Hi my loves! We’ve been preparing for some new events at the Retreat Ranch; it’s been exciting and a lot of amazing work. Today, I wanted to share something I’m especially proud off creating. Kimmiyogini and I have spent the last few months pouring our hearts and soul into our FREE yoga teacher training toolkit. Today, I wanted to borrow from our toolkit and share a little about the best ways to utilize essential oils in yoga. Mmm…can you smell that? This one is going to smell great!
How Essential Oils Improve the Yoga Experience
“Mind, body, spirit. These embody the core of a holistic approach to health and vitality. The mind, body and spirit must be brought into unison, in order to prevent illness, fatigue, and lack of focus in life.”
The use of essential oils as a healing tool dates as far back as ancient times. Similarly, so has the practice of yoga; they’ve also been paired since then. When combined correctly, the two have the profound ability to improve body function AND enhance and align your mind and spirit.
Integrating aromatherapy in yoga, through the use of essential oils, has the added benefit of enhancing the ambiance of our practicing environment to better suit our body’s needs. Now, I have to pop in and give a disclaimer, when using it in a group class, extra precaution is needed. Please double check to see if some students have nasal sensitivity or allergy issues. Let’s talk some more about that.
Three Guidelines on how to Introduce Essential Oils in Your Yoga Practice
The three preferred ways of integrating essential oils in yoga is through diffusion, inhalation, or topical application. While I go more in-depth in the free toolkit, I wanted to share three important guidelines to be mindful about.
- Always consult with a certified and well-experienced yoga practitioner or aromatherapist before integrating it into your practice.
- When applying topically, be sure to use a carrier oil. Some great ones are grapeseed oil, avocado oil, almond oil and fractionated coconut oil.
- Remember a few drops of an essential oil go a loooong way. The smell should never ever be overwhelming.
How to Pair Essential Oils to get the Best of Your Yoga Session
Here are some of our favorite essential oils and their purpose. Again, do be mindful of your students’ sensitivities and mind, body and spiritual needs.
Wild Orange
Yummy, energizing and to most a reinvigorating scent. It lifts the mood and is excellent at relieving stress & anxiety.
Lavender
Calming, grounding, and comforting. Lavender essential oils are excellent at promoting relaxation, supporting brain function and helps aid to improve immune function.
Frankincense
Strong, ascending, and healing. This essential oil works wonders in reducing feelings of anxiety, stimulating the immune system and is antiseptic AND anti-inflammatory.
A Few Final Thoughts
Learning to marry essential oils with practicing yoga is great knowledge for yoga newbies and seasoned yoga teachers. Its olfactory benefits heal the mind, spirit, and body. Plus, they smell damn great and really create a wonderful experience while practicing yoga!
For even more tips, tricks, and marketing templates, please feel free to download our FREE YTT toolkit here.
XOXO Shannon
