Unmasking Emotions with Aromatherapy
Have you ever found yourself trying to process an upsetting situation?
But the situation had already caused an upsurge of emotions.
And the logic, by which you hoped to confront the particular situation, seemed to disappear beneath the weight of the now overwhelming emotional presence.
There is a scientific reason that explains the neurological process that prevents you from approaching certain situations from a place of logic. And there is a natural way to override this process, and bring you back to that place of clear conscience. A way to unmask your emotions, and recover your honest, conscious awareness.
How? Through the use of aromatherapy using essential oils.
Essential oils are aromatic molecules that consist of hundreds of natural chemical compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. Around 3000 essential oils have been discovered and approximately 300 are currently used commercially for their food flavoring, natural preservative, appealing aroma and therapeutic properties.They are usually extracted using steam distillation or cold pressing, which results in a clear liquid solution.
Essential oils interact directly and indirectly with human cells to aid in certain biological functions. Their chemistry consists of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen molecules, which also make up the human body. The chemical structures inside the plant’s essential oils mimic certain structures in our body.
How do essential oils work to unmask our emotions? Research shows that when aromatically inhaled, essential oils directly affect the brain through olfactory limbic permeation. They influence neurotransmitters to modulate, alter, stimulate—and cause apoptosis, neuroplasticity, and neurogenesis. When feeling stuck in an emotional state, essential oils can create homeostasis and bring conscious thought back to life. So that you are more empowered to think logically rather than reactionary. For this reason, coaches and therapists could benefit in implementing essential oils in their practice, so that clients could work through their emotions, rather than from them.
The most effective essential oils and essential blends to use when working to unmask emotions are Copaiba, Adaptiv, and Balance.
Copaiba comes from trees found in the Amazon in Brazil. It contains the chemical constituent beta-caryophyllene and interacts with the cannabinoid receptor 2. Especially for those who work with clients in a therapy or coaching environment, copaiba could be used to therapeutically target mood, memory, anxious feelings, and stress. To effectively use copaiba, put 1 drop under your tongue or on your pulse points as a perfume.
Adaptiv is a blend of powerful essential oils that doTERRA combined to help calm the autonomic nervous system and decrease feelings of anxiousness. One of the essential oils included in the blend is lavender, which has been used for thousands of years for its calming effects on both the body and the brain. A double-blind study that was conducted using the Adaptiv blend showed that participants who were exposed to the blend showed decreased stress when placed in stressful environments, versus those participants who were not exposed to Adaptiv. In moments where feelings cloud your conscious thought process, rubbing Adaptiv on your pulse points or diffusing it could help to increase awareness and consciousness.
Balance is a favorite for many who experience elevated feelings of anxiousness or decreased mood. The doTERRA blend of essential oils specifically works to ease anxious and stressful emotions. Howood contains the chemical constituent linalool, which is found in lavender. It also contains wood oil which helps to ground you. Together, howood essential oil has shown to calm the central nervous system. Balance is most effectively used by rubbing along the occipital point, which is on the back of the neck. And putting on the pulse points, my favorite being the wrists.
Emotions are necessary and something we can’t avoid, however, there are times when emotions become an obstacle to overcoming a difficult situation. They act as a mask that prevents you from seeing the true issue from a clear and honest conscience.
It is only when we unmask our emotions, and see the situation for what it truly is, that we are able to move through conflicts, and find real resolutions.
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