Aromatherapy for Yoga, Meditation and Prayer
Practitioners of aromatherapy believe that the fragrances in essential oils, particularly pure essential oils such as Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ oils stimulate nerves in the nose. Those nerves send impulses to the limbic system, where memories, instincts, and vital functions are controlled and processed. Main bodily functions can be regulated through the connection between the limbic system and other parts of the brain and body, such as digestion, respiration, cardiovascular activity, and stress levels.
Yoga and Essential Oils
Depending on the specific constituents in the oil, incorporating certain oils throughout a yoga routine may lead to increased energy, relaxation or focus, decreased stress, or deeper meditation.
By incorporating the use of essential oils into your practice, you can experience:
- Refined focus and mental clarity
- Deepened mental and emotional grounding
- Strengthened body-mind connection
- Increased stamina
- Reduced muscle and joint tension
Practical Applications for Yoga
Essential oils can also be inhaled or applied topically to certain areas of the body to increase energy, relaxation or focus, decrease stress, or deepen meditation. Below is a basic guide of how to use oils during your yoga practice.
Before Practice
- Purify: Diffusing oils like lemon essential oil, grapefruit essential oil, Citrus Fresh™ essential oil, Thieves® essential oil or Purification ® essential oil before or in between yoga class will purify the air while bringing a refreshing, uplifting energy to the space.
- Cleanse: For cleaning the studio floor, use Thieves Household Cleaner. This non-toxic product is safe for hardwood floors and can also be used for cleaning yoga mats and bathroom surfaces.
During Practice
- Meditation (dhyana): Diffuse or directly inhale oils such as lavender essential oil, Peace & Calming® essential oil, or frankincense essential oil for a deepened, more relaxed experience.
- Breathing (pranayama): The pure aroma of essential oils such as frankincense essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and Raven™ essential oil assist in opening pathways to a more emotional state of mind via the pineal gland. Directly inhaling peppermint can help bring more oxygen to the brain.
- Exercise (asana): Topical application of oils such as Deep Relief™ essential oil, Pan Away™ essential oil, or peppermint essential oil may help alleviate muscle soreness and tension. Peppermint can also aid to increase focus and mental clarity, and when added to a cool glass of water, can help sooth minor stomach discomfort. Lavender essential oil can also be used to decrease post-practice muscle irritation.
Popular essential oil singles and blends for Meditation and Prayer
- Awaken essential oil blend (enhances inner self-knowledge, stimulates right/creative brain, balancing energy centers of body)
- Brain Power essential oil blend (promotes deep concentration, channels physical energy into mental energy, mental clarity)
- Cedarwood essential oil (stimulates limbic region of the brain, and pineal gland)
- Frankincense essential oil (deepen spiritual connections)
- Gratitude essential oil blend (elevate mood, soothing, fostering a grateful attitude, embodies the spirit of oneness)
- Grounding essential oil blend (creates a feeling of solidarity and balance)
- Harmony essential oil blend (harmonic balance for energy centers of the body, reduces stress, uplifting)
- Inspiration essential oil blend (used by Native Americans - spiritual quietness, prayer, enhance spiritually, inner awareness)
- Into the Future blend (helps with determination and pioneering spirit, enhancing enjoyment of challenges to success)
- Joy blend (uplifting, exotic, brings joy to the heart)
- Lavender essential oil (calming, relaxing, balancing)
- Live with Passion essential oil blend (Revives zest for life, improves inner energy)
- Magnify Your Purpose essential oil blend (stimulates right brain, activating creativity, motivation, focus, commitment of purpose)
- Motivation essential oil blend (feeling of action/accomplishment, positive energy)
- Peace & Calming essential oil blend (calms tensions, uplifts spirits, relaxing)
- Present Time essential oil blend (empowering, be in the moment, progressing and moving forward)
- Raven essential oil blend (helpful to respiratory/breathing)
- Release essential oil blend (helps release anger and memory of trauma, letting go of negative emotions and frustration)
- Sacred Mountain essential oil blend (instills strength, grounding, balancing to male/female energies)
- Sandalwood essential oil (deepen spiritual connections, grounding, helps remove negativity)
- SARA essential oil blend (empowering, soothing to deep emotional wounds)
- Transformation blend (empowering, helps uphold changes you want to make in beliefs, revitalizing new thought patterns)
- 3 Wise Men essential oil blend (opening to subconscious, spiritual awareness, soothes/uplifts the heart)
- Valor essential oil blend (empowering physical/spiritual, emotional equilibrium, helps align body energetically)
- White Angelica essential oil blend (sense of protection and wellness, wholeness, helps neutralize negative energy)
