aromatherapy and meditation

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on meditation and some essential oils you can use to help you connect to how you want to feel during meditation and what you want to get from your practise.

This one is close to my heart because meditation has helped me so much and that led me to studying a meditation teacher diploma so I could learn more and share it with you. 

‘It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself’
- Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Let’s dive in…

So what is meditation?  
A very simple definition of meditation is the act of focusing the mind.

The dictionary defines meditation as continued or extended thought, reflection, contemplation.

I think mediation is very personal to everyone. It doesn’t need to be done a certain way. There is no right way, only the right way for you.

I see people give up on meditation because they can’t clear or quieten their mind, so they think they can’t meditate. I believe it’s absolutely ok if your mind is still busy during meditation, in fact it’s all the more reason to meditate. It happens to me all the time, when I realise I’ve drifted into my thoughts I gently bring my focus back to my breath, leaving those thoughts for a later time.

Some of the benefits of meditation 

• helps calm the nervous system
• helps realise stress and reduce anxiety
• helps release tension in the body
• helps soothe and balance emotions
• helps improve sleep
• helps you feel more connected to yourself
• helps you be more in tune with your mind, body and soul

How to incorporate meditation into your life 
I don’t have time to meditate!! No doubt we’ve all thought this at some point. There’s a Zen saying that goes something like this…

‘You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour’

But I’m not suggesting an hour of meditation, or even 20 minutes to begin with.

You can start with just a few moments. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders and take 10 beautiful breaths, focus on inhaling deeply and exhaling fully.

When this has become a daily habit start doing a 5 minute guided meditation and slowly increase the time. 

There are some great apps out there but I love relax and rest app (ADD LINK) - it’s simple and a great place to start. I’ve been meditating for years and I still come back to this app.

And as I touched on above, it is ok for your mind to wander, for that internal chit chat - it doesn’t mean you aren’t doing it right or you can’t mediate, in fact the exact opposite, you are doing the perfect thing. My mind wanders during meditation, sometimes I get my best ideas, come to realisations or things become clear. That’s why I find guided meditations great because when you realise your mind has wandered off you can just bring your attention back to your breath and the mediation teachers voice and continue listening.

With all that said let’s talk about…

Aromatherapy and meditation 
Essential oils can really help deepen your meditation practise.
They can help you connect to how you want to feel during meditation and what you want to get from your practise.

Let’s explore some of my favourites…

Cedarwood helps to reduce stress allowing the mind to relax and emotional tension to be released. It’s harmonising effect is smooth, deep and long lasting, making it very helpful for meditation.

Frankincense is soothing and centring. It helps to calm and slow your breathing. It is great for meditation and any mindfulness practice.

Lavender is balancing, healing and relaxing. It brings comfort and strength to the soul. It helps soothe emotions and calm your mind making it a lovely choice when medtiating.

Roman chamomile is deeply calming. It is excellent in times of stress, worry and over-thinking, helping to calm and settle the mind as you meditate.

Sandalwood is centring, grounding and harmonising. It helps heal the soul, promoting tranquility and a state of calm that allows you to be deepen your meditation practise.

As always choose the essential oil you feel most drawn to.

You might like to use just a single essential oil or a simple blend in your diffuser while you’re meditating 

Here's a couple of suggestions.

• 3 drops of lavender + 1 drop of roman chamomile
• 3 drops of lavender + 1 drop cedarwood
• 3 drops sandalwood + 2 drops frankincense

I hope this inspires you to try meditation if you never have or try it again if you haven't done it for a while. And if you are a regular meditator I hope this has given you some ways to deepen your practice. Meditation is a beautiful way to nurture your mind, body and soul.

And before I go I thought I'd let you know that if you'd like your own personal signature scent to to support your meditation practise you can find all the details here.

In health and happiness, Dee xxx