Yoga and Essential Oils~ Integration

I was talking to a couple of people in my Young Living group the other day about sharing essential oils, and one of them said that she brings her oils to her yoga class.

Without fail, it seems, the other students dab, slather, and anoint themselves with great enthusiasm and, apparently, gratitude.

This bespeaks the natural affinity between spiritual practices and pure essences. There is an intimate relationship between the part of our nervous system that senses smell and the part that processes emotion, and there are some oils that even impart physiological responses that facilitate certain yogic practices, like turning within, and working with the breath.

Frankincense is a calming and somewhat warming oil that has been traditionally associated with yoga and meditation for thousands of years (and every culture that’s had access to it has mentioned it in their ancient texts as a holy anointing oil).

Sandalwood has similar associations with meditation, and has certain cooling properties. Interestingly, sandalwood is high in a compound called “sesquiterpenes”, which have the rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. It makes me wonder if this is why it has such calming effects on the nervous system (it’s also amazing for the skin!).

Many meditators are familiar with a scent called “khus”, which is a cooling oil with a deep, earthy scent. In the Young Living lineup this oil is known by its latin name, Vetiver. Knowing its history in helping pitta states cool off, is it any surprise to learn that modern researchers are using it to bring natural relief to children labeled ADD/ADHD?

Hmmm....

At any rate, these ladies went on to ask whether there are resources about using oils in conjunction with a yoga practice. I told them about the oils/yoga integration I experienced at Convention a couple of years ago (that blogpost is here) but I didn’t really know where to send them for “how to” information. I’ve since discovered that Young Living’s website has a section on yoga which is pretty nice, (that's here) and here’s my official shout out (do people still say that?) to the yoga teachers and students in my group to write to me with your ideas.
Let’s see what we can learn from eachother!

In the meantime, I imagined myself running a yoga class to see what my intuitive impulse would be. While I am nowhere near qualified to teach yoga (surprisingly, I am much more limber in my imagination!), I’ve done aromatherapy classes with massage clients and the premise is pretty much the same.

I really like to work with a theme, or an intention for each session. It might spring from choosing a random passage from a meaningful book, drawing an “inspiration card”, or it might evolve naturally through the type of work being done (for instance, if it’s a class on releasing stored negativities, Release blend would be a natural choice.).

I open the class by asking participants to take a moment to listen to the reading, the card, or to let themselves contemplate their relationship with the theme, and I pass around the corresponding oil. Sometimes I suggest putting the oil on a certain spot for a certain effect, or so that everyone has the same experience (for instance I might say, “We’re passing around Joy oil. When you receive your Joy, place it in your heart region. Take a deep breath in, and notice what you feel”).

I'd then proceed through the session, perhaps offering additional oils to enhance the experience of the poses (I have a strong affinity for Valor in Warrior posture, for instance). I think I might consistently use the same oil for the concluding every session with savasana, but I don't know for sure. It might seem right to mix it up from time to time.

If I have anything I know for sure, it's this: there is no one “correct” way to associate oils with themes when you are doing yoga, bodywork, emotional work, or any of the other healing arts. I've actually had someone who could really benefit from the oils miss out on them all together because I could not hand them an oil based on their zodiac sign. Don’t cheat yourself looking for a list that’s already been made by someone else! Just look at the oils you have on hand, and see what suits you best in the moment. Certain associations will evolve over time, and they will be right for you.

Here’s how I start:
I hold my theme in mind while approaching my oils, and scan the bottles to see if any names jump out. (Inspiration, Harmony, Surrender, Gratitude, SARA, Humility, Hope, Joy, and Valor all make frequent appearances). Sometimes one stands out as the obvious choice, and the only oil I need for a session. Other times, several present themselves... so, I gather them together and pick three or four at “random”. I’ll start with one and be open to offering the others throughout the session, if I get the sense that it’s the thing to do.

If you’re still building your oils collection and want to know which ones to add next, try this: Get out your Essential Oils Desk Reference (If you don’t have your EDR yet, put it on your wishlist right away... there's more info at the end of the post) and look at the descriptions of the single oils and blends. I love to use the blends in yoga because they have such great inspirational names, and they were crafted by experts to help us achieve the states evoked by their names (of course Thieves won’t make us thieves, so it’s the one exception to that rule- but every yoga studio should have it anyway, for housekeeping and sanitizing surfaces).

Look up and become familiar with the oils whose names appeal to you or pique your interest. The EDR will show you what oils are in each blend, and what benefits they impart, so you can prioritize your next order. This was one of my favorite parts of the month when I first went on the Essential Rewards program (plus the free products helped me build my collection faster)!

If you don’t have your EDR yet, your Product Guide will suffice (Don't have one on hand? Here's the 2011 online version). Let yourself graze through the pictures and descriptions for things that ring a bell for you, and have fun with it!

Next Post:

Gary Young’s “Never Have a Bad Day Again” oils protocol (which is a sublime way to open a class of any kind!), and the "Feelings Kit" from a yogic perspective.

To see what the Essential Oils Desk Reference is all about,
go to our website learnaboutessentialoils.com. Once you're there, click on the yoga link (see the big pink arrow? That's the spot!)

Yoga and Essential Oils

The last time I had a steady yoga practice (and I’ll admit it was only four days in a row, but at the time it was revolutionary), I was traveling to attend the annual convention of the essential oil company with which I’m aligned for my health and livelihood (ok, cat out of the bag- it's Young Living).

I was heavier than the previous year, attending without my partner and rooming with someone I’d never met before (who was a delight as it turned out). I was a bundle of insecurity on a mission to untangle myself by engaging fully in all the sessions and “putting myself out there” socially (NOT my forte! I’m a recluse in the disguise of a gregarious teacher type).

Since the Convention experience (3,000 people heading to keynote engagements, expo demonstrations, and trying to choose 6 of the 12 available breakout sessions) is pretty much an exercise in distractibility and busy-ness, you’d think I’d have my whole “not-gonna-do-yoga” excuse in top form.

Ah, but not so. All of the equanimity, stamina, and focused attention that expressed itself through me I attributed to the the 6 am yoga classes taught by other Convention attendees who were also yoga instructors, and who were using essential oils in their personal practices as well as in their classes.

The whole thing probably came into being because Rodney Yee was teaching one of the break-out sessions; a 90 minute on-the-mat yoga class which incorporated essential oils throughout.

In the hustle and bustle I never made it to Yee’s class. But I did make it out the door, across the street, down the block and up a formidable set of stairs to class by 6 am each day to stretch, honor, and care for my being. We were a diverse bunch; from the fit and toned to the brave unfit, and never was there a better smelling bunch of sweaty people!

We began by sanctifying our practice with intention and frankincense, which heightens spiritual receptivity. Each participant duly anointed, the entire energy in the space shifted in a matter of 90 seconds. Suddenly we were on holy ground.

There’s a lot I can say about essential oils, and a lot of reasons I only use and teach about Young Living’s oils... matters of purity and integrity and authenticity and validation, and so on. I could (and do sometimes) go on for days. It’s all on the upcoming site.

What it came down to for me in that moment, was that because the integrity of the plant is honored and never distorted with all the chemical alterations that other companies do, the holy component of this oil is still intact. It doesn’t just impart the smell, it actually has the mojo. It’s the closest thing you can get to when the yogis of old would simply rub the resin on themselves in preparation for meditation.

This stunning moment was mine to cherish each of the four days of Convention. It was followed every morning by an experience of Valor when we did a more challenging pose, Peace & Calming with Savasana, and Deep Relief when I paid later for having gone deeper than good sense would have indicated.

Of all the astounding amount of information imparted to me those four days, what struck me most deeply was the impact of using the oils during yoga practice. Every day I looked forward to putting my body through a difficult challenge with the subtle emotional-spiritual support of the oils chosen to compliment the day’s routine. Once home and asked to declare what one thing stood out the most from the entire experience, I could only point to the pouch in which I carry my oils about and declare, "this stuff is holy!"

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