Different Ways to Use Essential Oils-Part 2.

Great Ways to Use Essential Oils-Part 2.

Do you need to know about the different ways to use essential oils? Definitely, a big YES! As time goes on, knowledge changes so we need to keep up with the latest knowledge if we are going to get the maximum benefit from our oils.

Later, in this post, I will discuss how you can start taking responsibility for your wellness.

When I first came upon essential oils, it was when my older children were teenagers and, later, as a representative for Le Reve. (preceding post Part 1) At that time, essential oils were starting to appear in large department stores and oil burners were flying out the stores' doors.

My first bottle of essential oil was Rosemary and that was 21 years ago, for the princely sum of $37 at Myer. We had quite a collection of oil burners at home. So that's what I used and, in all honesty, the effects were immediately noticeable on me.

Later, with Le Reve at my fingertips, I had quite a collection of oils in my pretty box.

When I worked in a particularly stressful environment, I would come home and use my relaxing oils- often geranium, rose and lavender- and have a power nap before making dinner. It was so refreshing as I could have a short but deep, rejuvenating nap.

Since those days, the knowledge has changed. I signed up with doTERRA as one of my daughters suffers from a chronic condition, and she was seeking complimentary ways of enhancing her wellness.

She made up a mixture of oils blended with coconut oil for my never-ending throat tickle and with a half teaspoon of this mixture, I had relief for the rest of the afternoon and night.

That was the winning point for me!

How have the ways of using essential oils changed?

When I originally started using essential oils, I always used an oil burner. Today, the word is that, when you burn the oils, you are killing their potency and therefore not getting the full benefits of the essential oils.

So I defer to this knowledge and, although I did feel the effects of the essential oils using a burner, I want to get the full effect of the oil by using the different methods now advocated.

Different Ways of using your essential oils:

1. Aromatic Way- inhaling or using a diffuser to support your airways and affect your mood.

I use the doTERRA diffuser and it has cool vapour so it does not affect the potency of the oils.

I have a myriad of doTERRA recipes for making different concoctions as to what I want to inhale or diffuse.

As you become more knowledgeable about the oils, you start to make up your own recipes and many doTERRA groups share their experiences and recipes- like a devoted club of members helping each other out.

2. Topically-apply to the bottoms of the feet or specific areas of the body.

Did you know that if you massage essential oils into the feet, it only takes 20 seconds to filter into your body. It is also a safe method to use with children and babies, when diluted in the correct amounts.

3. Drop under the tongue, or put the oil into a gel cap, or in water to support digestion. DoTERRA is 100% pure and is certified as safe to ingest. Each batch can be traced to its source. If you are not using doTERRA, don't ingest unless the product has a guarantee as to its safety.

Safety message for you- ALWAYS make sure the essential oil you are using is a pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil. It must be guaranteed pure, natural, and free of synthetic compounds and contaminants.

Using essential oils can be life-changing but profoundly simple.

My partner has had 2 battles with cancer so he was very interested in learning all about the products to improve his immune system and increase vitality.

He was a truck driver and drove 12 hours overnight. He often suffered from fatigue. He always took a bottle of peppermint oil with him. He would wipe it onto his neck area or even take a whiff, when tired. He swears by it and never left without it.

I used to be very tired and foggy in the mornings so I got used to diffusing lemon and lavender in the car, on the way to work. It worked like magic and, after a 20-minute drive, my head was clear and I felt ready for the day.

I love essential oils and my partner and I have a lavender and coconut oil foot massage each night, and I also rub it 2-3 times a day into my eczema on my ankle, which is the result of an extreme allergic response to being bitten 16 years ago by sandflies plus a chemical burn from harsh steroid cream prescribed by a doctor.

I use Whisper (new product)  as my perfume and my partner just keeps smelling me- we both love it!

How to take responsibility for your wellness with essential oils?

You can join as an advocate with doTerra. It just means that you are interested in learning more about essential oils and natural ways of caring for yourself and your family from doTERRA literature, websites, and from online groups on Facebook.

You pay $35 and get 25% of all products plus being allocated points value for each product I buy. Believe me, doTERRA is VERY generous in this regard and the points add up very quickly and, before you know it, it's time for you to choose a FREE product.

Why is it worth paying the $35?

I am not an affiliate for doTerra but I do have their oils and I believe them to be the best.

BENEFIT 1

Well, 25% is an extremely generous discount as, for example, I could pay $34 for peppermint oil or I could choose to pay $25. The maths. makes it an easy decision.

More maths.- 21 years ago, I bought a bottle of Rosemary for $37. I could pay doTERRA's price of $28.68 as a retail customer or, as a Wellness Advocate, pay $21.50.

My daughter is absolutely delighted as she said she can't believe all the FREE products they parcel out to her because of the Points Value she receives for purchases- she says she keeps on getting! The points value of what you buy entitles you to further percentages off the products.

BENEFIT 2

The sharing of mutual experiences and a place to go where you can ask questions means you are constantly learning.

If you buy from a shop, you walk out with the product and a few words from the staff, who may or may not know much about the many different uses and applications of the oil purchased, or you go home and do some research yourself.

But the chances are that you will probably not learn the range of uses and different applications that are possible with essential oils.

BENEFIT 3

Being a wellness advocate is not about being pressured to start your own business.

It is about being able to afford pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils through their generous wholesale prices and learning and sharing experiences in the doTERRA community (if you want).

You will automatically be invited to a doTERRA community online. How much you contribute is totally up to you. The opportunity is there if you wish to extend the offer to others in the community.

You can find interesting posts on my facebook page Wellness with Oils and you can message me on this page.

Click Here!

Best Ways to Use Essential Oils

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Best Ways To Use Essential Oils

Best Ways to Use Essential Oils

The basic building blocks of aromatherapy are essential oils.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from these "essential" oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing.  Source: www.aromatherapy.com

My first encounter with aromatherapy was when one of my daughters was doing VCE and I bought Rosemary oil to aid her studying.  

At the same time, I was burning the candle at both ends and took time off as I was suffering from chronic fatigue.

It was so debilitating that I could just sleep most of the day and still feel exhausted. 

I would wash the breakfast dishes and could hardly get through the chore without crashing on the couch for an hour of sleep. 

One day, I decided to burn some rosemary oil as I loved experimenting with different scents. 

However, this was the first time I used a high-quality essential oil.

At this time, I had chronic fatigue for two months and thought there was a long road to recovery (most probably longer but this was 2 months I did not work). 

As the oil burnt, I rested on the couch after doing the dishes. As I lay resting, my eyes literally popped open and I just felt good!

Previously, it was an effort to open my eyes, whereas now I felt so good that I went outside and gardened for an hour. 

This was an incredible feat for me and I still felt great when I came inside. No exhaustion or muscle aches and pains. 

So essential oils became a part of our family life and my daughters are also great advocates for essential oils. 

 They have substituted all laundry, cleaning, health and beauty routines and products, as much as possible, with products based on essential oils. 

 I would often burn combinations of lavender, rose, bergamot and be asleep within ten minutes. 

Why would anyone not try essential oils to enhance their overall health?

How Essential Oils Can Improve Your Life- Practical Uses

In the Home

Essential Oils can be used as substitutes for harsh and unhealthy chemicals used in the home. 

They can be combined with more natural sources, such as baking soda, water, vinegar to make great household products.

 My mum was a harsh chemical addict and I grew up with a cupboard full of these products to use throughout the house. 

However, I noticed that these products burnt my eyes and, literally, took my breath away.  

So we are making healthy changes, such as using natural products, like vinegar and essential oils for cleaning, disinfecting and deterring those pesky bugs that love to board with you.

Did you know that using lemon or peppermint oil deters bugs, spiders, and even mice? They hate it!  

Did you know that you can make a carpet deodorizer using your favourite oils?

If you are having a party, use lemon or lime to rev up the atmosphere.

Do you want a bug-free, beautifully scented linen cupboard?

These are just some of the things you can achieve with the use of essential oils. 

More to come about using essential oils in the home.

Personal Use

Last year, I bought a beautiful essential oil moisturiser from a chemist.

 It was so good, I bought it for my elderly mother who was not able to use moisturisers anymore, as her eyes kept tearing after use of the cream.

It contained honey and rose oil and, although I am older now, it made my skin glow and really did give my skin a more youthful appearance. 

Click =>Did you know that you can use tea tree and lavender oil to get rid of unwanted facial hair?

Did you know that Lavender oil is good for dry skin while lemon oil is good for oily skin?

Did you know that you can make body sprays and perfumes using essential oils?

The reason I have asked these questions is to open your mind to the endless possibilities of using essential oils and replace the methods we now take for granted ie. buying household products off the supermarket shelves without thinking about other simple solutions that are healthier.

You can read more specific ways to use essential oils at https://rosaliemarkovics.blogspot.com/2017/07/different-ways-to-use-essential-oils.html

 You can get 25% off for pure therapeutic grade essential oils from doTERRA. Find out how here.

My daughters and I are keen doTerra advocates. 

I can only sing the praises of doTerra as their products are of the highest quality.

You can use them in your cooking!

 They have a humanitarian approach in their charity work and sustainability of the farmers' lands in third world countries where they support the local communities.

NB: Do not use cheap fragrant oils in shops. They are chemically produced, are not good to inhale, and I found that some will even give you a headache. 

Thank you for reading this post. 

In Pursuit of Happiness

Have you done the Health and Wellness Quiz- a great place to start new habits. Reflect on your strengths and areas of need.



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What are 5 Health Habits You Can't Live Without?

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What are 5 Health Habits You Can't Live Without?

Many chronic diseases are caused by lifestyle issues.

People tend not to exercise as much as they should, they allow themselves to become overweight, and they eat unhealthy foods that lead to things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and strokes.

The problem with lifestyle issues is that they are difficult to turn around. Many people try to change their lifestyle all at once, which is extremely difficult to accomplish.

 As a result, they often give up all of their healthy habits and resort to the usual negative health habits that they had been doing before they attempted a healthy lifestyle. 

Sometimes it just takes a few days or a few weeks of trying to live healthy before the individual becomes overwhelmed and stops living healthy. 

They stop exercising and go back to eating processed foods and junk foods.

This is why it is better to change your health habits one habit at a time so that you don’t become overwhelmed and stop trying to be healthy altogether. 

Most weight loss programs work if they are done carefully and don’t deprive the individual too much. The same is true of exercise programs.

If you choose an exercise that you really enjoy or increase your physical activity more gradually, you can usually stick to the program so that you don’t become discouraged and quit exercising altogether.

The trick to healthy living is to begin gradually.

Don’t try any trendy diet or fitness fad. If you try these things with gusto, you are likely to respond negatively and you won’t stick with the programs. 

There are a few simple things you can do to live a happier and healthier life. 

Start with just these 5 changes in health habits:

     1. Try eating at least one healthy meal a day.

Even if you eat processed foods most of the time, if you try to eat just one healthy food each day, you will feed your body with good nutrition and healthy proteins.

Healthy meals consist of mainly fruits and vegetables, supplemented with whole grain products, and lean meats.

It doesn’t matter how much you eat because, if the food is healthy for you, it won’t usually contain a lot of calories and won’t cause weight gain as can be seen when you eat junk foods or highly processed foods.

Even so, you should try to watch your portion sizes. Protein is calorie dense so keep your meat portions the size of your palm.

I tutor young students each Saturday morning and they are expected to do a short mini-test in each of their subjects each week.

So I tell them that they need to eat a carbohydrate to wake their body's engine up in the morning, and a protein to wake their brain up and be ready for the test.

I found the times I ate my meals had a great impact on my cravings and energy levels. 

I used to have afternoon cravings and, as I got older and became more in tune with my body, I realised that the less I ate earlier in the day, the worse my afternoon and evening cravings were.

As I ate breakfast around 6.30-7 am, I decided to have my lunch at morning break, weaned myself off endless cups of coffee and replaced it with a large glass of water.

I ate my snacks for lunch and I did not have hunger cravings after this as I felt full all day long. I started not even wanting to eat my fruit until after work, on my way home. 

I also started to cook slightly more at night so I would take this for lunch, instead of sandwiches.

After a couple of years, people who had remarked on this habit changed from sandwiches daily to “left-overs”, as well.

     2. Drink a glass of water before each meal.

Water is perhaps the best liquid you can drink.

When you decide to drink a glass of water before meals, (an 8-ounce glass is enough), you will feel fuller before eating, and you won’t eat as much at the meal that follows a drink of water.

If you like, you can squeeze some lemon or lime into the water. 

I found that adding water or lime to my water decreased my appetite and I found it more refreshing. It is great as part of a weight loss program too.

Our bodies can give us signals that are hard to read, in terms of hunger and thirst. 

We may often be thirsty and we think it is a signal that we want to eat. This is another benefit of drinking water regularly throughout the day.

 

 3. Be active during lunch. 

    Even if you are given a half-hour to eat, it usually doesn’t take that long to eat your meals. Try eating your meals and then take some time to exercise. You don’t have to work out excessively but you should be able to take a brisk walk.

    Not only will this energize you but also it will help burn off the calories you just ate and will aid in the digestive process.

It really doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do as long as you choose something reasonable that will help you feel better after eating your lunch.

    Exercising during lunch also helps decrease the stress of your job and will make the rest of your day go easier. It also takes the focus off food and moves you away from the table.

     If you are at home, you can do a spot of gardening, walk the dog or do some shopping.

  4.     Try a Meal Replacement Bar. 

    

     This involves eating a healthy protein bar as a snack instead of junk foods. Most meal replacement bars contain a lot of good nutrition and fibre.

       They are also not as calorie-rich as you would think. They help stave off hunger pangs that are so typical of the mid-afternoon time.

Keep a stash of these protein bars in your desk at work or in your purse or briefcase so you can grab one whenever you feel hungry.

It will keep you from going to the vending machines and eating poor food choices. Try eating a meal replacement bar that is high in fibre and that has at least 10 to 15 grams of protein per bar.

If you are going to eat something, always try to make it the healthier choice- or the lesser of two evils, if your choices are limited!

5.     Exercise regularly.

You can keep it simple and walk for half an hour 3 times a week initially.

I found that when a walked twice a day and ate anything I wanted,  I consistently lost 3 kilos in a fortnight, with a pleasing corresponding loss of inches.

An inspiring walk for me was to meet up with a walkers group every Saturday morning to walk around the beautiful Botanical Gardens early in the morning when the scent of the gardens wafted from the gardens.

Twice around the gardens was 8 kilometres and it is amazing how quickly it goes when you are part of a group.

If you have a gym membership, try going there at least 3-4 times per week. Choose an activity you enjoy and make the most of it for at least a half hour per session.

This will help energize you, may build muscle mass, and will help you lose weight by burning off excess calories. 

If you are interested in more self-care strategies, you will be interested in these strategies. 

I use these to feel better, get rid of headaches, or become alert on the way to work or when I need to be focused. 

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How Do You Thrive? 5 Natural Ways to Thrive

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How do you thrive? 5 Natural Ways to Thrive

What does it mean to thrive?

According to standard definition, it means to grow, to flourish, to prosper.

This is a beautiful term, something that resonates deeply with anyone who wants to encourage and inspire wellness. 

In terms of wellness then, to thrive means that we are constantly encouraging wellness within ourselves, within our bodies, and of course, within our minds.

It is something we all aspire to develop throughout our lives. 

It is an overall sense of wellness and trust in ourselves that we will continue to grow in a positive manner as time passes, and be able to meet the challenges that lay ahead of us.

 To thrive is something beautiful and it is something that each of us can learn how to do. 

How Do We Thrive?

We thrive, quite simply by allowing ourselves to and by encouraging ourselves to do so. 

For some, this is easier said than done. 

There are many people who have tried to thrive, but who have faced too much difficulty in their lives, and they eventually give up believing because they think their life is just not cut out for it. 

For some, early difficulties in life have robbed them of their belief in their ability to thrive and seek professional help.

 Some may overcome their negative beliefs by finding a loving relationship. 

Sometimes, we enter really difficult times in our life when it just seems too hard- when we are grieving because of a death of a loved one or a relationship breakdown, or extreme financial difficulty or loss of a job at a late stage in life. 

I believe that all of us encounter times when we feel as if we are stagnating but there is no static cycle to thriving- the cycle between ups and downs may just be longer at times. 

Eventually, most of us get to a point where we think things have turned around and we are thriving and coping well with meeting life head on. 

 There are some things that we must understand about thriving, about constantly evolving, growing, and moving forward.

Knowing How To Thrive

To know how to thrive we must fully understand the process. Thriving, though the definition is of growing, prospering, and flourishing, is not always a case of thriving.

Sounds contradictory doesn’t it? Let me explain.

The tree that thrives in nature faces many obstacles.

 It faces potential destruction in its early stages by animals walking by that could possibly crush it underfoot. 

It has to compete with all the other trees and plants in the forest to get the sunlight it needs and even when it has fully matured still it must face gales and storms and through all of this, it must continue to strive towards thriving.

It can be seen then that thriving is not actually something that is achieved; rather it is something that one must aspire towards and to do that we must accept that we will face challenges.

Indeed in order to thrive it is essential that we face challenges and it is also essential that we overcome those challenges or at least have a mindset that will strive to overcome them.

5 Natural Ways To Thrive

Motivate Yourself  

Without motivation, it is impossible to thrive. 

Motivation is inspired through passion, whether that is related to doing something for yourself or for others, maybe your passion relates to providing a future for your children. 

It doesn’t matter what motivates you, use your motivation to thrive. 

Use it to grow, and to push you to the next level.

If you follow your passion, it does not seem like hard work.

 'Do what you have to do until you do what you want to do' is a great saying by Oprah that I use to motivate me when I am doing my work online.

I don't try to compete with others who have been working online for many years so I listen to their wisdom and try to add my personal touches.

In terms of achieving my goals, there is a saying that has helped me and really sticks in my mind.

 'If you continue to work on your goals, you may or may not succeed but if you give up you definitely will fail.' 

 Everyone is different so this may not do it for you, but it certainly does it for me. 

Giving up on your goals and dreams equals 100% failure. So find a positivity quote that motivates you and hits home base for you.


Get this free 10 step checklist  How To Stay Motivated

For more reading on Resilience, visit this post

Accept all challenges 

When you are challenged, you are forced to thrive. 

This doesn’t mean that when somebody challenges you to a game of pool for example, and you win the match easily, that you are thriving.

No, a true challenge is something you find difficult, something that you cannot easily achieve, something that requires that you grow, or learn a new skill, or visit a new environment or face a fear, to achieve. 

This is true thriving, pushing your boundaries, expanding your limits, forcing yourself to thrive.

Another great quote that inspired me was 'If someone offers you a challenging task, say yes then figure out how to do it later.' 

This worked for me as I was a perfectionist and would shy away from things if I did not know the steps to get there!

Face your fears 

Face Your Fears

Fears, in every case, are designed to limit us. 

By facing our fears, we are pushing ourselves into an area of life that we have been too afraid to visit. 

To truly thrive we must want to be able to do anything and we must be able to do everything without limitation.

 In order to do this, we must allow the formation of mental barriers to what life presents us with.

Everything that comes our way can be used as an opportunity to thrive and by facing our fears, we will make the most of every opportunity that does.

Early in my career as a teacher, our placements and many promotions were based on numerical rankings. 

When I shifted to another state, I had to attend job interviews for the first time and I was highly anxious. 

The way I got through this was to say to myself' 'what is the worst thing that can happen?'

 The answer, of course, was that I would not get the job but I would gain experience. 

However, by pushing and preparing myself, I am happy to say that I was successful at 5 job interviews! So it was certainly worth pushing through my fears and anxiety.

Balance 

Balance your life from the perspective of ‘Body & Mind’.

 In order to truly thrive,  we must develop a way of life that promotes balance. 

If we cannot promote physical wellness then our mental wellness will struggle and the same goes in reverse. 

By developing balance physically and mentally, we allow our spirits to thrive.

I learnt the hard way as I let go of all the things I enjoyed and just focused on work....... and paid the price for it!

 My close friend said that I had undergone a complete personality transformation as I was trying to be an excellent teacher in autism (autism was new to me) and I was also trying to be there for a partner and elderly parents.

I can now understand things that were beyond my earlier understandings and I write from personal experience, not from a psychology or medical degree.

Develop harmony

Harmony is something that is very important when it comes to thriving. 

Without harmony, we face too much opposition in the world, and this opposition leads to restriction of our ability to express ourselves.

If we cannot express ourselves freely, we cannot thrive.

 Learn to accept what happens around you and even within you.

Be selfless as it encourages harmony and not only will you thrive, but you will see that everyone else that you interact with will also, in their own way, will thrive.



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Finding a Balance Between Selfishness and Selflessness   

Does this resonate with you? Write a comment below if this has been a concern for you.