If you’ve taken any of my in-person classes, you know that I love to offer essential oils as a supplement to a mindful practice of yoga, meditation, or workshop. Essential oils can be a very powerful medicine, relaxation tool, and complement to your life.
The world of essential oils can be quite overwhelming, so here are a few of my favorites that I use regularly and incorporate into my yoga classes. I’ve broken up this article into a few single oils and then a lot of blends - as well as a few of my own personal creations at the end of this article!
If you’d like to order any of these oils, you can click the link or photo, or contact me directly for assistance.
Single Oils
Lavender is probably the most well known and widely used oil and it helps with relaxation, calming the nervous system, and aids sleep.
The best part about this lavender product is that it can be taken internally, as well as diffused in the air or applied topically. As someone who struggles with periodic anxiety, taking some deep breaths of lavender or putting a couple drops under my tongue or in water has been a helpful tool.
I use peppermint whenever I need a quick pick me up! Peppermint is energizing and it will help you get through that 3pm slump without another cup of coffee. When I’m feeling tired or sluggish and I’m unable to take a nap, I put a couple of drops of peppermint in my palms, rub together, and take a few deep inhales. I also apply it to the back of my neck. The intense tingle of the peppermint as well as the scent will wake you up and help you get on with the tasks ahead of you.
Siberian Fir is a new oil for me and I’m pretty much bathing myself in it lately. This is another calming and grounding oil that smells like a Christmas Tree, but better. Maybe it’s from growing up in the woods of rural New Hampshire, but the smell of evergreens is so peaceful and grounding.
Blends from DoTerra and Wander Free Wellness
I love experimenting and making my own blends, as well as using the blends from DoTerra. Scroll down for both!
This grounding blend is one of my favorites and I use it any time I’m feeling airy, spacey, anxious, or just in need of some calming and grounding. It’s perfect for the root chakra, which governs your safety and stability. It’s an absolute favorite in my yoga classes, people love it! I love to massage my feet with it for an added bonus of grounding.
Balance is a woody and floral blend of Spruce, Ho Wood Leaf, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, and Osmanthus. I didn’t know what a few of those things were before I purchased this oil and it’s been so worth it. Balance is the perfect option for you or a loved one who needs to promote feelings of calm and grounding.
This blend has worked wonders for me with aiding congestion and trouble breathing. I grew up with asthma, and while it’s mostly gone away, occasionally it will rear its head when I’m around a large amount of allergens. Recently, I was pet sitting for a friend and I got a little too friendly with the cats (I’m allergic, but still can’t help loving on all animals). Before I knew it, I realized I was having a small asthma attack. I didn’t have an inhaler with me, since I hardly have this problem. So, I reached for the Breathe Blend and rubbed some on my hands and below my nostrils, and just kept inhaling. After 5-10 minutes, I noticed dramatic improvements in my breathing, and after a second application, my asthma attack stopped within the half hour. It was pretty amazing, and it has made me a fan of Breathe even more. I’m not recommending to replace your medication with Breathe, but if you have any respiratory issues or congestion, this could be a helpful tool in your toolkit.
This is another blend that is popular among the yoga students; it’s a motivating and encouraging blend. The blend of vanilla with uplifting oils such as peppermint, various citrus oils, and herbal oils such as basil and rosemary is delicious and helps for a gentle pick-me-up. I love to rub it on the back of my neck when I need a boost to finish my tasks or take on a more active yoga class. Give it a try!
This is an immune booster and cleanser - a great one to keep on hand for traveling and for the winter months when a lot of people are getting sick. I like to take it internally as an immune booster, especially at the first signs of feeling run down. This can also be made into (or purchased as) a hand sanitizer for quick on the go cleansing (i.e. on an airplane, after touching a gas pump, etc). It has a gazillion other uses, so check out the link and see for yourself!
This is a great one for those of us who have periodic sore muscles or joints and need some quick relief. It’s a cleaner, more natural alternative to something like BenGay or IcyHot and has helped me in a pinch when my body has felt out of whack with soreness or tightness. If you are in chronic pain, I always believe in finding the root cause and treating that, rather than just treating the symptom. But like some of the other oils, this can be a tool to help manage your pain and soreness in the meantime while you work on exploring the root cause of your issue.
Last of my listed DoTerra blends, but certainly not least, the DigestZen has been another game changer in my life. As someone with a sensitive gut and many food sensitivities, I often struggle with an upset stomach or bloating after meals. DigestZen is a super quick fix to bring relief to so many gastrointestinal symptoms. A blend of oils of herbs that are known to help soothe digestion, this is a must for anyone with any gastrointestinal symptoms. As with other ailments, an imbalanced gut (dysbiosis, or imbalanced microbiome) must be treated at its root cause - but this is a helpful aid to keep on hand to give your belly a little assistance!
Jen’s oil blends
Wander Free “Purple Haze”
This is a calming earthy blend with some of my favorite oils, and it’s been a big hit in my yoga classes as well. I first made this blend for my Jimi Hendrix Laser Light Yoga Experience, and intuitively created something that would seem like a Jimi or Purple Haze blend. The result is a proprietary blend of siberian fir, lavender, eucalyptus, and virginia cedarwood. Give it a shot!
$10 per rollerball, order via email
Wander Free “Calm Focus”
This is another oil that I use when I need an uplift and focus but still need some balancing to my nervous system. Are you the type of person that can get very jittery or adrenaline when you have a lot to do? Calm Focus gives you a balance of uplift and relaxation to get your work done. Lavender, peppermint, and wild orange make up this unique helpful blend.
$10 per rollerball, order via email
A word from Jen about using essential oils:
Because essential oils are basically breaking down parts of the plant into its chemical compounds, you MUST use oils from a high quality source, especially when you are using them topically (or internally, as you can with Doterra). I prefer either certified organic or sustainable harvested with healthy farming practices. If you need help deciding whether a brand of oil is of an appropriate quality, you can contact me for help or do some research online. You can also contact a company to ask them how they harvest, how they test for quality, etc.. Just because the bottle says “pure” or “natural” does not make it so, unfortunately.
I am authorized to sell Doterra, and these are the oils I use most often, so you will find these above. I would never encourage you to purchase something that I didn’t personally believe in. I also trust and use oils from Mountain Rose Herbs, a company out of Portland Oregon, and I buy their certified organic oils. I also use many Mountain Rose Herbs oils in my all natural essential oil bug repellant. If you are on a budget, Mountain Rose Herbs is less expensive for single oils, but the lavender oil and the above specific blends from Doterra are really irreplaceable in their quality and results, so I recommend sticking with Doterra for those!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and all information here is my personal opinion and experience. Please check with your own personal healthcare practitioner before beginning any regimen of essential oils.