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Últimamente he estado hirviendo de ira ante situaciones que no estaban bien, cuando ya no podía quedarme callada.

La ira siempre ha sido un factor de motivación para mí.

Me criaron para tolerar cosas que probablemente no debería haber tolerado, y sólo cuando la línea se cruzó claramente la ira me inundó y me motivó a hacer las cosas bien.

La ira me ha dado el coraje para hacer cosas difíciles, como un desafío legal contra un desarrollador que ignoró mi línea de propiedad en sus planes de desarrollo, o para tener conversaciones valientes con personas importantes en mi vida y, en algunos casos, para trazar límites claros. con quienes no pueden respetar mi tiempo, emociones, energía o salud mental.

Aunque a menudo es denostada, la ira puede en realidad servir como catalizador para un cambio positivo si se moviliza de manera saludable y productiva. Los aceites esenciales pueden desempeñar un papel poderoso para ayudar a la transformación a través de la ira.

¿Qué es la ira?

La ira es una emoción caracterizada por un fuerte sentimiento de insatisfacción y antagonismo hacia alguien o algo que no está en consonancia con tus valores internos.

Todas las emociones, incluida la ira, son señales corporales para prestar atención y notar si es necesario tomar alguna medida. La ira es siempre un síntoma de algo más profundo que atender.

La ira es la respuesta emocional que te atraviesa cuando experimentas una percepción de injusticia, traición o violencia.

Si aprende a movilizar su ira de manera saludable (es decir, sin proyectarla ni alejarla), la ira puede darle el coraje que necesita para lidiar con la causa raíz de la ira y cambiar su situación (en lugar de continuar tolerando algo, que te hace enojar porque no te sientes bien).

La ira es una fuente natural de energía para la lucha por la justicia. Le brinda la energía, intensidad, concentración y motivación que pueden impulsarlo a actuar, ya sea expresando pensamientos y sentimientos que puede resultarle difícil compartir o motivándolo a encontrar soluciones a situaciones o problemas que ya no puede tolerar o. ignorar.

Síntomas de ira

La ira puede manifestarse de muchas maneras, incluidos síntomas físicos, conductuales y emocionales.

Síntomas físicos
La ira puede desencadenar su sistema nervioso simpático de «lucha o huida», lo que provoca síntomas físicos como:

• Aumento de la frecuencia cardíaca, la presión arterial y la respiración.
• Sudando o temblando
• Opresión en el pecho
• Músculos tensos o tensos
• Un malestar estomacal
• Dolor de cabeza o tensión en la cabeza o en los ojos.
• mareo
• Apretar los puños
• rechinar los dientes
• Temblando o temblando

Síntomas emocionales
La ira puede provocar síntomas emocionales, provocando sentimientos como:

• Un sentimiento de abandono o miedo.
• Sentirse irrespetado o humillado
• Sentirse tenso, nervioso o incapaz de relajarse.
• Sentirse fácilmente irritado o resentido con otras personas o situaciones.
• Sentir que no puedes controlarte a ti mismo ni a tus acciones.
• sentirse culpable
• me siento abrumado
• Sentimientos de celos o rechazo.

Aspectos positivos de la ira

La ira puede ser una fuerza transformadora. La ira sirve como mensajero que algo anda mal y te da el coraje y la motivación para solucionarlo llevándote coraje para cambiarte a ti mismo y a tu mundo.

Curiosamente, la palabra «coraje» se puede traducir aproximadamente como «furia del corazón», con ««kur» traducir al corazón (Canalla) tanto en latín como en francés y «furia» como segunda parte de la ecuación.

Quizás recuerdes que las emociones son energía en movimiento que te motiva y organiza para la acción. La emoción de la ira es muy motivadora y difícil de ignorar. Cuando se dirige hacia un resultado positivo, la ira puede servir como fuerza impulsora para lograr la transformación necesaria.

Las investigaciones han descubierto que la ira se puede utilizar «como motivación para aumentar el impulso y la determinación para lograr con éxito una meta específica», especialmente en relación con tareas más desafiantes.

La ira puede motivarte a:

• Enfréntate a tus miedos y obstáculos y supéralos lo que puede obstaculizar sus objetivos.

• Mejorar la productividad: En un estudio publicado en el Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, los participantes que estaban enojados obtuvieron mejores resultados en tareas desafiantes que aquellos que experimentaban otras emociones.
• Autodefensa: La ira puede ser una poderosa fuente de coraje moral y una manera de defender lo que es correcto:
• superar el miedo: La ira puede ayudar a las personas a superar el miedo y correr riesgos.
• Límites de comunicación: Si se violan sus límites (por la insensibilidad de los demás o de alguna otra manera), la ira surge para restaurar su sensación de poder y separación.
• Energizante: La ira puede energizar a las personas y motivarlas a trabajar por el cambio.
• Mejorar el enfoque: La ira te aporta mucha intensidad y concentración.
• Sentir y procesar emociones más profundas.: que quizás prefieras evitar ya que te resultan difíciles de experimentar.
• Revela tus anhelos: te ayuda a reconocer que quieres algo diferente a lo que está sucediendo.
• Te ayuda a crear cambios en tu vida.: Enfrentar sentimientos que pueden ser demasiado arriesgados o aterradores para admitir.

La ira en cualquier forma (decepción, resentimiento, ira) te dice que ya no puedes tolerar lo que has estado tolerando. Es posible que necesite algo más, merezca algo mejor o desee algo más saludable. Escuchar su enojo puede ayudarlo a cambiar patrones que no le sirven.

Reacciones nocivas ante la ira

Movilizar su enojo de manera saludable puede ayudarlo a hacer un cambio, establecer algunos límites e incluso correr el riesgo de perder su relación para pedir un cambio. La ira puede ser la manera que tiene su cuerpo de decirle cómo su sentido de autoestima está sufriendo debido a los compromisos que está asumiendo. O tal vez el enojo se debe a reconocer hasta qué punto ha perdido la voz y el sentido de sí mismo.

Tu enojo o frustración también puede ser el resultado de sentirte estancado o estancado en tu situación actual.

Las respuestas nocivas a la ira incluyen:

Ira explosiva: Ira fuera de control donde su temperamento puede nublar su mejor juicio. La ira explosiva se correlaciona con un control de arriba hacia abajo insuficientemente regulado desde el cerebro superior (especialmente la corteza prefrontal, que soporta la mayor parte de la carga regulatoria de la amígdala).

Ira reprimida: La ira reprimida se refiere a la ira que se evita, se niega, se reprime o, a menudo, no se expresa de forma involuntaria o inconsciente debido al miedo o la vergüenza o un intento de evitar sentimientos incómodos asociados con el estrés, el conflicto y la tensión.

Puede reprimir, compartimentar o separar para no necesitar desahogar su ira ni herir a nadie. En cambio, puede confiar en la indulgencia o el apaciguamiento, lo que puede conducir al autosacrificio, el autosabotaje o la culpa. A diferencia de ira reprimida– cuando evitas deliberadamente expresar la ira que sabes que estás sintiendo, es posible que ni siquiera seas consciente de tu ira reprimida, hasta que asoma su fea cabeza.

LEA ESTO A CONTINUACIÓN: Aceites esenciales para la ira reprimida.

Aceites esenciales para la ira

Los aceites esenciales pueden ser herramientas poderosas para ayudar a disipar parte de la energía de la ira.

Su sentido del olfato se conecta directamente con el centro de control emocional de su cerebro conocido como amígdala, donde se almacenan las emociones y los recuerdos emocionales. Su sentido del olfato es el único de sus cinco sentidos que está directamente conectado con esa área inconsciente de su cerebro conocida como lóbulo límbico, lo que hace que el sentido del olfato y la herramienta de aceite esencial sean la ruta más directa para curar emociones como la culpa. , vergüenza y culpa.

Los aceites esenciales inhalados a través de las fosas nasales permiten un acceso inmediato a las áreas del cerebro que contienen esas emociones intensas como la ira y la rabia para que podamos integrarlas y liberarlas.

La palabra «emoción» puede traducirse como «energía en movimiento». La emoción es la experiencia de la energía que se mueve a través de nuestros cuerpos. Esta energía emocional en realidad opera a una velocidad mayor que la del pensamiento, y los aceites esenciales pueden ayudarnos a limpiar los residuos energéticos de la culpa para que no permanezcan en nuestros patrones de pensamiento, impactando negativamente en nuestro campo energético o nuestra salud.

Los aceites esenciales pueden ayudar a que la ira se mueva por el cuerpo. A medida que esta energía se abre y fluye, es más fácil desentrañar el mensaje en tu ira. Puede resultar útil inhalar un aceite esencial y luego, al exhalar, preguntarse:

• ¿Por qué estoy tan enojado?
• ¿Qué intenta decirme mi ira?
• ¿Qué quiere mi ira que haga o deje de hacer?
• ¿Qué valoro?
• ¿Qué es necesario proteger y restaurar?

Estas preguntas le ayudarán a centrar su enojo de manera positiva para que pueda superarlo más fácilmente, evitando cualquier necesidad de violencia interna o externa.

Soporte hepático™

Según la medicina china, la ira que no procesamos y liberamos puede almacenarse en el hígado. Creo que la ira puede ser la más intensa y dañina de todas las emociones reprimidas debido a su intensidad. Cuanto más tratamos de reprimirlo, más asoma su fea cabeza de maneras que pueden socavar nuestra salud, nuestro crecimiento y nuestras relaciones personales.

Energéticamente, el hígado es responsable de mantener la armonía y el flujo fluido de energía (conocido como chi) por todo el cuerpo, incluida la transición fluida entre sentimientos y emociones a medida que las situaciones cambian a nuestro alrededor. Esta energía del hígado respalda su impulso, planificación, resistencia, perseverancia, rapidez, intelecto claro, ambición, paciencia y capacidad organizativa.

Cuando la energía de su hígado está equilibrada, es probable que se sienta amable, benevolente, compasivo y generoso. Cuando su hígado está sobrecargado o estancado física o energéticamente, puede experimentar fuertes sentimientos de ira, irritabilidad, resentimiento, frustración, rabia, impaciencia, celos o incluso depresión.

También puede sentir la necesidad de controlarse a sí mismo y a otros que pueden ser muy obstinados, hambrientos de poder o demasiado ambiciosos. Básicamente, buscas poder para que nadie tenga poder sobre ti. Las dinámicas de control también se manifiestan como culpa, vergüenza y culpa.

La energía del hígado trabaja en conjunto con la energía de la vesícula biliar. Si se bloquea la energía de la vesícula biliar, puede regresar al hígado, provocando una congestión energética que se manifiesta como rabia, ira o sentimientos de frustración.

LEA ESTO A CONTINUACIÓN: Aceites esenciales para la ira Gestión

Soporte hepático™ ayuda a liberar la ira, incluyendo irritación frecuente, impaciencia, resentimiento o frustración, ser crítico consigo mismo o con los demás, problemas de control, no poder expresar sus sentimientos, sentirse no escuchado, no amado, no reconocido o evaluado.

Formulado para ayudar a mover y liberar la ira y las emociones negativas asociadas con experiencias traumáticas desde las células del hígado para promover una curación óptima. Los aceites de esta mezcla ayudan al cuerpo a reconocer, procesar y liberar la ira, el miedo o la frustración causados ​​por experiencias traumáticas para que no lo abrumen.

Le permite liberar suavemente las emociones negativas, incluida la ira reprimida, que puede crear energía estancada e interferir con la capacidad del cuerpo para sanar.

Simplemente coloque la botella debajo de la nariz y respire profundamente, inhalando completamente el aceite durante 3 a 7 respiraciones. Te ayuda a respirar y superar la emoción. También puedes aplicarlo alrededor de los tobillos, ya que esta suele ser una zona donde tenemos resistencia a avanzar en la vida y bloqueamos la capacidad de recibir alegría y placer. Comience en la parte posterior del tobillo y trabaje debajo del hueso del tobillo en el frente y detrás debajo del otro hueso del tobillo mientras se permite liberar emociones desafiantes. Para obtener más consejos sobre cómo desintoxicar las emociones, lea este artículo.

LEA ESTO A CONTINUACIÓN: Apoyo físico y emocional para tu hígado.

Aceites destacados:

referencias:

I have suffered from an autoimmune thyroid disease known as Hashimoto’s for the lastdecade.

During that time, I have been constantly searching for strategies to help put my Hashimoto’s into remission. I frequently test my thyroid antibodies—Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb ) and Thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb)—via bloodwork.

High levels of these antibodies indicate Hashimoto’s. Lowering the level of these antibodies correlates with lowering the autoimmune reaction present in Hashimoto’s. This is what I suspect people are referring to when they talk about reversing Hashimoto’s—reducing the antibody count to normal levels.

After a decade of trial and error, I finally found an essential oil strategy that I believe may help me put my Hashimoto’s into remission.

What is Hashimoto’s?

Hashimoto’s disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder that often results in an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. The condition is named after Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, who identified it in 1912.

If you suffer from Hashimoto’s disease, your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland by producing antibodies that attack the healthy tissue of your thyroid, causing inflammation and damaging the gland.

When the thyroid becomes damaged, the functions of your thyroid gland can be negatively impacted. For example, your thyroid may become underactive or even stop producing the thyroid hormone, a condition known as hypothyroidism.

Over time, these antibodies reacting against thyroid gland proteins may cause the gradual destruction of the thyroid gland itself, resulting in reduced thyroid hormone production. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. “Hypo-” means “low” or “under,” and it presents as a slowing down of various bodily functions.

What Does Thyroid Do?

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck below your Adam’s apple and just above the breastbone.

Your thyroid is part of your endocrine system. It releases two hormones—thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) that help regulate the rate at which your body converts food and oxygen into energy (controlling the speed of your metabolism) along with the rate at which almost every tissue in the body—including your heart, brain, muscles, and other organs—function.

In most cases of Hashimoto’s disease, your thyroid can’t produce enough thyroid hormone for your body. This slows down your metabolism and causes a range of symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of Hashimoto’s

Hashimoto’s attacks your thyroid to the point that the gland may no longer produce enough thyroid hormones for your body to function correctly. When thyroid hormone production drops, virtually all of your body processes slow down and change, resulting in the following symptoms:

• Unexplained weight gain
• Increased sensitivity to cold /Feel cold quickly, especially in extremities, like hands and feet
• Rough, dry, or cracked skin or brittle nails
• Easily fatigued, sleepy/tired (fatigue), lethargy, and excessive sleeping
• Mentally sluggish, lack of initiative or depression
• Digestive issues like constipation and bloating
• Hair loss, slow hair growth, changes in hair’s texture, or hair thinning
• Memory problems or difficulty concentrating
• Heavy or irregular periods.
• Decreased libido (sex drive)
• Low or depressed mood
• Frequent urination and excessive thirst
• Stiffness and swelling in the joints
• Less energy than you used to or can’t exercise as much or as long as you once did
• Brain fog or problems remembering things
• Changes in the menstrual cycle, including absent or irregular periods and problems with infertility
• More frequent colds, infections, or illnesses due to low immune function
• Muscle weakness, aches and tenderness

What Causes Hashimoto’s?

To help reverse Hashimoto’s, it is essential to understand what causes the issue.

Trauma or Stress: Stress can trigger a surge of stress hormones, like cortisol, that may throw your endocrine system out of balance, including downregulating the levels of thyroid hormones produced. In response to stress, the body may slow the production of thyroid hormones to conserve energy. Stress also weakens your immune system, possibly contributing to autoimmune conditions.

Research on “Stress and Thyroid Autoimmunity” found that “Stress affects the immune system directly or indirectly through the nervous and endocrine systems. These immune modulations may contribute to the development of autoimmunity as well as the susceptibility to autoimmune disease” like Hashimoto’s. To that end, studies have found that a high proportion (up to 80 percent!) of patients with autoimmune symptoms report uncommon emotional stress before disease onset.

Poor gut health: A gut flora imbalance may lead to inflammation of the gut lining, known as “leaky gut,” where a damaged intestinal barrier allows harmful substances to enter the bloodstream, potentially triggering an autoimmune response against the thyroid gland. Moreover, your ability to produce thyroid hormones requires specific nutrients and minerals, including selenium and zinc. The gut microbiota facilitates the absorption of these nutrients, and poor gut health can impair your ability to absorb nutrients and lead to deficiencies that may contribute to Hashimoto’s.

Research on “Thyroid-Gut-Axis: How Does the Microbiota Influence Thyroid Function?” found that “A healthy gut microbiota not only has beneficial effects on the activity of the immune system but also on thyroid function.”

Toxins: Your thyroid is one of the most sensitive organs to toxins, pesticides, and environmental pollutants in your body. Research on “Toxic Chemicals and Thyroid Function” found that environmental toxins “disrupt thyroid function,” noting that “a large number of environmental pollutants (including chemical contaminants, mold, metals, and pesticides) demonstrate toxic effects on the thyroid.”

“Environmental agents interfere with thyroid function at multiple sites, including thyroid hormone synthesis, metabolism, and excretion, and thyroid hormone action. Most of these agents reduce circulating thyroid hormone levels or impair thyroid hormone action. However, some may influence the pituitary and thyrotropin (TSH) secretion, or even be partial thyroid hormone receptor agonists.”

Research on “Environmental Exposures and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease” concurred that “environmental
exposures have been shown to influence thyroid function. Although most of these agents are associated with reduced thyroid hormone levels or impaired thyroid hormone action, a number of environmental exposures confer an increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease.”

Immune Dysregulation: Hashimoto’s disease is autoimmune, which means your body’s immune system attacks your cells and organs. Usually, your immune system protects your body against harmful outside invaders, like bacteria and viruses. But in Hashimoto’s disease, your immune system makes antibodies that attack your thyroid tissue. This causes large numbers of white blood cells (lymphocytes) to build up in your thyroid, contributing to inflammation and damaging your thyroid.

Lymphatic Congestion: There is a crucial link between sluggish thyroid function and lymphatic congestion. While lymph nodes are located throughout your entire body, many in your neck are related to your thyroid. 

Congestion in the cervical lymph nodes in the neck that drain the thyroid can cause congestion in the thyroid, resulting in sluggish function. Interestingly, Hashimoto’s was initially described as a lymphatic congestive condition of the neck and thyroid because the swelling around the thyroid results from the lymphatic vessels in the neck (known as the cervical lymph nodes) becoming congested and inflamed as more fluid accumulates.

Research on “The presentation of lymph nodes in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis” found that “Regional cervical lymph nodes may be involved in cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.”

Your lymphatic system is also a crucial part of your immune system, which helps to prevent and fight infections. Your lymph helps ‘take out the trash’ by carrying away germs and removing metabolic waste and extra fluid. When the lymphatic congestion around the thyroid reaches the level of an autoimmune condition, excessive lymphatic congestion attempts to protect the thyroid from an overzealous immune reaction. In this advanced stage, the lymphatic system slows down to halt the overzealous immune response that has turned on its thyroid.

Research on “Lymphatic Function in Autoimmune Diseases” links lymphatic congestion to inflammation.

Your lymphatic system initially expands to help clear debris and inflammatory cells. Still, suppose lymphatic capacity is limited, and lymph can’t carry the waste and inflammatory cells away. In that case, lymphatic vessels may become damaged from the ongoing inflammation and can no longer drain fluid effectively.

READ THIS NEXT: The #1 Reason Brain Detoxification Fails

What Causes Hashimoto’s?

Essential oils possess potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and balancing properties that may help address the root causes of Hashimoto’s by supporting healthy lymphatic drainage, minimizing inflammation, and modulating immune reactions.

Essential oils work to balance your body and calm inflammation naturally. Plant compounds like polyphenols and flavonoids have been shown to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation (Study). Distilling these concentrated plant essences into essential oils makes them more bio-available and accessible to the body and brain to help calm inflammation.

Topically applied essential oils can play a huge role in helping reduce inflammation so the thyroid can repair and heal, and you can improve symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease. Studies have found that essential oils can drastically reduce inflammation levels and reverse symptoms of inflammation. The study found that “boswellic acids”—or the active component of Frankincense, which is responsible for its therapeutic capabilities—effectively reduces inflammation and “influences the immune system” by repressing the formation of inflammatory mediators like leukotriene.

Essential oils are fat-soluble, making them easily absorbed by the skin. They are also extremely gentle and do not strip away your skin’s natural oils or add to your toxic burden.

6 Essential Oils for Hashimoto’s

The following topically applied essential oils have helped me address the underlying issues contributing to my Hashimoto’s.

1. Lymph™ 

   Supporting lymphatic drainage in my neck with the Lymph™ blend has helped me alleviate lymphatic congestion, release toxins (including mold toxins) from the tissues of my thyroid, and reduce inflammation. Hashimoto’s correlates with increased size and prominence of the lymph nodes in the area of the thyroid gland.

   Lymphatic drainage has helped me improve my ability to detoxify, reduce inflammation, and improve thyroid function. The oils in Lymph™ may help fluid move through the vessels and reduce swelling.

   As you may know, your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump, and lymphatic fluid can accumulate and stagnate around the thyroid. (learn more about the Lymphatic System here). To enhance lymphatic flow and drainage, generously apply Lymph™ over the clavicles and around the sides of the neck to relieve congestion, improve drainage, and support thyroid health.

   The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in regulating the inflammatory response. When the body experiences inflammation, the lymphatic system ensures fluid balance in our tissues. When fluid builds up, it expands lymphatic vessels that let inflammatory cells into the lymphatic system, thereby removing them from the inflamed tissue. So, influencing drainage of the lymphatic system helps to reduce inflammation. It may also help to regulate your immune system to reduce the severity of autoimmune responses.

2. Anti-Inflammatory™

   The constant attack of your immune system on the thyroid leads to chronic thyroid inflammation. To help the thyroid heal and improve symptoms of Hashimoto’s, it is helpful to remove inflammatory cells from the inflamed tissue and calm the inflammation.

   When your immune system senses something is wrong, it sends white blood cells to the damaged area to begin fighting germs and healing tissues. The damaged area becomes swollen with increased blood flow, which carries inflammatory mediators that allow white blood cells to pass through your vessels more easily. Typically, inflammation protects our tissues from injury and infection. However, our immune system can also go into overdrive and cause chronic health conditions. 

   By reducing inflammation, we can reduce symptoms. Essential oils can be a gentle way to reduce inflammation and help minimize symptoms associated with an autoimmune disease.

   Anti-Inflammatory™ blend may be used to reduce inflammation and encourage regeneration in the chronically inflamed thyroid tissue. Chronic prolonged inflammation can silently damage tissues. To apply, gently massage 2–3 drops of Anti-Inflammatory™ to any inflamed body area. For the thyroid, rub around the neck 2-3 times daily. You can also topically apply to the bottom of the feet before bed.

READ THIS NEXT: Healing the Gut with Essential Oils

3. Parasympathetic®

   Calming your sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” response helps to relax your body’s stress response, which may contribute to Hashimoto’s.

   Your vagus nerve—which starts at the base of the brain and travels down the neck on both sides near the thyroid—tells your body that you are safe. Stimulating the vagus nerve by inhaling or topically applying the Parasympathetic™ blend can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This enables you to regulate your nervous system, promoting safety and relaxation, which may help counteract your body’s stress response.

   Parasympathetic™ contains Clove essential oil, which helps regulate your body’s stress response. The main constituent of Clove oil, known as eugenol, boasts robust antioxidant properties that may help you detoxify environmental toxins and boost the immune system.

   You can naturally stimulate your vagus nerve by topically applying the Parasympathetic® blend on the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) or the neck may help activate the parasympathetic nervous system (which innervates the thyroid gland) to support thyroid health.

   READ THIS NEXT: Parasympathetic for Anxiety

4. Fascia Release™

   The thyroid gland is surrounded by fascia. According to my friend and colleague Deanna Hansen of Block Therapy, if your thyroid isn’t functioning as it should be, you can create positive change through fascia decompression.

   “Like the walls, floors, ceilings, and windows of a building that create structure and containment to the space within, the fascia creates the structure and containment to the cell. Every single tissue in the body is a grouping of specialized cells, all connected to each other through the fascia system.

   If intact, like a building, there is room for all the activities necessary for optimal functioning. If, however, the structure becomes damaged or weakened, then the space within becomes compromised, causing harm or destruction. Without space for nutrients to flow into the cells and waste to be pulled away from them, cells become stressed and cease to function with ease.”

   In other words, if the fascia is constricted, the health of the thyroid suffers. Releasing fascial adhesions with Fascia Release™ supports healthy, hydrated, flexible, supple, and unrestricted fascia, which allows your tissues to move freely and helps the lymph drain more easily from the neck for removal.

   Fascia Release™ helps support lymph drainage by helping to stimulate the lymphatic system, release adhesions and fascial restriction, increase circulation, and decrease swelling in the tissue. By supporting the fluid dynamics of the fascial system, this blend may help ease a congested lymphatic system and reduce inflammation and swelling.

   As you know, fascia lies just below the skin, so topically applying essential oils to the skin allows for easy and immediate access to the fascia. The skin is your largest organ and is relatively permeable to fat-soluble substances like essential oils.

   The essential oils in the Fascia Release™ blend are uniquely formulated to unravel deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages in your tissues to reduce pain, improve blood and lymphatic circulation, and release fear, repressed emotions, and tension held in the body (organs, muscles, tendons, bones, and joints) or the mind.

   Topically apply around the neck and on the bottom of the feet.

READ THIS NEXT: Fascia and the Lymphatic System

5. Circulation™

   Your thyroid gland has a wealthy blood supply and is estimated to be six times as vascular as the kidney and relatively three to four times more vascular than the brain.

   Supporting blood flow and healthy Circulation™ enhances the ability of toxins to drain.

   If veins and arteries are narrow, lax, scarred, or malformed, or the blood cells are too large, adequate blood flow is restricted, which creates pressure and prevents toxins from draining from the neck and the thyroid. 

   Circulation™ blend, combined with manual movement of blood and lymph in the extremities, may help increase fluid circulation, reduce swelling, promote lymph angiogenesis, or create new lymphatic vessels to increase flow capacity.

   Essential oils, like Circulation™, can help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the health of the blood vessels. This allows more blood to circulate through them, improving circulation. Essential oils can also help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow.

   Apply 2-3 drops of Circulation™ on the sides or back of the neck, over the left clavicle, to help support circulation. When blood circulation to the brain becomes sluggish, it can impact your physical and mental abilities, including your ability to focus and concentrate. Poor circulation in the brain can also contribute to fatigue, vertigo, dizziness, memory loss, and frequent and unexplained headaches.

6. Thymus™  

   Supporting your thymus can help boost your immune system. Your thymus gland, located in front of the heart, plays a vital role in your immune system which can help support autoimmune conditions, like Hashimotos. Your thymus helps mature infection-fighting white blood cells in your bone marrow. You can help increase the release of your white blood cells by stimulating your thymus. Essential oils—like the Thymus™ blend, which contains black seed oil—and a technique called thymus thumping, gently tapping the thymus gland by stimulating your thymus to boost your immune system.

   Research on “The Impact of Nigella sativa Essential Oil on T Cells in Women with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis” found that “essential oil extracted from Nigella sativa seeds “have a strong immunomodulatory effect on the lymphocytes of Hashimoto’s patients”. Nigella sativa Essential Oil is rich in bioactive substances, such as thymoquinone and cymene, which may help support immunity.

   To boost your immune system, apply 2-3 drops of Thymus™ on the thymus (on the breastbone at the third rib) in a clockwise motion for 30 seconds and then stimulate the thymus by gently tapping. Apply morning and evening and throughout the day as needed.

READ THIS NEXT: Black Cumin Seed Oil for Inflammation and Immunity

Featured Oils:

References:

Heart™

Heart™ balances the heart to enhance self-compassion and support, integrate, and reset all body systems, including supporting feelings of receptivity to self-belief and self-forgiveness.

“Burning the boat” may prompt you to reflect on previous mistakes, which can bring up uncomfortable feelings of guilt or shame. Heart™ blend may help you easily release these emotions so you are better able to move forward without feeling embarrassment, shame, or guilt.

Your heart integrates and balances your physical, emotional, and mental bodies, providing blood to every cell and every organ. It also serves as a complex information processing center, influencing brain function, the nervous system, the hormonal system, and most of the body’s major organs.  When any part of your body isn’t functioning optimally, your heart has to work harder. For example, when your body is in a state of stress, it needs more oxygen, increasing your heart rate. Your heart is your body’s reset button. Still, a state of constant stress can fatigue the heart and compromise our ability to reset, leading to inflammation, infections, toxicity, and heart disease.

By returning your heart to balance, you support the cardiovascular and circulatory system, regenerate the structure of your heart, and help reset the homeostatic mechanism for your entire body. Heart™ is formulated with powerful calming oils, including Jasmine, an oil found to be as calming as the anti-anxiety drug valium, according to a 2010 study. Jasmine has a mildly soothing and calming effect, allowing it to alleviate anxious thoughts, relieve stress, and ease depression. Jasmine oil stimulates the brain, helping uplift the mood and promoting feelings of self-confidence and optimism.

Heart™ blend also contains Neroli, known to soothe anxiety and frantic thoughts, calm negative emotional responses, and support optimism.

Apply Heart™ over your heart (left side of the chest) to balance the heart and support, integrate, and reset all body systems, including mental clarity, physical health, and emotional balance. Heart™ blend also supports feelings of open-heartedness, expansiveness, and receptivity while mitigating loneliness, sadness, and grief.

As you deeply breathe in Heart™, try to breathe in the deep sense of worthiness and allow yourself to receive love and praise. As you slowly exhale, allow your breath to dispense of any patterns of low self-worth or self-limiting beliefs. Consider writing in a gratitude journal that shows increased optimism.

Parasympathetic®

Parasympathetic® calms your nervous system and helps you be present in the moment, to both your own body and your mental, emotional, and physical needs.

This blend of clove and lime essential oils helps energize your physical body and mental capacity, helping to support the brain to help you remain steady, calm, and optimistic, even in difficult situations or when confronted with challenges.

Your sympathetic “fight or flight” state turns on when survival and safety are threatened—which can occur during unexpected, intense, and sudden stress or change. When you are stuck in a cycle of sympathetic dominance—not activating your parasympathetic nervous system—your body’s alert mechanism for survival remains on high. You can become trapped in a perception that you are not safe, which lays the groundwork for pessimism and negative thinking.

The parasympathetic system restores a sense of safety and balance, which calms the brain and the body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to help you identify and support your own needs. The research found that when stimulated, your vagus nerve releases anti-anxiety chemicals that help you focus on positive emotions, decrease mental distress, and improve mental well-being. 

Parasympathetic® empowers a flexible mindset and the ability to pivot when necessary, which can be valuable in a rapidly changing environment. Although external events— such as death, divorce, illness, and even election results—fall outside of your control, the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system allows you to intentionally and thoughtfully choose how you react to these events. As a result, you may feel empowered to sustain resilience, identify the most efficient path forward, and demonstrate the ability to make wise decisions even in turbulent times while guiding others.

Research has found that your parasympathetic nervous system supports the development of learned optimism by thinking about your reactions to adversity in a new way and consciously challenging negative self-talk. This learned optimism involves cognitive restructuring, where you can help yourself and others become more optimistic by consciously challenging negative, self-limiting thinking and replacing it with more optimistic thought patterns.

When you do not feel safe envisioning a positive outcome, you might activate what is known as a freeze response of your nervous system—also known as disassociation so that you don’t feel pain. This often includes a disconnection to your sense of smell. Smelling essential oils, like Parasympathetic®, can help thaw the freeze response and restore your ability to sense your environment and feel safe in it. This sense of embodiment and safety may help you feel better engaged, attentive, and present in the moment, which may help you avoid worrying about future events and things that are outside of your control.

Apply Parasympathetic® over the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) to activate the vagus nerve. This activation helps discharge energy and shift from the frozen state into the healing parasympathetic.

READ THIS NEXT: Releasing the Freeze Response with Essential Oils

Limbic Reset™

Your limbic system is a network of structures in the brain that processes emotions, social interactions, learning, and motivation. When the limbic system detects a stressful situation, it activates the amygdala, which then sends signals to the hypothalamus to release stress hormones (like adrenaline) into the bloodstream, which triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response.

Research finds that “stressful and traumatic events (like ‘Burn the Boat’ moments) sensitize limbic regions, which might compromise their cognitive and emotional adaptive functions and result in maladaptive coping with stress.” This is also known as “Amygdala hijack” where your brain reacts to psychological stress as if it’s physical danger. (More here)

In other words, “Burn the Boat” moments trigger a maladaptive limbic response.  A limbic reset is then required to restore a healthy stress response. 

Inhaling essential oils is the fastest and most efficient way to reset the volume of threat perception and help calm the over-firing of your limbic system.

This is because smell can access the limbic system of the brain to lower limbic system activation, which then enables your body to enter the parasympathetic “rest, digest, and repair” state.

Your sense of smell is vital to survival! The scent is often the first warning of safety or danger. For this reason, your sense of smell has direct anatomical and functional access to the amygdala in the brain’s limbic lobe, which is physically located near the olfactory bulb.

In fact, on a physical level, only two synapses separate your amygdala from your olfactory nerve. No other sensory system has this direct and intense contact with the neural substrates of your brain’s emotional control center. Your other four senses—sound, sight, taste, and touch—must travel to different regions of the brain first before reaching your limbic system.

Smell travels through your olfactory system to your hypothalamus through your amygdala. When you smell an essential oil, it stimulates your hypothalamus to release hormones that trigger a rapid emotional response, directly impacting how you feel and function.

Limbic Reset™ contains a proprietary blend of essential oils designed to calm threat arousal and send safety queues to help reset your limbic system and support healthy emotional regulation. Limbic Reset™ was explicitly formulated with essential oils such as Frankincense and Sandalwood that contain the chemical constituent sesquiterpenes, which may help to increase the oxygen in the limbic system, which in turn “unlocks” the DNA and allows the release of emotional baggage from cellular memory.

The citrus oils contained in Limbic Reset™ help to lift your mood and clear your energy so that you do not take on or carry negative emotions or a pessimistic mindset for others. For example, Melissa oil is known as an antidepressant that possesses uplifting and emotion-balancing compounds.

Limbic Reset™ also contains Helichrysum oil, which is touted for brain function and known to cross the blood-brain barrier and carry oxygen to the limbic system to help rewire neural circuits in your limbic system and calm an over-active stress response.

READ THIS NEXT: How Smell Stimulates Your Brain

Fascia Release™

Releasing fascia helps to “unstick” emotional energy and release tension in areas of your body that correspond to difficult emotions. It may help create space for you to release your emotions gently without having to relieve them.

This gentle process of cultivating physical flexibility opens the space for enhanced mental and emotional flexibility. In other words, you experience the full range of emotions without getting stuck in any mental or emotional state.

Fascia is the tissue that surrounds, supports, and protects every organ, blood vessel, muscle, and nerve in the body. As such, fascia is highly innervated and rich with blood vessels, lymphatics, and hormonal and neurotransmitter receptors. It appears to play a role in storing emotional memories.

Fascia is believed to house 25% more nerve endings than skin and 1000% more than the collective innervation of muscle, so fascia could very well be considered our richest sensory organ, and your senses are highly correlated with storing your emotional memories. This may explain how releasing fascial adhesions helps release stuck emotions that keep you in emotional rigidity.

Fascia Release™  helps you unravel deeply held tensions and mental, physical, and emotional constrictions to promote physical and psychological flexibility in all areas of your life.

Fascia Release™ helps release adhesions and constrictions, creating space to allow you to feel and release your emotions without getting stuck in any mental or emotional state. This state of fascial flexibility or coherence empowers you to move through your mental and emotional landscape without getting fixated or stuck in any pre-existing rigid patterns. 

Formulated with essential oils derived from flexible plants with deep roots in the earth, like Frankincense, Fascia Release™  helps support muscle relaxation, reducing muscle tension and promoting a sense of ease in the body, which may support improved mental and physical flexibility.

Fascia Release™ blend contains Lavender oil known for its calming and soothing effects. Lavender is known to help relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation, which can indirectly support flexibility. Cypress allows for improved flexibility and resilience. Frankincense helps calm your nervous system and promotes mental flexibility. Black pepper and Rosemary oil are stimulating and invigorating, which may help improve circulation and alleviate muscle tension, supporting flexibility.

Apply on the back of the neck and back of the heart to improve mental and physical flexibility.

READ THIS NEXT: Essential Oils for Fascia Release

Attention™

Attention™ blend was designed to support children with ADD/ADHD. It works because it helps ground these kids into their bodies, and when they are grounded, they are less distracted, impulsive, and more focused. Grounding your body by topically applying essential oils to the bottom of your feet can generate a sense of internal balance so you can witness your thoughts and emotions without getting stuck or overtaken by them.

Grounding enables you to move through various mental and emotional states while remaining grounded, which helps support the self-awareness necessary for growth in the face of “Burn the Boat” moments. My therapist likes to say that growth only occurs when it is uncomfortable to make the hard changes. Connecting your energy to the earth and your feet may help you through those awkward moments by preventing you from getting rigid or stuck in your head because it brings your awareness into the body. 

Attention™ contains Vetiver, a perennial bunchgrass with very deep roots that help ground it to the earth. Vetiver essential oil is extracted from these deep roots. It is known to ground you mentally, physically, and emotionally, often helping you explore the root of your emotional issues. Attention™ also contains Frankincense™ and Cedarwood, which helps us ground and feel connected to the planet and each other. Apply 2-3 drops of Attention™ on the bottom of the feet and back of the neck to help with grounding.

READ THIS NEXT: How Grounding Supports Emotional Release

Limbic Reset™ for Mind Stagnation

Essential oils can be powerful tools to help allow you to work through your emotions and release anger and irritability. Your sense of smell links directly to the emotional control center of your brain known as the amygdala, where emotions and emotional memories are stored.

Essential oils inhaled through the nasal passageways enable immediate access to the regions of the brain that house these intense emotions like anger and rage so we can integrate and release them. The word “emotion” can be translated as “energy in motion.” Emotion is the experience of energy moving through our bodies. This emotional energy actually works at a higher speed than thought and essential oils can help us clear the energetic residue of blame so it doesn’t remain in our thought patterns, negatively impacting our energy field or our health.

Limbic Reset™ blend can help rewire neural circuits in your limbic system and calm an over-active stress response that involves mental stagnation.  Inhale or topically apply over your temples to send safety queues to help reset your limbic system and support healthy emotional regulation.

Lymph™ for Lymph Stagnation

Your lymphatic system drains all waste from your body. Since it doesn’t have a pump, and lymphatic fluid can accumulate and stagnate, it causes lymph fluid to back up, impeding superficial lymphatic drainage from your head, scalp, face, arms, and legs. This stagnation can be due to an overload of acidity, animal protein, gluten, infection, toxins, or adhesions of the connective tissue, such as scars.

The oils in Lymph™ may help fluid move through the vessels and reduce swelling. To enhance lymphatic flow and drainage, generously apply Lymph™ around the sides of the neck to relieve congestion, improve drainage, and reduce brain inflammation.

Fascia Release™ for Fascia Stagnation

Stagnation in the connective tissue in key regions of the body can create or increase muscle/joint pain and stiffness. Fascia Release™ helps release adhesions and fascial restriction, increase circulation, and decrease swelling in the tissue. By supporting the fluid dynamics of the fascial system, this blend may help ease a congested lymphatic system and decrease swelling.

As you may know, fascia lies just below the skin, so topically applying essential oils to the skin allows for easy and immediate access to the fascia. The skin is your largest organ and is relatively permeable to fat-soluble substances like essential oils that can easily penetrate layers of restricted fascia, creating warmth to break up congestion, increasing circulation, lymphatic drainage, and mobilizing adhered tissue.

Essential oils soften the myofascial tissue, allowing the deep and constrained tissue to stretch and move as it is designed to function. They also have an analgesic effect, relaxing the muscles and reducing pain. The essential oils in the Fascia Release™ blend are uniquely formulated to unravel deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages in your tissues to reduce pain, improve blood and lymphatic circulation, and release fear, repressed emotions, and tension held in the body (organs, muscles, tendons, bones, and joints) or the mind.

Liver Support™ for Liver Stagnation

Energetically, your liver is responsible for maintaining harmony and the smooth movement of energy throughout your body, including the smooth transition between feelings and emotions as situations change around you. This liver energy supports your drive, planning, endurance, perseverance, quick/clear intellect, ambition, patience, and organizational abilities.

When your liver energy is balanced, you probably feel kind, benevolent, compassionate, and generous. When your liver is physically or energetically congested or stagnant, you might experience intense feelings of angry outbursts, irritability, resentment, frustration, rage, impatience, jealousy, or even depression.

Anger that we don’t process and release can get stored in your liver, according to Chinese medicine.  Any stagnation, congestion, or compromise in the healthy function of your liver allows toxic chemicals to build up and accumulate in your body. Frustration, rage, and anger tend to build up when toxins build up.

Liver Support™ helps support the release of anger, including frequent irritation, impatience, resentment or frustration, being critical of yourself or others, control issues, an inability to express your feelings, feelings of not feeling heard, not feeling loved, and/or not feeling recognized or appreciated.

Liver Support™ is formulated to help move through and release anger and stagnant emotions attached to traumatic experiences from the cells of the liver to promote optimal healing. The oils in this blend assist the body to recognize, work through, and release the anger, fear, or frustration caused by traumatic experiences so they don’t overwhelm you.

It allows you to gently let go of negative emotions, including repressed anger, which can create stuck energy and impede an organ’s ability to heal.

Just place the bottle under your nose and breathe deeply, fully inhaling the oil for 3-7 breaths. It helps you breathe into and work through the emotion. You can also apply it around the ankles as this is often an area where we hold resistance to moving forward in life and block the ability to receive joy and pleasure. Start at the back of the ankle and apply under the ankle bone around to the front and back under the other ankle bone, all while allowing yourself to release challenging emotions. For more tips on detoxify emotions, read this article.

READ THIS NEXT: Physical and Emotional Support for Your Liver

Liver™ & Gall Bladder™ for Bile Stagnation

When your body detoxifies, it eliminates toxins by moving them out of your cells, into your blood, through your liver, and into your bile, which then carries toxins into the gut for elimination in your stool.  As long as toxins flow in the right direction, they can be eliminated.

If there is a block in detoxification pathways, like a clogged bile duct, the fluids carrying the toxins out of your body are not able to flow out of your liver into your intestines for elimination.  When detoxification pathways are blocked, toxins are forced to flow back into your bloodstream and either need to be eliminated through other detoxification pathways – your skin and your kidneys – or linger in the blood – contributing to blood stagnation.

Liver™: The liver produces bile, a yellowish-green fluid that aids in the emulsification of fats and the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble substances, like vitamins A, D, E, and K. The liver also stores fat-soluble toxins, including old hormones (like excess estrogen), in the bile for transport out of the body through the digestive elimination process. This means the liver needs to be functioning optimally to both produce bile and filter and store old hormones. You can support optimal liver function by applying Vibrant Blue Oils Liver™ over the liver (right side of the body, under the ribs) 2 – 3 times daily.

Gall Bladder™: Once the liver produces bile, it is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder.

Your liver energy works in conjunction with your gallbladder energy. If gallbladder energy is stuck, it can back up into the liver causing stagnation. When we eat a meal with fat, the bile should flow freely into the small intestine to break down the fat, so we can absorb it. Unfortunately, stress, hormones, and excess fat consumption can make the bile thick, viscous, and stagnant which impedes its ability to flow. To support the optimal flow of bile from the gallbladder, apply Vibrant Blue Oils Gall Bladder™ on the right side of the body under the bra under-wire or along and slightly under the right rib cage.

Lung Support™ for Lung Stagnation

According to Chinese medicine, feelings of grief and loss are stored in your lungs where they can obstruct the ability of your lungs to accept and relinquish, impeding their function of “taking in” and “letting go” of oxygen and feelings. Grief that remains unresolved can become chronic and create disharmony in the lungs, weakening the lung’s function of circulating oxygen around the body. Lung Support™ can help release these feelings of loss and support your ability to transport oxygen from the atmosphere into the capillaries so they can oxygenate blood and eliminate carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere. Apply 2-3 drops over the lungs, allowing yourself to deeply exhale any grief as you apply the blend.

Spleen Qi™ for Spleen Stagnation

The spleen, which sits in the upper left part of your abdomen behind your ribs, regulates and filters our blood, impacting the number of red blood cells that carry energy supplying oxygen throughout the body. The spleen is also part of our lymphatic system and a key player in our immune response, detecting pathogens in the blood and producing white blood cells to fight infections.

As blood filters through the spleen, it’s cleaned, and threatening microbes are engulfed and filtered out. Without the spleen working properly, we can’t maintain the red and white blood cells we need for ongoing energy which is why low spleen energy can be linked to fatigue.

TCM considers the spleen to be responsible for digesting food and carrying that energy into our cells, along with providing warmth and vitality to the body, providing physical energy for immune function and mental energy for work and creativity. Prolonged stress, cold weather, too much cold food, and mental overwork can exhaust or weaken the spleen’s energy or Chi.

Spleen Qi™: Can help support the Vitality of your Spleen and improve sleep quality. Apply 2-3 drops of Spleen Qi™ over the spleen (left side of the body, under the breast) or over the Spleen 6-point (inside of the leg just above the highest peak of your ankle) four finger widths up from, apply deep pressure slightly behind the tibia bone.

Circulation™ for Blood Stagnation

Your circulatory system controls blood flow into and out of the brain. Slow, stagnant, or blocked blood flow through the veins or arteries can restrict effective blood flow, which creates pressure and prevents toxins from draining from the brain. 

Circulation™ blend may help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the health of the blood vessels. This helps more blood circulate through them, improving circulation in the process. Essential oils can also be used to help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow.

Apply 2-3 drops of Circulation™ on the sides or back of the neck, over the left clavicle, to help support circulation. When blood circulation to the brain becomes sluggish, it can impact your physical and mental abilities, including your ability to focus and concentrate. Poor circulation in the brain can also contribute to fatigue, vertigo, dizziness, memory loss, and frequent and unexplained headaches.

Heart™ for Heart Stagnation

Heart™ can help calm any intense or overwhelming feelings by redirecting you back to a space of love and gratitude. Feelings of love and gratitude can help you pivot out of the intensity of sadness and grief and act as an instant reset. In fact, an NIH study correlated a focus on gratitude with increased blood flow to the hypothalamus and a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol. Apply 2-3 drops of Heart™ directly over the heart (left side of the chest). During times of intense stress and fatigue, use as often as needed (every 20-30 minutes). During times of normal stress, use 2-3 times daily to calm and uplift the heart and the body. Read More about Essential Oils for Gratitude HERE.

It’s been a doozy of a week, attempting to unravel from what I was late to realize was not a healthy relationship.

As my fiancé (who is still very much in the picture) likes to point out, “There are three sides to every story: my side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently.” 

The quote—attributed to movie producer Robert Evans—highlights how individual defense mechanisms may color your perception of a situation. Defense mechanisms are mental processes you may unconsciously employ to displace anger, alleviate discomfort, or protect yourself from uncomfortable emotions or situations. Defense mechanisms may temporarily ease stress and protect you from feelings of anxiety, threats to self-esteem, and things that you don’t want to think about, deal with, or take accountability for.

Defense mechanisms offer coping mechanisms or strategies for defending against perceived threats to your survival and physical integrity, including potentially stressful interpersonal conflicts.

What is a Defense Mechanism?

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies you may employ to separate and protect yourself from unpleasant events, actions, threats, thoughts, or unwanted feelings, such as guilt or shame.

Defense mechanisms are ways you react to situations that bring up negative emotions. When you experience a stressor, your subconscious monitors the situation to see if it might lead to emotional harm and may react with a defense mechanism to protect you or help you put distance between yourself and anything you don’t want to experience or take accountability for.

Defense mechanisms may allow you to navigate painful experiences by deploying strategies of self-deception to avoid the discomfort. The unacceptable thought or emotion may be denied or rationalized or projected onto someone else.

Essential Oils for Skin Inflammation and Acne

Some of the most common mechanisms of protecting yourself against emotional pain Include:

• Projection: Attributing your own feelings, traits, or motivations to others. For example, projecting your anger onto someone else or blaming another person for your own flaws. Projection works by allowing the expression of the desire or impulse, but in a way that the conscious mind does not directly recognize, therefore reducing anxiety.
• Denial: Pretending that negative experiences haven’t occurred or refusing to recognize or acknowledge something has occurred or is currently occurring that would lead to anxiety. If you are in denial, you may block or reject external events or circumstances from your mind so that you don’t have to deal with the painful feelings or emotional impact. Denial can involve a flat-out rejection of the existence of a fact or reality or might involve admitting that something is true, but minimizing its importance. In other words, denial helps you avoid events. Sometimes people will accept reality and the seriousness of the fact, but they will deny their own responsibility and instead blame other people or other outside forces.
• Repression: Acts to keep difficult thoughts or unpleasant information from entering into conscious awareness. Instead of facing potentially upsetting thoughts and painful memories or taking accountability for your behavior or actions, you may choose to hide them in hopes of forgetting them entirely. However, these memories don’t just disappear; they continue to influence our behavior. For example, a person who has repressed memories of abuse suffered as a child may later have difficulty forming relationships.
• Rationalization: Involves justifying a mistake, unacceptable behavior or problematic feeling with seemingly logical reasons or explanations, which may allow you to avoid the true reasons for the behavior. You may even attempt to explain undesirable behaviors with your own set of “facts” which may allow you to feel comfortable with the choice you made, even if you know on another level it’s not right. For example, you might rationalize a poor work review by blaming your boss rather than taking accountability for your own performance.  Rationalization not only prevents anxiety, but it may also protect self-esteem and self-concept. When trying to explain success or failure, you may use this defense mechanism to attribute achievement to your own qualities and skills while failures are blamed on other people or outside forces.
• Intellectualization: Focusing on the intellectual rather than emotional consequences of a situation. This works to reduce anxiety by thinking about events in a cold, clinical way. It allows you to avoid thinking about the stressful, emotional aspect of the situation and instead focus only on the intellectual component. For example, in the face of a potentially concerning medical diagnosis, you might focus on learning everything about the condition in order to avoid distress and remain distant from the reality of the situation and your feelings about it.
• Suppression: Consciously repressing unpleasant or unwanted information from your awareness. For example, if you were abused as a child, you may push it out of your mind or memory as a protective measure.
• Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable urges into a productive outlet, such as work or a hobby. This allows you to act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form. For example, you might become a workaholic or exercise addict as a means of venting frustration to avoid experiencing extreme anger.
• Regression: Reverting to the behavior or emotions of an earlier developmental stage.
• Displacement: Taking feelings out on others or redirecting an emotional reaction from the rightful recipient to another person altogether. For example, if a manager disciplines an employee, the employee may not react at work but may take it out on their family later that night. Rather than express your anger in ways that could lead to negative consequences (like arguing with your boss), you instead express your anger toward a person or object that poses no threat (such as your spouse, children, or pets).
• Compartmentalization: Separating components of one’s life into different categories to prevent conflicting emotions.
• Acting out: Coping with stress by engaging in actions rather than acknowledging and bearing certain feelings. For example, instead of telling someone that you are angry with them, you might yell at them or throw something against the wall.
• Avoidance: Refusing to deal with or encounter unpleasant objects or situations. For example, rather than discuss a problem with someone, you might simply start avoiding them altogether so you don’t have to deal with the issue.
• Dissociation: Becoming separated or removed from your experience. When dealing with something stressful, for example, you might mentally and emotionally disengage yourself from the situation.
• Passive-aggression: Indirectly expressing anger. Instead of someone telling you that they are upset, they might give you the silent treatment or undermine or bad mouth you behind your back.

Essential Oils for Navigating Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms allow you to avoid dealing with your thoughts or feelings. These avoidance strategies do not solve the problems, but instead delay and prolong the issue. 

In order to properly address your thoughts, feelings and actions, you need to take responsibility and accountability for yourself and your actions. This is not an easy task and requires the capacity for emotional regulation and the courage to take responsibility for your choices and actions, even when those choices provoke unpleasant feelings of guilt and shame.

The word “Responsibility” breaks down into “response” and “ability” or “the ability to choose your response” to external circumstances. When you are able to accept responsibility for your circumstances, you are better able to change your circumstances. I believe this is because when you are able to release thought patterns that make you feel disempowered, like blame and judgment, you allow yourself the mental and emotional space to change your circumstances.

This also means taking accountability and responsibility for your own health and releasing your “victim stories”—stories in which you feel powerless or taken advantage of by others. Victim stories can include feeling betrayed by your own bodies and powerless to change your circumstances.

READ THIS NEXT: Release Your Victim Story

Most conflict occurs in relation to others, which means in order to step into your own power, you need to:

1. Take accountability for yourself (and not avoid it with defense mechanisms).
2. Avoid blaming others for situations in which your actions and choices influenced the outcome.
3. Stop assuming responsibility for other people’s choices or feelings.

Essential oils—with their ability to travel directly and immediately to the brain—may help support the emotional regulation to step into personal responsibility and help you recognize and avoid defense mechanisms, both in your own behavior and that of others.

How Essential Oils Support Emotional Regulation

3 Steps for Navigating Defense Mechanisms with Essential Oils

Step 1: Support Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to emotions in a way that is socially acceptable and flexible. It involves being able to identify and understand your emotions which requires the ability to exert control over your emotional state and your nervous system.

Defense mechanisms may be triggered by your nervous system’s fight or flight response. At their root, defense mechanisms are unconscious homeostatic mechanisms that reduce the disorganizing effects of sudden stress. Following that logic, anything you can do to regulate your nervous system and expand your capacity to navigate stress without needing to distort or deny it can help you recognize and work through both your own defense mechanisms and your response to them in other people.

Verbal and emotional conflicts can feel like a physical assault. They trigger the same “fight or flight” danger response as an actual physical attack and prime your body to fight back. 

This might explain why we are so easily provoked and ready to rumble in response to psychological threats like news stories or social media posts that present opinions different from our own.

When you are operating from the “fight or flight” survival mode, your sympathetic branch of your nervous system prepares you for action. Your muscles tense and your vision narrows, allowing you to narrow your focus and pay close attention to the external, physical world.

Selective attention—a process where you identify and survive threats before dedicating your attention to anything else—helps you focus on what’s important while ignoring irrelevant, outside information. Just as the sympathetic nervous system turns off all functions not critical to survival, including your ability to digest food, it also turns off your capacity to access critical thinking and problem-solving skills by shutting down your ability to focus on anything outside of the pressing danger.

You are constantly bombarded with sensory information. If you focus your attention on everything going on around you, you will go into sensory overload and be unable to maintain your focus on safety. Unfortunately, when the sympathetic state locks you into a state of constantly scanning for threats, it shuts down your ability to thoughtfully contemplate different perspectives that might feel threatening to your safety.

This hyper-vigilance can save your life when you are under threat, but also restricts your emotional regulation or receptivity to new or different viewpoints and ideas, making you more likely to engage in and amplify conflict.   

READ THIS NEXT: Stay Calm in the Midst of Adversity

When you respond from a place of survival and fear, you are more likely to revert to defense mechanisms and end up regretting your behavior later on.

It is critical to shift out of the sympathetic, survival mode branch of your nervous system as it is not conducive to making wise, thoughtful choices.  The easiest way to do this is to literally force yourself to pause and activate your parasympathetic nervous system. My favorite way to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system is to apply the Parasympathetic® blend behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone.

Once you are able to calm your nervous system, you may notice that you immediately feel less triggered and far less reactive. It is far easier to practice emotional regulation in the parasympathetic state.

In her excellent book, The Art of Extreme Self Care, Cheryl Richardson advises that emotional regulation is a wise choice when:

• You can’t think clearly
• You feel really angry and triggered
• Your emotional reaction feels bigger than what the current situation warrants.
• You feel anxiety coursing through your veins and feel compelled to react
• You feel angry and know there’s a good chance you will say something mean or stupid that you will regret

If you experience any of these emotional reactions listed above, consider pausing and activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Again, the fastest and easiest way to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system is to apply the Parasympathetic® blend behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone.

Step 2: Release Blame, Shame, and Guilt

Blame, shame, and guilt are powerful manipulative emotions that may be used by you or against you as a defense mechanism. For example, you may project blame on others or be on the receiving side of such a projection.

Interestingly, research shows that projecting blame onto others is more common among individuals who are unable to regulate their emotions.

This means not blaming others, not throwing a pity party, and not playing the role of victim, but rather focusing on the aspects of the challenge that are within your control, and letting go of the rest (including other people’s reactions). This ability to assume a sense of agency over the factors of your life within your control is also known as the “locus of control” or the degree to which you believe that you, as opposed to external forces (beyond your influence), have control over the outcome of the events that influence your life.

READ THIS NEXT: How Personal Responsibility Enhances Resilience

At its root, blame is a form of avoidance that can be internalized or externalized and typically comes in 3 different flavors:

• Blaming others = Anger
• Blaming yourself = Guilt
• Accepting others blame of you = Shame

Blame transfers responsibility to someone else or forces you to carry the blame of others, keeping you stuck in the victim space. Liver Support™ allows you to release anger, blame, and shame that are often stored on a very deep cellular level. Just place the bottle under your nose and breathe deeply, fully inhaling the oil for 3-7 breaths, then slowly exhaling while intentionally releasing the anger. It helps you breathe into and work through the emotion. You will know that the essential oil for blame is working when you stop smelling it. You can also topically apply 2-3 drops of Liver Support™ over your liver (right side of the body under the breast) to help work through and release your anger and boost resilience.

Guilt turns blame inward, a concept known as self-blame, where you attribute any negative outcome to a personal shortcoming or deficiency. Guilt also has to do with control. You may like to believe that things should go your way and when they do not, you feel guilty about it.

Heart™ helps amplify feelings of self-love and gratitude, helping to balance and heal feelings of guilt. Every moment of your life you have the opportunity to see the glass as half empty or half full. How you envision each moment helps paint a picture of your actual experience, so why not choose to be happy, to think of and move toward things that bring you joy? Essential oils for blame are a wonderful tool for cementing in that positive frequency. Apply 2-3 drops of Heart™ directly over the heart (left side of the chest) or on the back of the neck to calm guilt and uplift the heart and the body.

Shame results in you receiving negative messages from others, leading you to believe that you are bad, defective, or unworthy and somehow helpless to change that deficit.

Poor boundaries are correlated with shame, especially when you believe you lack the power, skill, knowledge, or capability to manage the expectations of others and continually seek validation through serving their needs and wants. Not surprisingly, your body holds shame in your digestive system, primarily the small intestine which is also associated with boundaries. Small Intestine Support™ may help support positive boundaries and confidence to assist in bringing a sense of peace to your life. Apply 2-3 drops of  Small Intestine Support™ in a clockwise direction around the belly button or massage into your ears for emotion-related issues. You can start on the bottom of the ear at the earlobes and gently massage upward along the exterior of the ear, hitting many of the major reflexology points. This article and chart shows specific points on the ears for specific issues.

READ THIS NEXT: Essential Oils for Blame

Step 3: Support Healthy Boundaries

Emotional boundaries help you protect your emotional well-being in a healthy pro-active way. Defense mechanisms are reactive responses when boundaries are threatened. So long as healthy boundaries are maintained—and not threatened—defense mechanisms are not activated.

Essential oils, like Small Intestine Support™, can help you identify and support healthy mental, physical and emotional boundaries for yourself and others.

On the physical level, the small intestine plays a critical role in the digestion process, absorbing and assimilating key nutrients while preventing harmful pathogens and toxins from entering the body.

On an emotional level, the small intestine plays a similarly discerning role with emotions, helping to understand experiences and determine healthy and appropriate relationships and boundaries.

It is also an area where we can hold deep childhood scars of rejection, abandonment, or abuse. Negative thoughts fueled by feelings of low self-worth, low self‐esteem, loneliness, neglect, and anxieties about survival and success can interfere with our ability to identify and support healthy boundaries.

Vibrant Blue Oils Emotion Balance Small Intestine Support™ blend supports the healthy functioning of the small intestine as it sorts and transforms food, feelings, and ideas into useful ingredients for the body/mind. It also helps correct imbalances where you are overly in tune with another’s criticism, feelings, or opinions at the expense of your own.

Small Intestine Support™ can be inhaled or applied around the ears. You can start on the bottom of the ear at the earlobes and gently massage upward along the exterior of the ear, hitting many of the major reflexology points. This article and chart show specific points on the ears for specific issues.

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References:

“My daughter has been putting the anti-inflammatory blend on her feet before bed every night and
her skin has completely cleared up! Now half of her dance team wants to order some!” –
Lori P.

Essential oils possess anti-inflammatory properties that may help calm skin inflammation and reduce acne naturally. Many essential oils, such as ginger oil and frankincense oil, contain compounds that inhibit the production of inflammatory molecules in the skin. By reducing inflammation, essential oils can help calm
redness and swelling associated with acne.

Calming inflammation can help with acne by reducing the size and redness of pimples, and treating pain.  In fact, common “acne treatments largely focus on reducing inflammation by targeting cytokine pathways known to be upregulated in acne,” according to research on Targeting Inflammation in Acne. Similar research on Essential Oils in the Treatment of Various Types of Acne notes that “essential oils with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can prevent plugging of the sebaceous glands of the skin”.

Essential oils also contain anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and antimicrobial properties to fight bacteria that contribute to skin inflammation. An overgrowth of bacteria on the skin—especially in hair follicles—may contribute to infection and breakouts. Essential oils are also rich in antioxidants that help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals that can damage cells and contribute to inflammation. By neutralizing free radicals, essential oils can promote skin healing and reduce the risk of acne scarring.

What is Acne?

Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that can occur when hair follicles become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. This can lead to a variety of symptoms, including visible red, swollen, inflamed, and often painful blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads, or pustules on the face and body (including the neck, back, chest, and shoulders).

When a pore or hair follicle becomes congested due to the buildup of skin cells, dirt, and excess oil, it can present as blemishes that can trigger an inflammatory immune response in your immune system resulting in redness, swelling, pus, and tenderness.

Acne may result from various factors, including hormonal imbalances, excess production of sebum (an oily substance produced by your sebaceous glands to support skin barrier), bacteria, and inflammation, including:

• Inflammation: Immune response to bacteria and clogged pores resulting in redness, swelling, and acne formation
• Bacterial Infection: Propionibacterium acnes bacteria thrive in clogged pores, causing inflammation and acne lesions
• Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormone levels, especially during puberty or menstruation, can stimulate excess oil production

Essential Oils for Skin Inflammation and Acne

Essential oils possess powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and balancing properties that may help address the root causes of skin issues by minimizing inflammation and modulating immune reactions. They can also help to support hormone balance.

Essential oils work to naturally balance your body and calm inflammation. More specifically, plant compounds like polyphenols and flavonoids, have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain and reduce inflammation in the brain (Study). The process of distilling these concentrated plant essences into essential oils makes them more bio-available and accessible to the body and brain to help calm brain
inflammation.

Topically applied essential oils can play a huge role in helping deactivate inflammation in the body and the brain so it can repair and heal. Studies have found that essential oils can drastically reduce inflammation levels and reverse symptoms of inflammation. The study found that “boswellic acids”—or the active component of Frankincense which is responsible for its therapeutic capabilities—effectively reduces inflammation and “influences the immune system” by repressing the formation of inflammatory mediators like leukotriene.

Essential oils are fat-soluble making them easily absorbed through the skin. They are also extremely gentle and do not strip away your skin’s natural oils or add to your toxic burden. Some essential oils, like Lavender and Frankincense, have been known to support clear skin and skin cell regeneration.

The following essential oils that are included in the Anti Inflammatory™ blend may help support the anti-inflammation mechanisms to improve your skin and reduce acne.

Ginger

Ginger essential oil possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties that may help bring heat and stimulate circulation to help reduce inflammation and pain.

Ginger essential oil has been found to inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators, including inflammatory cytokines and enzymes which help reduce the overall inflammatory response in the body. The anti-inflammatory effects of ginger are often attributed to secondary metabolites, like antioxidant compounds such as gingerols and shogaols that help neutralize free radicals and oxidative stress that may contribute to inflammation.

A critical review of Ginger’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities found that Ginger’s chemical components are recognized as “antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents with the potential to operate as immunomodulators”.

Ginger’s “anti-inflammatory mechanism is linked to Akt inhibition and NF-KB activation, triggering the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines while reducing proinflammatory cytokines.” By modulating key inflammatory signaling pathways like NF-κB and MAPKs, Ginger essential oil can suppress the inflammatory cascade. What’s more, the chemical constituent zingibain in ginger oil is believed to reduce prostaglandin levels in the body. Prostaglandins are associated with pain and inflammation.

Ginger essential oil is believed to reduce the amount of prostaglandins in the body, which are compounds associated with pain. The beneficial effects of ginger polyphenols have been reported to suppress inflammation in research such as “Assessing the Effects of Ginger Extract on Polyphenol Profiles”.

An in-vitro study reported that ginger essential oil exerted anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting lipoxygenase enzymes as well as quercetin. Lipoxygenase enzymes are involved in the development of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers when overexpressed. The research discovered that ginger oil reduces inflammation by preventing the migration of excess leukocytes from the blood to tissues. Leukocytes travel to the site of damaged tissue to encourage tissue repair. However, when they migrate excessively to the area it causes an abnormal inflammatory response. Animal research demonstrates that ginger essential oil prevents chronic joint inflammation in a model of rheumatoid arthritis, but does not affect acute joint swelling. An additional study of 140 participants found that topically applied ginger essential oil “significantly reduced low back pain and disability”. Ginger oil reduced the production of pro-inflammatory constituents released during respiratory infections in-vitro.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit™ essential oil shows promising anti-inflammatory mechanisms related to skin inflammation and acne. The limonene present in grapefruit helps to reduce inflammation and regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines.

Grapefruit™ also contains high levels of bioactive flavonoids—a category of plant compounds present in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, bergamot, and grapefruits (Study). Flavonoids demonstrate anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, lipid-lowering, and antioxidant activities (according to research published in Oxid Med Cell Longev. titled “Bioactive Flavonoids, Antioxidant Behavior, and Cytoprotective Effects of Dried Grapefruit Peels”). The research data suggests that “grapefruit peel has considerable potential as a source of natural bioactive flavonoids with outstanding antioxidant activity which can be used as agents in several therapeutic strategies.” Flavonoids were observed in the oil glands of citrus peels (Essential oils are found mainly in the oil glands).

Frankincense

Frankincense™ oil has long been heralded for its anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and pain-relieving properties. Research shows Frankincense™ and its anti-inflammatory constituent alpha-pinene, significantly inhibit inflammation and enhance immune-supporting properties. The chemical constituent borneol possesses anesthetic and anti-spasmodic properties.

Studies have shown that Frankincense™ inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. This helps suppress the overall inflammatory response in the body. Frankincense™ also acts as an immunostimulant to boost the body’s natural immune response.

Boswellic acid—another active component of Frankincense™ essential oil—has been highly correlated with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties that may be helpful in reducing skin inflammation and acne. What’s more, Frankincense™ possesses natural skin-calming properties.

Ylang-Ylang

Research has shown that active compounds in ylang-ylang oil include several types of flavonoids that can help improve blood flow, lower inflammation, and support a healthy circulatory system.

Ylang-ylang is rich in the constituent Linalool which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Research indicates that linalool “plays a major role in the anti-inflammatory activity displayed by the essential oils containing them, and provides further evidence suggesting that linalool and linalyl acetate-producing species are potentially anti-inflammatory agents.”

Ylang-ylang is also known as a harmonizer, meaning it is adaptive and supportive, especially when added to a blend. It may help to prevent dryness as well as excessive sebum production that contributes to skin inflammation and acne.

Dill Seed

Dill is known to significantly reduce inflammation, possibly because of its antioxidant flavonoids. Medieval knights would place dill seeds on open wounds to speed up healing. Research has confirmed the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of dill’s key constituents, d-carvone and d-limonene, noting that dill essential oil causes a significant decrease in inflammation and pain. Dill is also a well-known herb used as an anti-spasmodic. It is considered a tonic for organs like your stomach, liver, kidney, and bladder. Dill is also effective in strengthening and calming the brain.

The Study of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Oil-Based Dill found Dill to possess anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic qualities. Dill Seed is rich in the anti-inflammatory constituents D- limonene and carvone and α-phellandrene, which make up about 90% of dill seed oil’s composition. Carvone has shown a significant anti-inflammatory effect in the inflammatory carrageenan model,
according to research on the Anti-inflammatory activity of hydroxydihydrocarvone. It reveals that the hydroalcoholic extract of the Dill seed causes a significant decrease in inflammation. Dill oil can suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines and enzymes like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β2.

Additional research found that limonene has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which control cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 and inhibit inflammation.

Tarragon

Traditional Chinese medicine uses Tarragon for its antispasmodic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Tarragon essential oil supports brain health, acting as an antioxidant and an analgesic (for pain relief). It also supports healthy heart function and circulation and can help reduce physical weakness caused by bad circulation. Tarragon supports muscle aches, spasms, and rheumatism and helps restore proper muscular function and ease muscular convulsions.

Research has found that Tarragon oil inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, which may make it beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of AChE prevents the break-down of acetylcholine, which is essential for memory and thinking. People with neurodegenerative diseases make less acetylcholine, and the diseases often break it down at a faster rate, leading to acetylcholine deficits.

Tarragon oil has also been shown to relieve pain both centrally and peripherally using mechanisms other than interacting with opioid receptors.

Topically apply Anti-Inflammatory™ to the bottom of the feet before bed. You can also apply to areas of the body where inflammation is experienced or suspected, including the base of the skull or on the vagal nerve (behind the ear). Anti-Inflammatory™ is designed to reduce inflammation, re-balance the brain, and encourage regeneration of damaged or stressed cells and tissues that have been chronically or acutely inflamed.

Featured Oils:

References:

Your intestinal mucosa lines your intestinal tract.  It acts as a semi-permeable barrier helping to maintain the balance of your intestinal flora by nourishing good bacteria, helping to absorb nutrients, secrete waste, and supporting immunity by protecting against opportunistic pathogens.

As the innermost lining of your intestinal wall, your intestinal mucosa layer is the first physical line of defense that foreign molecules encounter when reaching the intestinal lumen, helping to prevent bacteria from coming into direct contact with epithelial cells.

When you ingest probiotics, they attach to the intestinal mucosa, which prolongs the time they can interact with the gastrointestinal immune system and microbiota, thus maximizing the benefits of probiotics. The ability of probiotics to adhere to the intestinal surface is thought to be a measure of their efficacy.  In fact, studies have shown that a healthy intestinal barrier is essential for the effective absorption of probiotics, the “good” bacteria known to keep your gut healthy.

The ability of probiotics to adhere to the intestinal mucosa is crucial for their effectiveness as this adhesion helps probiotics resist being washed away by intestinal contents and enhances their ability to colonize the gut.  Supporting the health of your intestinal mucosa helps probiotics adhere to the gut lining and enhance their ability to support gut health and immunity.

In contrast, compromised mucosal health can significantly reduce the efficacy of probiotics. Research on “Probiotics in the Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders” suggests that healing the intestinal mucosa may enhance the benefits of probiotics, making it essential for optimal absorption. 

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms – such as live bacteria and yeasts found in fermented foods – that help maintain the healthy function of the intestinal microbial barrier, which helps regulate the balance of intestinal microflora. 

Probiotics contain beneficial types of microbes to help maintain or improve the “good” or “helpful” bacteria in your gut by adding to your existing supply of friendly microbes. They help fight off the less friendly or “opportunistic” bacteria and boost your immunity against infections.

When your body is healthy and resilient – fed by healthy beneficial probiotics,  these opportunistic pathogens lay low so your immune system doesn’t detect them.

But the moment they detect that your resistance is low and you are more vulnerable, they sense “opportunity” and deplete the balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome, which keeps opportunistic pathogens in check.  Probiotics help maintain a healthy balance of gut flora and prevent them from becoming pathogenic.

That said, probiotics by themselves are not magic bullets.  They need a healthy home to thrive. By nurturing your intestinal mucosa, you create the perfect environment for these beneficial bacteria to flourish, enhancing their ability to support your overall health.

Research on the “Role of the intestinal barrier in the modulation of immune responses” found that “intestinal microorganisms are able to have a positive impact by interacting with the intestinal mucosa as well as intestinal immune cells, with probiotics strengthening your intestinal immune function, while harmful pathogens enter the surrounding tissues or bloodstream through the leaky gut and have a negative impact on the organism.”

Signs You Need a Probiotic

Probiotics can help maintain a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut, which can improve your overall health and support the following issues.  A lack of beneficial flora (that probiotics and healthy intestinal mucosa can support) might present as issues like:

• Digestive issues:  bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, acid reflux, or indigestion. 
• Skin conditions:  inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, dry, flaky, or other unexplained skin reactions.
• Mental health:  mood swings, anxiety, depression, irritability, feelings of chronic stress and overwhelm or other mental health conditions. 
• Fatigue or Poor Sleep: Low energy, chronic fatigue, insomnia or sleep disturbances
• Brain fog: Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, or cognitive decline
• Immune and Autoimmune Disorders: Frequent colds, infections, weakened immunity, multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic inflammation, and joint pain.
• Food Reactions and Sensitivities: Food intolerances and sensitivities, Histamine intolerance, Unexplained bloating or discomfort after meals
• Hormonal and Metabolic Issues/Disorders: Weight gain (especially stubborn belly fat), hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders (like insulin resistance)

Healthy Intestinal Mucosa helps to prolong the time probiotics can influence the gastrointestinal immune system and microbiota of the host. Thus the ability to adhere to intestinal surfaces is thought to correspond to the efficacy of the probiotic strain.

What is Intestinal Mucosa?

Intestinal mucosa is the innermost layer that lines the intestinal wall of your gastrointestinal tract, serving as a barrier that regulates what enters the bloodstream – protecting your body from harmful pathogens while allowing nutrients to pass through. This intestinal mucosal layer plays a crucial role in maximizing digestion and absorption. The lining is highly folded to form microscopic finger-like projections called villi, which increase the surface area to help with absorption. 

It also plays host to your gut flora, helping to keep it healthy and intact. Healthy intestinal mucosa is the glue that helps the gut flora – or the probiotics that feed the flora – stick to the gut lining.  Healthy gut flora feeds the cells of the intestinal lining, known as enterocytes. In turn, the enterocytes are responsible for the selective uptake of beneficial nutrients, making it critical for proper digestion and assimilation.

The mucosal layer is rich in immune cells that interact with probiotics. Just like a well-tended garden, a healthy gut lining is essential for nurturing the probiotics you introduce into your body.  When probiotics are consumed, they can adhere to the mucosal surface, triggering local immune responses that enhance their survival and efficacy. This interaction not only supports the absorption of probiotics, it helps protect the intestines from pathogens, enzymes, toxins, dehydration, and abrasion

Healthy flora competes with potential pathogens for space and food, helping to maintain the healthy balance of bacteria in the intestines. If your healthy gut bacteria are already using all the resources available, there’s nothing left to feed the bad guys. This also helps to keep opportunistic bacteria in check. When beneficial bacteria are depleted, opportunistic pathogens can proliferate and overgrow. 

Research on the “Role of intestinal microbes on intestinal barrier function” found that a healthy intestinal barrier is essential for the effective absorption of probiotics.  The mucosal layer is rich in immune cells that interact with probiotics. When probiotics are consumed, they can adhere to the mucosal surface, triggering local immune responses that enhance their survival and efficacy, according to research on “The immune system and the gut microbiota”.

What’s more research on “Probiotics in Intestinal Mucosal Healing” found that healing the integrity of the intestinal mucosa “led to significantly decreased inflammation” and “seems to improve the clinical course of patients”

Why Mucosal Health Matters for Probiotics

Probiotics thrive in a healthy environment, so supporting your mucosa strengthens your body’s natural defenses and helps support:

Enhanced Absorption: A healthy intestinal mucosa optimizes the absorption of nutrients, including the beneficial bacteria found in probiotics. When your mucosa is compromised, this absorption process can falter, reducing the effectiveness of probiotics. The mucus layer plays a protective role and also facilitates the movement of probiotics through the gut. The composition of this mucus can influence how effectively probiotics are absorbed, according to research on “The inner of the two Muc2 mucin-dependent mucus layers in the intestine is devoid of bacteria.” 

Immune Function: The mucosal layer is home to a significant portion of your immune system. A robust mucosa helps maintain a balanced microbiome, which is essential for immune regulation.  A healthy gut microbiome (or gut flora) may also help to modulate the inflammatory immune response and neutralize toxic substances. In her book, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome”, Dr. Natasha-Campbell-McBride notes that “healthy indigenous gut flora has a good ability to neutralize toxic substances, inactivate histamine, chelate heavy metals, and other poisons. The cell walls of the beneficial bacteria absorb many carcinogenic substances making them inactive. They also suppress hyperplastic processes in the gut, which is the basis of all cancer formation.” In other words, if the intestinal mucosa nourishes the gut flora to keep it healthy and working properly, it basically neutralizes all other health threats.

Barrier Function: A well-functioning intestinal mucosa acts as a barrier against harmful substances. An imbalance of gut flora, known as dysbiosis, can result in an overgrowth of bugs, bacteria, mold, fungus, yeast and/or parasites. This imbalance causes food to ferment in the intestines instead of being digested, creating gas and bloating and further weakening the lining of the gut wall – known as “leaky gut”— which can lead to even greater inflammation. Healthy gut flora, fueled by probiotics, helps to make the gut more acidic and hostile to invading bacteria.  If the mucosal lining is diminished from working to protect the intestinal walls against pathogens and damage from food and waste, the beneficial effects of the nutrient-dense diet and probiotics are diminished. It is almost like trying to apply wallpaper without glue. It will not stick where you want it to go.

How Intestinal Mucosa Gets Damaged

The following factors may contribute to inflammation that damages the intestinal mucosa:

• Food Allergies
• Environmental Toxins
• Heavy Metals
• Antibiotics
• Dehydration
• Chronic Stress
• Gluten Intolerance
• Inadequate Diet

When the intestinal mucosa is damaged it can then throw off the healthy balance of gut flora, leading to inflammation in the gut.  This inflammation, commonly known as leaky gut, then allows a river of toxicity to flow from the gut into the body, including organs like the skin (contributing to eczema), the lungs (contributing to asthma), and the brain (contributing to brain fog, dementia, autism, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Processing Issues, autoimmunity to name a few.

Probiotics can help restore this balance, but they need a healthy mucosal environment to do their job effectively.

Repair Intestinal Mucosa with Essential Oils

Healing the intestinal mucosal lining helps provide the ideal internal environment to balance flora and nurture the cells of the intestinal mucosa.to ensure maximum probiotic absorption.

Essential oils help keep plants healthy by providing essential nutrients and moving vital fluids and energy. They perform similar functions in your body, helping to improve flow and move energy which shifts or calms stagnation. Adequate hydration supports the production of intestinal mucosa, so essential oils that promote fluid flow can help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the health of the blood vessels.  This helps more blood and lymph circulate through them, improving circulation in the process.

Essential oils can also be used to help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow.  Essential oils may also help improve lymphatic system functionality which can help flush out toxins and reduce inflammation of the blood vessels, improving blood flow throughout the body.

Healthy Intestinal Mucosa™ helps to re-establish the healthy balance of gut flora necessary to re-colonize and heal the gut and best absorb probiotics!  It also unlocks the full potential of your probiotics.  Think of the Intestinal Mucosa™ as the fertile soil in which the flora can grow, providing raw materials for healthy new enterocytes to grow, replacing compromised “leaky gut” cells, and healing and sealing the gut lining.

Intestinal Mucosa™: The small intestine is where most fat digestion takes place, and the lining of the small intestinal mucosa is highly specialized for maximizing digestion and absorption. The Intestinal Mucosa™ blend was designed to gently permeate topically through the skin to regenerate and heal the mucosal lining of the small intestine to increase optimal nutrient (and probiotic) absorption. Intestinal Mucosa™ protects the cells and nourishes “good” bacterial flora which in turn feeds the lining of the small intestine keeping it robust, healthy, and able to support the final steps of digestion, allowing only appropriately digested food particles to be absorbed. Topically apply 2- 3 drops in a clockwise circle around the belly button.  

Intestinal Mucosa™ contains a proprietary blend of organic and/or wild-crafted therapeutic essential oils, including Birch essential oil, extracted from the bark of both the White Birch and the Silver Birch trees, which is known for reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, and easing pain, especially pain in the tissues.  Research demonstrates the anti-inflammatory benefits of the extracts of birch bark.  

Intestinal Mucosa™ also contains Cardamom, an oil high in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which help support gut health, alleviate digestive issues such as indigestion, gas, and bloating, and fight certain types of bacteria and fungi.  Due to its warming nature, Cardamom can help with blood circulation and help relieve pain and ease gut inflammation.  Cypress essential oil is high in the compound α-pinene and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in research which helps improve circulation and contraction of the blood vessels, making it easier to stimulate blood flow and release gut inflammation.  Nargarmotha supports stomach and intestinal issues. It is known for its calming properties and may help alleviate gut inflammation, discomfort, and digestive issues when applied around the abdomen.

To use, apply 2- 3 drops of Intestinal Mucosa™ around the navel in a clockwise circular motion around the belly button 2 -3 times daily, ideally before or after meals.  As a more advanced application technique, you can start at the navel and topically apply in a clockwise circular motion, going around and making the movement bigger and bigger as you go around the whole intestinal system, and then reversing it and going back the other direction. 

Topical application is a powerful and soothing tool for the gastrointestinal system and is well tolerated by sensitive clients with impaired digestion who might struggle to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients via the digestive process. Highly sensitive people who often cannot tolerate dietary supplements can use essential oils without a negative reaction.

Additional Essential Oils to Repair Intestinal Mucosa with 

Anti-Inflammatory™ may be used to reduce inflammation and encourage regeneration in the chronically inflamed tissue of the small intestine.  Chronic prolonged inflammation can silently damage tissues. It is often low-grade and systemic and can exist undetected for years without noticeable symptoms, all the while damaging the gut and the brain.  To apply, gently massage 2 – 3 drops of Anti-Inflammatory™ to any inflamed area of the body.  For the small intestine, rub clockwise around the belly button 2-3 times daily.

Parasympathetic® Impaired digestion can contribute to inflammation.  One of the most important elements of healing the gut is to eat at optimal rest and digest the Parasympathetic® state.  The Parasympathetic® state also sends increased blood flow to the Small Intestine, allowing for the healing of the intestinal wall and optimal enzymatic activity and nutrient assimilation. The Parasympathetic® state also activates the beneficial effects of the probiotic bacteria in the gut and triggers peristalsis, the muscle contractions that move food and waste through the digestive tract, known as the “Housekeeping Wave”. A lack of motility can lead to dysbiosis (a microbial imbalance), including small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).  To trigger the Parasympathetic state, apply a drop of Parasympathetic® to the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) before meals.

Intestinal Mucosa™, Anti-Inflammatory™, and Parasympathetic® can be purchased at a discount in the Gut Repair Kit™.

Featured Oils:

References:

Menopause is a naturally occurring transition that involves changes in hormonal levels.

As you age, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares to stop. Your ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Together, estrogen and progesterone control menstruation. Estrogen also influences how your body uses calcium and maintains cholesterol levels in your blood.

As menopause nears, your ovaries slow the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Then this decrease occurs, your menstrual cycle (period) starts to change. It can become irregular and then stop.  The process is gradual and happens in three stages:

• Peri- menopause: Perimenopause can begin eight to 10 years before menopause when your ovaries gradually produce less and less estrogen. Peri-menopause may be associated with symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, and mood swings in perimenopause.
• Menopause: Menopause is the point when you no longer have menstrual periods (i.e. you have gone without a period for 12 consecutive months). At this stage, your ovaries don’t release eggs, and your body doesn’t produce much estrogen. 
• Post-menopause: The time after menopause. While most symptoms of menopause ease up in post-menopause, you can continue to have mild menopausal symptoms for several years. 

Symptoms of Menopause

Physical and psychological changes may occur as your body adapts to different hormone levels. The symptoms you experience during each stage of menopause are all part of your body’s adjustment to these changes.

• Hot Flashes or Night Sweats
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia).or sleep disturbances (Night Waking)
• Anxiety
• Forgetfulness, trouble finding words and remembering, or Brain Fog
• Migraines: Can change in intensity and severity 
• Urinary urgency (a pressing need to pee more frequently).
• Emotional changes (irritability, mood swings, or depression).
• Dry skin, dry eyes, or dry mouth.
• Breast tenderness.
• Joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains.
• Changes in libido (sex drive).
• Hair loss or thinning.
• Frequent feelings of anger or frustration
• Intolerance to cold
• Weight gain and expanding mid-section
• Decreased energy levels
• Difficulty coping with stressful situations
• Tinnitus
• Vaginal dryness and pain

Changes in your hormone levels cause these symptoms. These hormones, generally associated with reproduction also support cardiovascular, bone, and muscular health.

Essential Oils for Menopause

Essential oils are not hormones – the chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream to maintain the delicate balance in our bodies –  but they may help balance the body to best support you through this hormonal transition by:

1. Helps to balance the organs of your endocrine system (that produce and release hormones).
2. Supporting optimal detoxification to ensure that old hormones are eliminated from your body and do not get reabsorbed and recirculated.
3. Returning hormone receptors to ensure that the right hormonal signals are sent and received by the cells.

As you may know, hormones control how you feel, think, function, and look, including your mood, energy level, weight, and the quality of your skin, hair, and nails.

Your hormones circulate through your body, influencing and coordinating activity between your cells. Hormones are responsible for countless body functions – from hair growth and skin quality to metabolizing food, maintaining body temperature, causing your heart to beat, preparing your body for sex and reproduction, replenishing energy, weight gain — and of course, your mood. They also have a significant influence over how your body stores fat and when and how your body decides to burn it for fuel.

Hormones are produced, secreted, and regulated by your endocrine glands and organs – including the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovaries, adrenals, and thyroid, along with the liver, gall bladder, and lining of the gut – and travel through your bloodstream, carrying information and instructions from one set of cells in your body to another. When you support these systems to function optimally, the hormones released into our bodies are more in balance. 

Essential oils are plant-based, and some contain phytoestrogens or compounds derived from plants that behave in a similar way to the hormone estrogen and can either block or mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. Research on “Estrogenic Activity of Isolated Compounds and Essential Oils” found that phytoestrogens in certain essential oils “showed estrogen-like biological activity” and may help balance hormones and support the relief from hormonal fluctuations that may contribute to menopausal symptoms such as mood changes and hot flashes.

These plant-based substances may have a similar effect on the body to estrogen, which may help those with low estrogen, such as people going through menopause, and may help with symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. “Estrogenic activity of isolated compounds and essential oils” refers to the ability of certain individual chemicals found in plants, particularly those extracted as essential oils, to mimic the hormone estrogen when interacting with the body’s estrogen receptors, potentially causing hormonal effects similar to natural estrogen.

Essential oils derived from plants and herbs may also possess similar qualities to adaptogenic herbs, in that they promote hormone balance. Your hormones help control mood, growth and development, the way your organs work, metabolism, and reproduction. Too much or too little of any hormone can harm your body. Essential oils can balance your endocrine organs to promote optimal hormonal levels and function.

For example: 

• Clary sage (included in Hormone Balance™ and PMS Support™) may help level out estrogen production in the body and balance hormones.
• Thyme (included in Sinus Support™, Hormone Balance™, Adrenal®, Immune Support™) can significantly balance progesterone levels due to its high phytoestrogen content and may help improve insomnia, mood swings, depression, and low fertility.
• Lavender (included in Limbic Reset™, Fascia Release™, Histamine Balance™, Circadian Rhythm®, Thyroid Support™, Liver Support™, and Sleep™) improves cortisol levels and may help reduce menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, and night sweats. Research found that lavender resulted in a “significant reduction in hot flashes”, possibly as a result of reduced stress levels.
• Peppermint (included in Histamine Balance™, Circulation™, Large Intestine Support™, Migraine Relief™, Liver™, Focus™) may help cool down the body during a hot flash due to its menthol content.
• Geranium (included in Fascia Release™, Circadian Rhythm®, Thyroid Support™, Lung Support™, Pancreas™, Liver Support™) can naturally support estrogen levels and may help relieve hot flashes.
• Rosemary (included in Estrogen Balance™, Histamine Balance™, Adrenal®, and Fascia Release™) contains carnosic acid, an active ingredient that helps the liver break down estrogen and normalize estrogen levels.
• Cypress (included only stimulates estrogen production when it is deficient and is helpful for PMS, ovary-related problems, painful and irregular periods, and menopause.
• Fennel (included in Spleen Qi™, Prostate Support™ and Digest™) contains phytoestrogens and can increase estrogen level
• Anise seed (included mimics the effects of estrogen in the body, potentially reducing symptoms of menopause.
• Vitex (included in Lymph™ and Spleen Qi™) – derived from the chaste tree, also known as chaste berry, a shrub that contains chemicals that affect hormones related to the female reproductive cycle–  is effective balance in decreasing a variety of menopausal symptoms, including reducing the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats and improving mood.

Supporting Menopause by Supporting Your Endocrine System

Your endocrine glands work together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout your body to keep your body in balance and healthy which helps ease symptoms during menopause. Your hormonal health depends upon the optimal function of the organs and regions of the brain that produce and regulate your hormones. The following blends of essential oils can be used to balance these different organ systems and regions of the brain to support optimal function.

Hypothalamus™

Your hypothalamus is a small pearl-shaped gland located just above your brain stem which directs hormone production by the ovaries and adrenal glands. These hormones play an important role in the menopause transition. Your hypothalamus controls all hormonal messages – collecting, assessing, and responding to internal and external signals from the body.

Nerve cells in the hypothalamus make chemicals that control the release of stimulatory or inhibitory hormones, which start or stop the production of other hormones throughout your body. For example, your hypothalamus gathers information sensed by the brain (such as the surrounding temperature, light exposure, and feelings) and sends it to the pituitary. The Hypothalamus’s ability to interpret the information received determines which hormones are secreted. It needs to be functioning optimally for optimal hormonal balance.

This information influences the hormones that the pituitary makes and releases that stimulate or inhibit many of your body’s key processes, supporting:

• Metabolism, Appetite, and Body Weight
• Body temperature and Hot Flashes
• Stress Management
• Mood Regulation
• Energy 
• Sleep cycles

Your hypothalamus is the primary driver of your endocrine glands. In collaboration with your pituitary gland, your hypothalamus controls all of the hormonal messages for your endocrine, stress, and digestive systems. In essence, your hypothalamus and pituitary tell your other endocrine glands to make and release hormones that affect and protect every aspect of your health.

To this end, it is important that your hypothalamus gauge the hormone levels that are needed in your body. To do so, your hypothalamus monitors your body, by both sending and receiving signals to and from your body. Your hypothalamus therefore needs to be functioning optimally for the appropriate signals to both be sent and received. If the hypothalamus is damaged due to environmental toxins, stress, or trauma, incorrect signals may be sent or received and your hormonal health will suffer.

To help return your hypothalamus and pituitary gland to balance, apply 1 drop of Hypothalamus™ to the forehead right above the third eye (right above the nose between eyebrows and hairline) up to 6 times daily. Hypothalamus™ blend helps to encourage the natural ability of the hypothalamus to receive clear messages from the body.

Adrenal®

Healthy adrenal glands can help to ease the hormonal transition during menopause.

Your adrenals – small glands located on top of the kidneys –  are responsible for 25 % of sex hormone production before menopause, with the remaining 75% being produced by the ovaries. 

As we get closer to menopause, reproductive hormone levels decline because the ovaries no longer produce estrogen or progesterone. This change in hormone levels is what drives the symptoms we experience. Your adrenal glands become the backup system for these hormones (with a little support from fat cells and the ovaries). Your adrenal glands respond by making a hormone that can be converted into estradiol, a form of estrogen. Estradiol plays a role in bone health, heart health, and neuroprotection after menopause.  Think of it like a train switching tracks. This transition can be smooth and seamless if the adrenals are in optimal condition.

Unfortunately, the adrenals also produce the hormones that help the body respond to and manage stress, such as cortisol. Chronic or prolonged stress can exhaust the adrenals and diminish their ability to produce sex hormones as the body will always prioritize the need for survival (fight or flight) over keeping sex hormones in balance. If adrenals are supported and in good shape, you will not experience PMS or cramping prior to menopause and will avoid or significantly diminish menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

As you may know, your adrenal glands produce hormones that support your stress response, metabolism, salt and water balance, immune response, and sex hormones.

The outer part of the adrenal glands, known as your adrenal cortex, produces the following hormones:

• Cortisol: Helps your body respond to stress and regulates metabolism. Cortisol stimulates glucose production helping the body to free up energy stored in your muscle and fat tissue to make glucose. Cortisol also has significant anti-inflammatory effects.
• Aldosterone: Helps maintain the right balance of salt and water balance in the body and control blood pressure and cardiovascular function. Without aldosterone, the kidney loses excessive amounts of salt (sodium) and, consequently, water, leading to severe dehydration and low blood pressure.
• Corticosterone: Helps regulate your immune response and suppress inflammatory reactions.
• Androgens: Sex hormones that support sexual development and function, including estrogen, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and testosterone.

The adrenal medulla, the inner part of your adrenal glands, produces your ‘fight or flight’ hormones that are released after the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated to help you deal with physical and emotional stress. These fight-or-flight hormones include:

• Adrenaline (also called epinephrine): Rapidly responds to stress by increasing your heart rate and rushing blood to the muscles and brain. It also spikes your blood sugar level by helping convert glycogen to glucose in the liver. (Glycogen is the liver’s storage form of glucose.)
• Noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine): Works with epinephrine in responding to stress. Noradrenaline can cause vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels) which contributes to high blood pressure.

Your adrenal glands help determine and regulate the body’s stress response by secreting the stress hormone cortisol, which like progesterone, requires the precursor ingredient pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is an important precursor to your body’s production of sex hormones like testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. Poor adrenal function is the largest cause of the hormonal imbalance with the sex hormones, as the precursor for sex hormones is the same as the precursor for the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol then causes the imbalance of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

Since the body prioritizes the stress response over all other bodily functions, high demand for cortisol blocks the body from converting pregnenolone into sex hormones and cortisol is produced instead. This is known as the “pregnenolone steal” resulting in an imbalance of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, which contributes to menopause symptoms like estrogen dominance, weight gain, fatigue, irritability, and decreased sex drive. It is important to down-regulate the need for cortisol in order to increase the supply of progesterone and balance your hormones. Applying the Adrenal® blend over the adrenal glands (back of the body, one fist up from the 12th rib), can help to increase the body’s ability to adapt to stress and reduce the demand for cortisol production at the expense of progesterone.

Essential oils can be used like adaptogenic herbs to help support the adrenal glands for the optimal energy reserves required to support your healing. The Adrenal® blend also contains several stimulatory oils like Thyme, Cinnamon, and Rosemary that you feel invigorated, revitalized, and energetic. To use, either smell or topically apply 1- 2 drops of Adrenal® on the adrenal glands (on the lower mid-back, one fist above the 12th rib on each side). Menopause and hormone imbalances stabilize when the adrenals are operating at full capacity.  

Although your autonomic nervous system does not directly control the adrenals, a chronic Sympathetic “fight or flight” response can trigger a stress response. In a state of chronic stress, your stress response mechanism, known as the HPA Axis, triggers your adrenal glands to produce high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol which can push the body into adrenal fatigue. The parasympathetic state normalizes an elevated HPA Axis, helping to put the brakes on excessive cortisol output, which can help heal the adrenals. Applying Parasympathetic® in combination with Adrenal® can help balance the adrenals.

Detoxification for Hormonal Balance

Hormonal balance can also be impacted by the levels of hormones already in the blood, or by levels of other substances in the blood, like minerals or toxins. Supporting your detoxification channels can help eliminate excess hormones and return hormone levels to balance.

Liver™

Your liver helps to regulate the balance of hormones in your body, by both producing the cholesterol, the precursor necessary for the creation of hormones, and breaking down and removing excess hormones from your body. Your liver helps to transform and eliminate excess hormones, including sex hormones, thyroid hormones, cortisone, and other adrenal hormones from the body. Your liver functions in your body in much the same way a pool filter functions in a pool. Just as a pool filter cleans a pool by catching the dead leaves, dirt, and insects, the liver detoxifies your body from harmful toxins and excess hormones.

If the liver cannot do this properly, excess hormones can build up in your system and lead to hormonal imbalances like estrogen dominance. Here’s what this looks like. Once estrogen has done its job in the body, it is sent to the liver so it can be broken down and removed through the colon. Unfortunately, if your liver is congested or overwhelmed, then it is unable to function optimally and thus cannot remove estrogen at its normal rate. Estrogen is not metabolized properly and can be reabsorbed back into the body, contributing to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, irritability, low libido, and depression. 

Excessive hormonal buildup in your body further taxes and overwhelms your liver, contributing to a vicious cycle of hormone imbalance. What’s more, if too many excess “used” hormones float around in your bloodstream, your hypothalamus might fail to signal the pituitary gland to send out fresh hormones. If there are too many hormones in the body it becomes unbalanced and symptomatic. For example, an excess of estrogen might lead a woman to experience hot flashes, bouts of anger or depression, weight gain, cramps, or irregular cycles. Another important factor in the body’s capacity to make hormones is the liver’s ability to process fatty acids. We must have fats in the diet to make steroid hormones, and the liver has to be able to process them. Supporting your liver with essential oils can help to improve its vitality and capacity to support hormonal balance. 

Liver™ supports hormonal balance by removing excess hormones of all types from the bloodstream. Weakened liver function increases the availability of estrogens in the body. Apply 2- 3 drops of Liver™ directly over your liver (right side of the body, under your breast) upon waking and before bed to help improve liver function and with it, hormonal balance.

Gall Bladder™ 

Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that stores and concentrates bile, a fluid made in the liver that helps the body break down fat and carry toxins (including old hormones) out of the body. The liver packages up toxins and excess hormones – like estrogen – and bile carries excess estrogen into the small intestine and eventually out of the body in the stool.

Unfortunately, as you age your gallbladder produces less bile – around 20% less bile being produced as you move through menopause. What’s more, estrogen and progesterone lead to slower emptying and increased cholesterol-to-bile ratio in the gland, leading to supersaturation of bile and more sludge.  When the bile thickens, it disrupts the flow and elimination of toxins and old hormones from the body.

In short, too much estrogen can reduce bile flow, allowing hormones to re-circulate and contribute to excess estrogen resulting in hormonal imbalances and menopause symptoms. Sluggish gallbladder function or viscous and stagnant bile flow often leads to sluggish hormone elimination and resultant hormone symptoms. This may be attributed to high estrogen symptoms like cramping, breast tenderness, water retention, and acne.

Gall Bladder™ blend helps support optimal gallbladder health, improving the viscosity of the bile, allowing better fat digestion, and eliminating toxins and old hormones.  

Gall Bladder™ contains a proprietary formulation of the following organic and/or wild-crafted therapeutic essential oils, including Black Cumin which is especially beneficial for the gallbladder and for restoring healthy bile flow, since the chemical constituent stearic acid in cumin seed is an ideal emulsifying agent that binds water and oil. Gall Bladder™ blend also contains Roman Chamomile essential oil is one of the deepest detoxifiers that supports the liver in proper function, but it actually stimulates the liver to release toxins held deep in the liver’s tissues. Roman Chamomile also aids in the release of toxicity held in the digestive tract, which can help recovery from a stomach virus or a weekend of poor dietary choices.

To support the optimal flow of bile and allow toxins to flow out of the body, apply 2-3 drops of Gall Bladder™ underneath the ribs at the gall bladder (right side, underneath the ribs. If you lean forward, it is easier to apply under the ribs).

Additional Essential Oils for Menopause

Estrogen Balance™ is designed to support the liver with the gentle mobilization of estrogen. Estrogen Balance™ works best when applied over the liver (on the right side of the body under the breast) in combination with castor oil before bed. It is important to use it in combination with a binding agent such as chia seeds, psyllium, or a supplement like GI Detox or BIND.

Hormone Balance™ helps to balance the body so that the liver, gall bladder and thyroid – the key organs that produce and synthesize hormones – can function optimally to enhance metabolism. Hormone-based weight gain is one of the first lines of defense against hormonal imbalance. Without the hormones to direct the release of fat for fuel, the body holds on to the extra weight. As hormones fluctuate during the monthly cycle, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy menopause, or when blood sugar is out of balance, the body becomes increasingly resistant to weight loss. Apply 2- 3 drops of Hormone Balance™ (ideally first thing in the morning and before bed) over the liver/gall bladder (right side of the body under the ribcage) or thyroid (throat)

Gut Repair Kit™ – If the stomach isn’t digesting proteins or the small intestine isn’t producing the proper enzymes to absorb fats, our bodies won’t receive the proper building blocks to produce hormones. Similarly, the beneficial bacteria in the small intestine metabolize hormones like estrogen that are discharged from the liver. If your body lacks the probiotics and bacteria to break down estrogen or the intestinal permeability is compromised from a leaky gut, you will reabsorb estrogens. The extra estrogen binds to sensitive areas such as the breast, uterus, or ovaries, contributing to fibroids, tumors, and PMS symptoms. Finally, if toxins aren’t regularly leaving the body via bowel movements, they can leach from it into the nearby tissues of the reproductive system and impede their function.

Featured Oils:

References:

I just had my bedroom remediated for mold.

My entire bedroom ceiling was infested and I didn’t even know.

It’s an old house that has been remodeled and the previous owner put drywall and wallpaper (yes, wallpaper on the ceiling) over the original hardwood and plaster. The wallpaper began to peel and I noticed something that looked like mold, so I had it tested. The results came back positive so I scheduled a remediation for what I thought would be a small segment of my ceiling.  

The remediation company found that the mold – most of it long dormant – had spread through every layer of the ceiling – the wallpaper, the drywall, the plaster, and the wood. So they demolished the entire ceiling.  It took three days.

Not knowing what I was getting into, I stayed in the house during the remediation. While I slept on a couch in the basement and mostly stayed away from the top floor where my bedroom is located, I still felt the impact of the mobilized mycotoxins.

It was a hard hit and a great opportunity to lean into my essential oil remedies and learn firsthand what really helps, including our new Emotional Detox Kit™ which allowed me to stay calm and collected even in the face of intense and unexpected home remediation.

I also personally experienced the profound benefits of Intranasal essential oil usage to support sinus health with Sinus Support™.

How to Mold Impacts Your Health

Living through the remediation process exposed me to airborne mold toxins, despite intense containment efforts.  If you need to remediate mold in your home, I highly recommend you make plans to live elsewhere during the remediation.  

Mold spores are often inhaled through your nose and throat, impacting your sinuses, eyes, throat, lungs, and gut and contributing to symptoms like:

• Fatigue and lethargy doesn’t otherwise make sense 
• Unexplained mood changes, anxiety, or depression
• Trouble sleeping
• Slowed thinking or brain fog
• Unsettled feeling, unquieted mind, overwhelm
• Increased Thirst
• Stubborn weight gain
• Frequent or strong static shocks
• Fatty liver
• Itchy or burning skin
• Histamine intolerance
• Sensitivity to EMFs
• Chronic sinusitis, nasal and sinus inflammation or congestion, runny nose
• Ear ringing, feeling itchy, plugged, clogged, or in pain
• Respiratory problems, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, chest tightness
• Persistent coughing or difficulty breathing
• Eye irritation, red, itchy, and watery eyes
• Sneezing / Sneezing fits
• Skin irritation or rash
• Headaches
• Chemical sensitivities
• Acute sense of smell for mold
• Chronically sore throat
• Shortness of breath, air hunger, or yawn/sigh often
• Easy bruising

The toxic byproduct of mold, known as mycotoxins, can damage your brain and your nervous system.  Mycotoxins are known neurotoxins and can alter your brain activity by disrupting or even killing neurons.  Mycotoxins have been linked with several serious brain-related health conditions including brain fog, learning disabilities, gastrointestinal disturbances, heart problems, Cancer, Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, problems with thyroid regulation (both excess and deficiency), and several neurological concerns and autoimmune diseases.

Mold can mutate rapidly, affecting your immune system and even preventing it from working altogether.  Once exposed, it can be challenging to eliminate the mold in your environment and detoxify the mold from your system. In fact, as many as 30% of us may have a genetic susceptibility to biotoxins like mold, where the immune system fails to recognize the mold as a toxin and cannot flag the toxins or make antibodies necessary to clear the mold from the body. This allows the toxins to build up in the body unchecked with symptoms that build with each exposure.

Combating Mold with Essential Oils

Mold starts in the nose, with the inhalation of tiny fungi, known as mycotoxins, through the nasal passages that contribute to sinus inflammation and congestion.

The inhalation and intranasal application of antifungal essential oils can help make sure that mold also ENDS in the nose by helping to reset your nasal microbiome. 

Since your olfactory system, the neural pathway for the sense of smell directly communicates with your brain via your olfactory neurons, it can pose a health challenge in the case of toxins that you might inhale or smell, like mold.   Just as toxins like mold can cross directly into your brain through the olfactory neurons, so can essential oils.

Essential oils serve as part of the plant’s immune system and contain therapeutic properties that protect plants from fungus including mold, bacteria, and viruses. Essential oils are comprised of different chemical structures, including aldehydes, phenolics, and terpenes, making them more effective against a diverse range of pathogens. The more diverse, the more effective. This is why blends of different essential oils are the more effective for combatting mold. Blends combine the antifungal, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties of several individual oils and are therefore more effective than single oils used in isolation to fight mold.

How to use Intranasal Essential Oils?

Essential oils can be used as intranasal treatments to clear up nasal passages and relieve sinus pressure and other congestion symptoms. The best way to relieve sinus congestion and alleviate nasal mold exposure is through inhalation. 

You can inhale oils in a number of ways:

• Direct Inhalation: Direct inhalation refers to inhaling the essential oil right from the bottle. You may also add a drop of oil to a tissue, cotton ball, or small plate of salt, and breathe it in. More on inhalation HERE.
• Intranasal Inhalation:  You can apply essential oils to a Q-tip to swab inside the nose in a circular motion. You can also leave Q-tips inside of nasal passageways for up to 20 minutes for more intense treatment.
• Diffusion: Diffusers disperse essential oils throughout the air, allowing them to dilute before being inhaled. This is a less potent method of inhalation. More on Diffusing Oils HERE 
• Steam inhalation:  Involves combining essential oils with hot water to create therapeutic steam.  You can add three to seven drops of essential oil to boiling water in a large pot or heatproof bowl. Use a towel to cover your head, and breathe through your nose. You can also make use of steam inhalation by adding essential oils to a therapeutic bath, add a few drops of diluted essential oil to your bathwater. More on Healing Baths HERE.

Research on the Effect of the Use of Intranasal Spray of Essential Oils endorsed intranasal essential oil application as “a new and natural option in the management of nasal symptoms” as they have “shown an anti-inflammatory” and seem effective especially where antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids have missed the mark. Additional research found that an intranasal essential oil blend reduced symptoms significantly – by 40.2% after using an essential oil nasal spray. The average percent improvement in symptoms included: runny nose (44.7%), cough (37.2%), loss of smell (32.4%), thick nasal discharge (31.9%), difficulty falling asleep (31.9%), sneezing (29.7%), post-nasal discharge (29.1%), lack of good night’s sleep (28.9%), nasal obstruction (26.5%), ear pain (25.4%), reduced concentration (25.0%), waking up tired (22.7%), and reduced productivity (21.3%).

Essential oils possess healing constituents produced by aromatic plants during their secondary metabolism, characterized by the presence of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, with other important aliphatic compounds, including terpenoids, alcohols, ethers, esters, ketones, and aldehydes For example, research found that 1,8 cineole, which is the main component of eucalyptus oil, is an effective and safe remedy for sinusitis that doesn’t include antibiotics. The constituent 1,8 cineole is believed to help clear your airways of mucus and act as a natural cough suppressant. Additional research extolled the antiviral qualities of several essential oils – including eucalyptus and peppermint which contains menthol – as effective tools against respiratory infections and mold toxins. Sinus Support™  blend contains all the oils noted in research – eucalyptus, thyme, lavender, and peppermint

Intranasal Essential Oils

My two favorite oils for Intranasal use are:

Sinus Support™ 

Mold is often a root cause of chronic sinus issues. When mold enters the sinus cavity, a suppressed immune system is likely to have a strong adverse reaction, the result being fungal sinusitis. Since fungi love damp, dark conditions, the sinus cavity is a perfect growing place, making it difficult to eliminate them once they are in place.

Your sinuses are a connected system of hollow cavities in the skull that drain into your nose. Normally, the sinuses are empty except for a thin layer of mucus. When your sinuses are inflamed from exposure to mold, thick mucus fills the nasal cavity causing your tissue to swell and blocking drainage openings into your nose so fluid can no longer escape. This then leads to the common symptoms of sinusitis: headaches, facial pressure, and even toothaches from surrounding nerve impingement.

Essential oils can easily travel into the small holes to loosen mucous and promote drainage. Sinus Support™ works as local decongestants that break up mucus, stimulate drainage of the nose and sinuses, and relieve head pressure. Essential oils are also antimicrobial, to help resolve infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungus in the sinuses and nasal cavity.

Sinus Support™ is designed to help clear and open the nasal passages and relieve sinus pressure from chronic sinus infections and/or sinus issues related to allergies. Formulated with essential oils with known antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties that penetrate the nasal lining for rapid relief when inhaled –  like Peppermint™, which is high in the constituent Menthol which is known to relieve sinus congestion and pressure and Eucalyptus which is high in antibacterial, antispasmodic, and antiviral properties (including  1,8 cineole) which help open airways and relieve congestion naturally.

Sinus Support™ can be inhaled or topically applied.  Apply 2 – 3 drops to a Q-tip and swab the inside of the nasal passages 2 – 6 times daily. For optimal effectiveness, you can leave the Q-tip in the nasal passage for up to 20 minutes. Try to relax and focus on breathing through the nose.  

Histamine Balance™ 

One of the reasons mold is such a powerful toxin relates to its ability to cross directly into your brain through the olfactory system. Anything you inhale, including essential oils, can travel directly into your brain via your olfactory neurons. I suspect this is one of the reasons that some of us are so sensitive to smells like perfume, cigarette smoke, and gas fumes. Conversely, why does inhaling, topically applying, or diffusing Histamine Balance™ seem to help modulate the immune response to mold so quickly?

As you may know, Histamine is a chemical compound released by the cells in response to injury, allergic or inflammatory reactions, causing contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of capillaries. While the release of histamine is a normal defense mechanism, an exaggerated histamine response can bind to cell receptor sites, causing irritation and chronic inflammation. This inflammatory response can cause sneezing, runny nose, watery, red, itchy eyes, rashes, breathing troubles such as wheezing, severe coughs, asthma, or hiccups.

Histamine levels are designed to be kept in balance by two enzymes that break down excess histamine and prevent allergic reactions. One of these enzymes lives in the lining of our intestines and must be present to maintain balanced histamine levels in the gut. A damaged gut lining compromises the production and secretion of this enzyme allowing histamine to build up and wreak havoc throughout the body.

The goal is to balance, not block, the histamine response as histamine performs critical functions in the body, contributing to HCL production and neurotransmitter signals. The essential oils in the Histamine Balance™ blend are uniquely suited to help modulate excess histamine excretion, balancing histamine levels and helping to reset the immune response and reduce allergic reactions. Blue Tansy, in particular, is known for neutralizing histamine and helping to control allergic reactions.

Histamine Balance™ may help modulate the immune response to mold. For intranasal application, coat 2 Q-tips in Histamine Balance™ blend, and either swab or gently insert the Q-tips into your nose. You can also topically apply 1 -2 drops on the bottom of the feet. For allergic reactions, smell or apply 1 – 2 drops behind your ears, on the back of your neck, or on your sternum to open airways. For the gut and food intolerance support, apply in a clockwise direction around the belly button. For brain congestion, apply 1-2 drops at the base of the skull on the back of the head. For Aromatic Usage, hold the bottle under your nose for 3 or 4 breaths.

To learn more about balancing the Histamine Reaction to mold, CLICK HERE.

Featured Oils:

References:

I used to visualize full body armor as a protective mechanism during rush hour on the New York City subway.  

It was the only way I could physically and emotionally navigate that many people and that much hostility.

What I didn’t realize at the time was how accurate that visualization was.

Since early childhood, I have been creating emotional armor to protect myself from pain, rejection, criticism, and other hurtful feedback or interactions.  Armoring was a necessary defense mechanism that allowed me to survive my childhood.  I learned to count on myself and suppress my feelings, wants, and needs so that I would never be disappointed.  I made myself small – often believing I was invisible – and rarely asked for anything.

While this coping mechanism allowed me to survive my childhood, it became problematic in adulthood – especially in my intimate relationships where my inability to communicate my wants and needs left me feeling frustrated and unsupported.

As I have been working to release fascia restrictions and physical armor, my emotional armoring has begun to unravel as well.

What is Emotional Armoring?

Emotional armor refers to the protective wrap you put around yourself to stop the things that have hurt you in the past from ever hurting you again.  Emotional armor acts as a barrier between you and your emotions – it protects you from feeling deep hurt.

You may develop emotional armor throughout your life as a protective mechanism to shield against emotional and physical threats. As you may recall, your body doesn’t differentiate between physical threats and emotional threats, including wounding words or parental absence or abuse during formative years. To protect itself from a perceived threat, your body may brace for impact with a defensive, tight, or tense posture or stance.

Physically, it may present as unconscious or involuntary tension in your muscles and connective tissue that dampens or blocks emotional expression, alters the perception of either physical or emotional experiences, and diminishes or eliminates your awareness of pain. These tensions in the fascia and the musculature are believed to create a physical armor that may shield or protect you from unresolved traumas, stress, and negative emotions. 

Emotionally, it can present in response to intense emotional assaults or feelings of shame, blame, guilt, rejection, criticism, or other attacks on your self-esteem. Emotional armor can take the form of avoidance, denial, dismissing, or distraction as a way of protecting yourself from any possible hurt from losing control or being less independent.

Emotional body armor often manifests in the body as the habitual contraction of certain sets of muscles, which then function as a unit. Armoring also occurs within the organs and tissues in various parts of the body. For example, armor can form around your throat if you feel you need to hold back or repress your thoughts or feelings to conform to the expectations of your family or community. Armor can also present as a psychological defense mechanism, including social withdrawal, depression, anxiety, irritability, or isolation.

Armoring is a way of protecting yourself from the pain of not expressing those parts of yourself that you have been indoctrinated to suppress or ignore. As such, armoring may help you cope with or adapt in the face of chronically stressful and traumatic events, encapsulating the memories and emotions associated with these experiences. 

Your armor is a protective layer held as a form of memory and will not be released until you know that you are safe. 

Symptoms of Emotional Armoring

Body armoring can present in various physical or emotional ways, including:

• Neck Tension or Pain:  Armoring in the neck involves the holding back of anger and grief. A closing up of the throat takes place whenever we repress our true thoughts and feelings.
• Digestive Issues: Emotions that we fail to process or “digest” often remain trapped within the abdomen, contributing to intestinal pain and digestive disorders.
• Shallow/restricted breathing: Holding your breath, shallow or restricted breathing in the chest area may result from an attempt to guard against or suppress overwhelming emotions or situations. This kind of armoring may in turn prevent your ability to fully express your emotions, contributing to greater feelings of anxiety.
• Tight Jaw and Clenched Teeth: Clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth can reflect repressed anger, frustration, feelings of powerlessness, or a need to control your emotions.
• Stiff Back and Rigid Posture: An inflexible or rigid posture may indicate a need to protect yourself from vulnerability, criticism, or fear of being judged.
• Raised Shoulders: Rounded shoulders and a hunched back can indicate a desire to physically withdraw, shield yourself, or create a physical protective barrier. Tension held in your shoulders might also reflect an unconscious “shouldering” of emotional burdens that may result from a sense of responsibility, stress, or the need to carry the weight of others’ expectations. Raising your shoulders is a primal impulse to protect yourself by appearing bigger.
• Clenched fists: This defensive stance correlates to close-mindedness, or an unwillingness to embrace – or even explore – new possibilities. 
• Fidgeting: Keeps you prepared to fight or flee as part of you may be convinced that it is not safe to relax, and it is not safe to feel.
• Tighten Abdominal Muscles: Clenching your abdominal muscles can be a response to fear or a need to protect your vulnerable core in relation to emotions or feelings of insecurity.]
• Rigid Pelvic Muscles: Tension in the pelvic area might stem from sexual shame, guilt, or past trauma. This kind of armoring may impact your ability to experience pleasure or feel comfortable in your body.
• Tense Focus or Frozen Facial Expressions: A lack of facial expressiveness may indicate an attempt to hide true emotions, often in response to social expectations or past experiences.
• Tight Glutes, Thighs, or Restless Legs: Holding tension in your lower body may reflect a desire to be in control or guard against the lack of control experienced through feelings of instability or insecurity.
• Numbness or feeling disconnected: a way to protect you from feeling pain. We can easily become very desensitized or go numb when we’re subjected to ongoing stress. Parts of our consciousness start shutting down and then all that emotion remains trapped within our bodies. These stressful emotions cause our bodies to tense up. Parts of our bodies become armored when tensing up becomes a habitual pattern.

Benefits of Releasing Emotional Armor 

Emotional armor may protect you from experiencing painful emotions, but it also prevents you from experiencing positive emotions.  It can restrict the flow of energy, emotions, and even your ability to experience pleasure. Long-term emotional armoring may also prevent you from healing the underlying wounds that are keeping you stuck in a chronic stress response.

Armoring can affect the way you see the world, yourself, and your relationships, silently shaping the expectations you may have of yourself and others, and what you think you deserve and are allowed to ask for. 

Armoring can also affect the way your nervous system, limbic system, and body function. You may create emotional armor to protect yourself and build walls around your heart to avoid the pain of rejection or abandonment. 

Building walls around your heart may appear to create a safe where no harm can touch you, but it also blocks your ability to receive love and support from others. This was definitely the case for me.  

My fear of being hurt, rejected, or abandoned by others contributed to armor that helped me keep others at arm’s length. I labeled myself an introvert, but in reality, I was such a well-armored machine that I prevented anyone from getting close enough to hurt me.

At the same time, I prevented anyone from getting close enough to love me.

And I kept my body stuck in a state of emotional numbness, detachment, and chronic stress patterns driven by these suppressed emotions.

Armor protects you from connecting to the outside world, but it also prevents you from connecting with yourself and from releasing or detoxifying repressed emotions.

Essential Oils for Releasing Emotional Armor

Essential oils can be topically applied to help you gently and easily release emotional armor and tension from your tissues and your heart. Oils are useful tools to help process emotions

By becoming aware of and releasing these armoring patterns, you regain the ability to fully experience and process your emotions, leading to improved emotional regulation. 

Research demonstrates that somatic (of the body) and visceral (felt in internal organs, like the gut) feedback plays a role in the repression of emotion. Armoring can disconnect different parts of your body from awareness, cutting you off from your full range of sensory and emotional experiences.  

The inhalation and topical application of essential oils can help send safety signals to your body and brain which then allow you to transmute and digest the emotions and memories that often facilitate the need for your armor.

Topically applied essential oils like Fascia Release and Lymph may help you to break down and dissolve layers of your emotional armor, which then allows your blood, oxygen, and life force to flow more freely throughout your body. 

Your sense of smell offers a direct channel to the emotional center of your brain known as your limbic system.  Smell travels through your olfactory system to your limbic system, relaying signals of both danger and safety.

Inhaling essential oils is the fastest and most efficient way to create physiological or psychological balance in your limbic system to allow you to feel the sense of safety necessary to begin to dismantle your emotional armor.

For example, Limbic Reset™ contains a proprietary blend of essential oils designed to calm threat arousal and send safety queues to help reset your limbic system and support healthy emotional regulation. Limbic Reset™ was specifically formulated with Helichrysum sandalwood and Melissa oils which are touted for brain function and known to cross the blood-brain barrier and assist in carrying oxygen to the limbic system to help rewire neural circuits in your limbic system and calm an over-active stress response.

Shifting your focus by engaging your senses – such as your sense of smell – also helps distract you from an internal state of distress, thereby lessening its intensity and the intensity of your responses to others. This allows you to feel safe and access more possibilities and options.

For Releasing Emotional Armor is a web of connective tissue that gives your body structure and permeates, surrounds, and supports muscles, vessels, nerves, organs, and bones. Under normal circumstances, your fascia moves and stretches.

When you experience stress and armor, part of you is resistant, which triggers you to physically contract,  constrict, or pull away from physical danger, a negative thought, or an emotional aversion.  Energy doesn’t flow and your body constricts – which locks stress and the emotions that caused the stress in your body. This physical tension in your muscles and connective tissue is a protective layer known as “armoring”, a form of memory that will not release until you know that you are safe.

Armoring restricts fascia and limits movement and the flow of energy throughout the body.  When the fascia is healthy, hydrated, flexible, supple, and unrestricted, your tissues can move freely – allowing good things, like nutrients, to get in and bad things, like toxins, to get out. Simply put: when fascia is restricted, your ability to heal is compromised. 

The health of every cell in your body depends upon its ability to receive nutrients and eliminate waste. If the fascia surrounding your cells have tightness or adhesions, detoxification and provision of nutrients for the cells suffer. 

Fascia can harden and become dehydrated also as a result of emotional trauma and the body’s response to extreme stress. This dehydration, tightening, and hardening decreases the space between the fibers, causing fibers to shorten, thicken, and constrict, trapping emotional energy. When you release restricted fascia, emotions get a chance to recirculate in the body before they are flushed out. Supporting the release of these constrictions speeds up the elimination of emotional toxins.

Fascia Release generates a state of coherence in the cells of your fascia, supporting order and alignment in the body. Topically applying Fascia Release™  liberally around the tight or armored tissues may help unravel your emotional armor and deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages in your tissues to reduce pain, and improve blood and lymphatic circulation to support bone health.

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