Cathy’s Wealth of Health: Essential Oils for Mental Wellness
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH
Essential oils are amazing for relieving uncomfortable emotions and feelings, and they work fast. The olfactory route to the brain connects the scents almost immediately. I always keep floral oils such as Lavender, Jasmine or Neroli (orange blossom) with me so that I can have an immediate reset in case a stressful event occurs. I put 1-2 drops in the palm of my hand, rub hands together, then cup them around the nose, and inhale my way to peace. I take several slow, conscious breaths. In my home office and bedroom, I like to use an atomizer for the essential oils to put their scent into the room.
I have learned so much from my Aquarian sister and essential oils expert, Tiffany Carole.* Her classes and presentations using essential oils on specific acupressure points are inspiring and informative. I will share some of what I learned from her and have been passing on to my patients. For class details and exquisite essential oils, including diluted ones for children and sensitives, please check out her website at monara.org. You can also access her classes on YouTube.
Jojoba or almond oil are used to dilute essential oils for topical use for those with sensitive skin – use 10-25 drops of the essential oil per one ounce of carrier oil. These are very concentrated and, undiluted, can be too strong for tender skin. Lavender is considered safe undiluted. In fact, it was discovered to heal burns when used topically.
Essential oils should not be taken internally. Now that they are being widely distributed in mass marketing campaigns, not just sold by qualified herbalists, injuries are happening. It is not safe to consume essential oils, especially the citrus oils – they burn your gut and can irritate the skin undiluted. Yet, some sales people give that advice to their customers. It puts a stain on those of us who use them safely. I prefer to buy oils from herbalist-owned essential oil companies, like Tiffany’s. The other companies I support are David Crow’s floracopea.com, Peter Holmes’ snowlotus.com, and Mindy Greene’s simplers.com. These four companies source their oils consciously and carefully.
Here is a brief outline of how to choose oils for your particular emotional discomfort, by the nature of the scent or type of plant. The points suggested for application are the standard points on the Chinese Medicine channels/meridians of energy,** easily accessed online for more specific detailed locations.
Lemony oils (Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon) clear mental blocks and looping voices in the head, lift moods, and shift perceptions. Sweet Orange oil returns us to the innocence of childhood with its cheerful scent. These are useful in an atomizer for depression, discouragement and melancholy. Drinking Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) tea regularly would also be beneficial for lifting the mood.
Pungent oils (Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Peppermint, Saro) open the lungs and when applied at the top of the head (Du/Governing Vessel point #20), can help the confused and overwhelmed mind. Eucalyptus, Lemon Eucalyptus and Saro are useful in an atomizer for relieving congestion in the lungs and preventing infection spread. A few drops in a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head can make an effective vaporizer for sinus and lung infections to open up the head. Opening the lungs will also facilitate letting go of grief and sadness, stored in the lungs. A couple of drops of oil in the palms, inhaled directly, is a powerful treatment for this healing process.
Rooty oils like Vetivert help us when scattered, out of the body or dissociating, by applying to the soles of the feet, just behind the ball of the foot (Kidney Meridian point #1). Vetivert is a tropical grass with an extensive root structure. I put it on Kidney 1 and imagine those roots growing out of my feet into Mother Earth for bringing me back into my body.
Sweet woody oils, sweet floral oils, and sweet resins (Sandalwood, Cedar, Coriander, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile) lift sunken emotions like disappointment and discouragement, and nourish us at our core. Apply Coriander to the navel for that deep feeling of lack. Rose Geranium applied mid-chest between the breasts (Ren/Conception Vessel point #17) soothes a heart that is heavy with emotion. Cedar, Frankincense, or Myrrh essential oils are centering, strengthening, and can help heal old wounds. These are also applied to Ren 17, as well as 1 ½ inches below the navel (Ren/Conception Vessel point #6). In Chinese Medicine we also use the sweet resins from Frankincense and Myrrh trees for helping heal physical injuries and pain. Boswellia is a commonly used Indian variety of Frankincense, taken in capsule form for joint pain and inflammation.
Green floral oils (Lavender, Clary Sage, Blue Tansy, Marjoram) are used when the Liver energy is stagnant and you feel angry or tense. Apply to the web of the big toe (Liver Meridian point #3). It is when emotions are stuck that they become toxic and problematic. These oils assist the Liver in moving that stuck energy. Lavender is one of my favorites for tension, including tension headaches. I apply it to the temples, base of neck, and top of head for headache (perhaps along with Peppermint oil). For insomnia I put Lavender in my bedroom atomizer before bedtime. Blue Tansy is a favorite scent for shifting my perspective to a new point of view.
Sweet Floral oils bring us to the present moment, especially the Euphoria oils like Rose, Neroli, Jasmine, Gardenia and Ylang Ylang. Apply mid-chest to Ren 17 or to the wrist crease on the pinky side, in that little dip (Heart Meridian point #7). Jasmine essential oil fosters trust. Rose brings in thoughts of the Divine, like Quan Yin or Mother Mary. Ylang Ylang is a potent Yin nourishing, uplifting fragrance to put into an atomizer. All of these floral scents can deliver a kind of reset to our unproductive mental loops. Just sniff the open bottle if that is all you can manage.
Tree oils, especially the conifers, like Black Spruce, Silver Fir and Pine, help us to root and ground ourselves, while assisting us to establish healthy boundaries, strength and self protection. Applying to the sacrum or Kidney 1 on the soles, can be helpful with this intention. These tree oils are strengthening to our Kidneys and our will to stand up straight. Think of the feeling walking through a conifer forest.
There are two important points that I teach my patients as reset points for that critical voice in our head, negative mental loops, anxiety and panic, overwhelming feelings, and all the other human emotional pains we process. The first point is in the top ledge of the outer ear (Shen Men/Heart Spirit’s Gate), both ears. The second is about two inches up (three fingers) from the wrist crease in the middle of the tendons (Pericardium Meridian point #6). I like to apply either Lavender, Rose Geranium or diluted Bergamot oil to these points when a mental reset is needed. Gently touch the points for 1-2 minutes.
May peace prevail in our hearts.*** Essential oils can foster this in such a delightful way. The oils have helped me to put space between stimulus and response, so that my life has more meaning and l am not so reactive. My nervous system has settled into this more peaceful possibility with the help of these beloved scents and their power to heal my body, mind and spirit.
*Tiffany Carole has an essential oils guide and card deck that will be arriving in early 2023. It will be available at her website: monara.org.
** Fundamentals of Chinese Acupuncture by Andrew Ellis, Nigel Wiseman and Ken Boss
*** One last tool that I recently used, along with the essential oils, was hypnosis. I had severe fear of flying until I was hypnotized and provided with an alternative to my usual anxiety. I flew from Dallas to Chicago with extreme turbulence the whole way, and I had zero anxiety. I just closed my eyes and got on my blue and gold magic carpet ride with Pema Chodron by my side, and safely and calmly landed in Chicago in no time. Here is the therapist named Simone that helped create that experience for me: knowyourownway.com.
This Second Edition of In Harmony with the Seasons includes a new introduction and seven additional chapters offering Tools for Sanity. It brings us current in the author’s life, adding lessons learned and knowledge acquired since the First Edition’s publication.
In Harmony with the Seasons is a collection of writings on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that represents the culmination of a life spent as a teacher and practitioner of this medicine. Practical advice is given about relieving common health complaints, using foods, herbs, and lifestyle adjustments. To be in harmony with the seasons is to be connected to the natural world, and thus, our own bodies. Nature heals. This collection will give you tools to facilitate that process. TCM Practitioners will enjoy the Chinese dietary guidance, based on organ (Zang-Fu) imbalances. Plant lovers and gardeners will be interested in the botanical families of foods and herbs. Using the lens of TCM, these articles are intended to inform and inspire individuals on a quest for better health, physically, emotionally and spiritually.