oils to decide against that because of a bad experience the first time, so I thought I would give a few handy hints that worked for me.
I am an empath AND have a compromised immune system so I am sensitive to well, EVERYTHING.
The first time I got a whiff of the Everyday Living Kit, the entire enchilada, if you will…
…those 10 bottles in a box…. oh my. I said to myself, “This isn’t going to be a fun first date.” I had an immediate reaction- even felt a bit dizzy.
And peppermint?? The first time I used peppermint I felt head tension. The irony is, this is an essential oil that is often most recommended to get rid of head tension! Funny that. Makes sense now- even a bit of homeopathic theory is evident here. Now peppermint is my first go-to when I have a headache.
Here’s why.
There are couple of reasons. The first is what we call “scent memory.” That is the memory we have had imprinted on us about a certain smell and many of those smells are embedded in perfumes, candles, cleaning supplies and hair care products. Those products may have some essence of the original plant material used to produce the fragrance, but that essence or natural aroma is mixed with chemicals. So the first time we smell therapeutic grade lavender essential oil, our scent memory may immediately take us to a really bad lavender bath bead product we used years ago. Even though our brain and nose senses something different we still retain a memory. It takes a bit for that cognition to shift. And scent memory can also be attached to emotion. You may smell an aroma that reminds you of geranium that grew in your grandmother’s garden, or frankincense from a church you attended. The aroma reminds us of a different time and that may bring up positive or negative feelings.
The good news?
Once we shift our cognition about the aroma, we can smell wonderful scents of the earth without physical trauma and once we integrate the aromas from our scent memory past, we can smell these wonderful scents of the earth without emotional trauma. In fact, the oils help integrate and heal traumatic memories for many people.
The second reason is that essential oils have a frequency and a vibration. The oils are potent. The oils are of the earth- they are elemental. Your body picks up on the vibration- and this can shift you phsyically, emotionally or spiritually. I remember the first time I visited Sedona, AZ. I was told that I might feel an energetic shift, that I might even feel queasy or I might get a headache. The oils are like that for some people at first, and in my experience this holds true for empaths and people with auto-immune disorders.
Once we have introduced our bodies to the powerful healing properties of essential oils, we can look forward to better health and wellness!
So how can you ease your way in?
First, by preparing yourself ahead of time. Know that when you experience the first few whiffs you may have a combination reaction of delight and disdain. Hold the bottle at heart level and bring the bottle slowly up to your nose. Begin with single oils and then try oil blends. A really nice oil to start with is lemon. If you want to try essential oils in different ways, therapeutic grade lemon essential oil is a great one for starters. Diffuse lemon (and start with just a couple of drops increasing as you are comfortable) and add a drop of lemon to your tea or water (however, I don’t advise ingesting lemon essential oil in your water everyday). Lavender is a single oil you can try on your skin. Place a drop of lavender on the soles of your feet to relax you. The soles have the most porous skin. By placing a drop of lavender onto the soles of your feet, diffusing the lemon and ingesting a drop of lemon in water, you are slowly introducing the use of oils. t
If you find that you are feeling physically uneasy, after the first day, place a drop of Thieves on the soles of your feet. If you find that you are feeling emotionally uneasy, after the first day, place frankincense on the soles of your feet. Thieves supports our immune system. Frankincense acts as a grounding and centering oil and gives us strength and courage.
Remember, use the oils according to the recommended dose on the bottle and reduce the dose to your comfort level. You can also check the Young Living website for additional information on the product page (I only use Young Living Essential Oils).
Ease in and enjoy!!!
Purchase quality essential oils HERE.
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