Diffusing essential oils is by far the easiest way to start aromatherapy. It’s not just about pretty smells, it’s about using the amazing power of your limbic system to work on your emotions and body systems.
“What’s the limbic system”, I sense some of you ask. It’s the part of your brain that is in charge of responses: memories, emotions and arousal, to name a few.
A scent enters your nose, doesn’t get filtered but rather works with the olfactory system which is directly plugged in the limbic system. Once in the limbic system, it triggers responses in the brain.
In effect, when you diffuse a blend, or when you simply smell an oil from a bottle, you are delivering the benefits of a scent quickly and conveniently. The fun doesn’t stop at the brain: the oils are inhaled, absorbed through the respiratory tract and lungs, and then circulated through the blood stream.
And that, my friend, is how I get jelly legs when I inhale Cedarwood oil: it relaxes me incredibly well.
When you think that a medical team can put you to sleep simply by making you breathe in a gas, (or when you think back to the movies we watched when we were kids, where someone would get incapacitated with a hanky and some ether), you quickly realise that your sense of smell isn’t just for detecting who ate one too many garlic mushrooms at lunchbreak…
So this means that with minimal knowledge of the properties of your oils, you can create an atmosphere and intentionally craft behaviours and responses, which is pretty neat. We will talk more about what kinds of oils do what in another article.
I also have to reiterate here that yes, what you smell gets into your brain and your bloodstream. It means only the purest oils should ever be used… and that you need to think about ditching chemical soaps, detergents, perfumes and plug ins…
Think about it: if you get told that a pregnant woman shouldn’t go near certain chemicals because they can be passed on to the baby through the blood, what makes it alright to apply or breathe in that stuff in the first place? Your body also gets hit, and your liver and endocrine system are left to clean up the mess. They have enough to do as it is, really.
You don’t routinely sniff liquid glue, I am guessing, there is no reason to put up with nasty chemicals just because the supermarket sells that fancy soap in a cute bottle, or because laundry products makers have brainwashed a couple of generations into using huge amounts of fragranced products… They are bad for you. This is no longer a secret. There is just a lot of resistance to change.
If you would like a reality check about chemicals in yoru everytday life, I recommend watching The Stink Movie. It will likely change your life. (Let’s book a discovery call afterwards, so we can have a good chat about how this affects you, scroll below and hit the button).
Back to diffusing: it is not rocket science and the only possible “complications” are along these lines:
- You don’t like the blend you made. Try to tweak it! If you don’t like it, see if you can clean your windows with it by transferring into a glass bottle and adding vinegar. And voila!
- You followed some random blend on Pinterest (not on the doTERRA page, not a good idea), and it feels like your eyeballs and your brains are about to get fused together because it’s too strong. Take a glass jar, pour half out. Top up your diffuser with water, and Bob’s your uncle.
- The cat is looking more murderous than usual. Keep your ankles covered and make sure said cat can leave the room. (I am being funny: I have two cats.). Animals won’t take likely to your “stinking the place out” with some oils. As I said, just leave an exit point.
- Other inhabitants don’t like your blend. Try to find out what their likes and dislikes are. Have a smellaroo session with them and make note of what to diffuse in their presence and what to keep for yourself.
That’s about it, really. For a simple run down of how to use oils, have a read of this ebook right here.
Aaaaaaaaand find a BUNCH of diffuser blends and all sorts of plant magic diffuser blends here on Facebook and some on IG (Don’t forget to like and follow so you get all the new goodies in your feed. Plus you can share with all your awesome friends and we can all run through virtual fields of fragrant flowers together and all that.)
To start your oily journey with me, you can either click the button below, or if you know what you want, use the following links in no particular order:
USA, Australia, Canada, Brazil, China, UK, Germany, Italy, France Malaysia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Mexico, Singapore, Russia, Taiwan. If i skipped yours, this is the master link.