Promo
I know times have been challenging for all of us and one thing that has been challenged or disturb for so many is the sens of inner peace, inner calm, our inner strength is consistently challenged, our sense of feeling secure and safe is being greatly tested. That’s why today I’m going to share on FB Live on the Wellness Universe FB page a moment of wellness sharing about a morning, daytime and evening routine that helps to create a foundation for regaining that inner sense of peace and calm, regaining that inner strength. Please join me at 1 pm EST on the wellness universe FB page.
Welcome to a Wellness Universe Wellness Moment! Your daily break for total well-being. My name is Scarlet Strapko, I’m a NAHA Certified Professional Aromatherapist (NAHA is the national association for holistic aromatherapists). Today I want to share with you some tools & little routines to regain your inner sense of calm, feeling more grounded, and with that regain that sense of inner strength and security, that many of us have feel they’ve lost or are struggling to maintain because of the life challenges we are all facing. But please note, I’m not a doctor, and what I’m about to share is not intended as medical advice. All information, content, and material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
So let’s get started.
Grounding Morning Routine
Creating a calming and grounding morning routine is one of the most important things, to set the tone for you day. With consistent practice we’ll create a foundation, an inner resource we can tap into when challenges come at us during the day.
So, in the morning after I wake up, I DO NOT jump out of bed right away. I will lay there and reach for an essential oil blend called Balance which I keep for this purpose on my nightstand. Balance is a blend of Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile and Osmanthus. It has a light and fresh scent, with a little hint of sweet and woody undertones. You can also use other grounding essential oils such as Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Spruce or Cypress. The grounding blend goes on the inside of my wrists and inhale for 30 to 60 seconds, then I’ll apply a drop and under the sole of one of my feet, and sometimes if I wake up feeling a bit nervous right away in the pit of my stomach, I will put a drop on the pit of my stomach right below the sternum where my ribs come together. Then I will set my feet on the mattress so my legs are at about a 45 degree angle because that takes pressure off my lower back. Next, I will close my eyes, rest my hands on the sides of my belly on the left and right, and breathe in, slowly counting to four raising my belly, then hold my breath counting to four, and then breathe out counting to four. I’ll repeat this diaphramatic breath 5 to 6 times, then breathe normally for a few breaths and then repeat. I’ll will lay in bed practicing this routine for a least 5 minutes, sometimes up to 10 minutes. This helps me create a foundation for my day, a foundation for instilling an inner sense of calm, more inner balance.
Then after I get up, I will do something that is calming and grounding for my body and mind for about 20 to 40 minutes. It really varies from day to day, and there is no set time frame, I just try to listen to my body. Some of the calming routines I have included are meditation, yoga poses, going for a walk around the block, or reading. To experience an even greater effect from my grounding and calming routine, I’ll use an essential oil blend before I start. There are two blends that have been helping me the most: one is called Peace and the other is called Adaptive. I’ll apply the oil blend over my heart area, to the inside of my wrists and under the sole of my foot. I will also apply it onto one of the lava beads on my crystal bracelet because the scent stays on it for almost 24 hours. So during the day, if I start to feel nervous, if something is throwing me out of balance, I can just smell the oil blend from my bracelet. Peace has a rich scent, very deep and earthy with a little hint of sweet and little mint. And let me tell you, this blend has been my savior lately. But if someone is not into earthy and woody scents and prefers something lighter, the blend I would suggest would be Adapative. It is very light, citrusy, sweet and floral all at the same time. A really beautiful combination of oils that are and deeply calming and can help soothe feelings of anxiousness.
Feeling More Balanced During the Day
During the day, to help me stay more balanced, I will reapply and smell my Peace or Adaptive blend whenever needed. I may put a drop into my hands, rub together to create a little bit heat, cup 6″ from my face, and breathe in and out slowly, taking in the aroma and letting it help calm my nerves. Sometimes I reapply over my heart area or onto my pulse points on my neck or on my wrists. When I’m on the go and don’t have time to apply the oil blend, I just smell it from the lava beads on my bracelet. Essential oils are just such powerful tools when it comes to modulating emotions because of the neurochemical releases in the brain which can help us in interrupting habitual emotional responses and develop new pathways. To further support my daytime routine, I’ll diffuse citrus oils such as Lemon, Wild Orange, Bergamot or Tangerine. Citrus oils are stress reducing but at the same time give us more energy and uplift our moods. Please do not diffuse citrus oils around cats. They miss an enzyme in their liver that makes it difficult for them to metabolize citrus oils. If you like to learn more about which oils are safe around cats and which aren’t, please visit my website myoilguide.com for an in-depth article.
In the Evening I’ll Unwind with a Soothing Evening Routine
When I’m going to bed in the evening, it can happen quite frequently that I’m laying there and my brain just doesn’t let me go to rest, my thoughts will jump from one thing to another, and I keep thinking and thinking. Sound familiar? Here some of my lifestyle tips to unwind:
- I avoid light sources such as cell phone, ipad, tablet, computer, TV at least one hour before bedtime; I do not keep cell phone, ipad, tablet, or computer in your bedroom at night;
- I avoid laying in bed “planning” my next day, I try to sit down at least an hour before bedtime and write down tasks, appointments, reminders, and thoughts about my next day, freeing up my mind when going to bed;
- sometimes taking a relaxing bath with 4 drops of soothing essential oil such as Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang or a blend called Serenity is s great idea to help unwind; best is to add the drops of essential oil to 1 oz of pink Himalyan salt or dead sea salt first, then empty the salts into the running water; when I don’t feel like a bath, I make a relaxing foot soak with the salts and oils instead;
- then right before going to to bed, I apply 1 drop of Serenity Essential Oil Blend which has Lavender, Cedarwood, Ho Wood, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, and Marjoram essential oils in it to the back of my neck and traps (that’s where we carry so much tension and stress), under the sole of my foot, to the inside of my wrists and rub them together;
- when I have a lot on my mind and I have a hard time “calming” my thoughts, I’ll apply a drop of Vetiver under the sole of my foot and onto the inside of my wrist and rub my wrists together;
- I will also add 2-4 drops of a calming essential oil (or oils) to my diffuser such as the Serenity blend or Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Copaiba, Cedarwood, Spikenard, or Vetiver; if you do not have a diffuser you can add 1-2 drops to a cotton ball and place it next to your pillow (scent stays on cotton balls for up to 24 hours) or create a mister with soothing essential oils and spray your pillow;
- once I lay in bed, I practice diaphragmatic breathing again that I do in the morning for about 5 minutes;
- after my soothing breathing routine I will focus on the crown of my head and let go any tension I might be feeling there, then I’ll walk down focusing on back of my head and face, again letting go of any tension especially in the jaw and back of my neck, I try to completely relax and work my way down my body, from my shoulders and upper back to my lower back, from my chest to my belly, down to the legs, feet and toes, focusing on each body part, relaxing any tension I may hold in those areas;
- when I go through phases where I have trouble waking up during the night and have a hard time falling back asleep, I make sure my diffuser runs all night; I’ll reapply my soothing oils to my wrists and over my heart area; I’ll repeat my breathing routine and try not to get up (hence I keep my oils on my nightstand always!)
- I try to make my bed an “island” or “oasis” of relaxation and peace; I avoid “planning” my day ahead when laying in bed; sometimes I play relaxing music or water sounds which turn off automatically; I will think of at least one thing that I’m grateful for not matter how difficult my day might have been and try to make that my last thoughts before drifting off;
So these are my daily routines to help create or bring back that a sense of inner calm, inner balance, and simply feel more grounded and centered. I feel this is just so important, not only on an emotional level but also because I know that it will help support healthy immune function. Stress and negative emotions lower our immune system! Plus, I know that feeling nervous and unbalanced can zap all my energy, can make me feel a bit paralyzed at times, so when supporting my body to feel more balanced and grounded, I can better focus on my daily tasks and move forward. If you are interested in a complete stress reduction program, check out my website and also if you are interested in learning what makes an essential oil therapeutic grade because the quality and potency directly affect the benefits we can experience, you’ll find some great educational information on my website.
Sending Wellness and Peace Your Way and thank you for watching!
Please reach out to me on the Wellness Universe or via my FB or my website called myoilguide.com.
But before we go let me read some of the comments we’ve received during this Live session.
Learn more about each product I use:
Interested to find out which other oils have soothing properties?
Soothing Essential Oils