Treatments – Essential Oils: Complementary Western Medicine?

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My therapist has become very important in my life. Not only has she helped me back to my bright, positive self, but she has introduced me to a lot of things that have helped me on my journey to a natural health.

I went to a reiki session in April because I had heard energy massages help people who have issues that doctors really aren’t able to figure out. (Read about that experience here!) During my session Rev. Todd told me about doTERRA’s deep blue rub and wild orange essential oil. He explained that the deep blue could help support my joints and the wild orange oil could support my emotions and anxiety.I can’t lie and tell you that I was jumping up-and-down – I really thought it was odd and was very skeptical. He gave me samples to try and I figured it can’t hurt!

After using them a few times I was hooked and ended up buying them! The deep blue rub was an amazing, natural product. I slathered it on my knees all day long. The tingling, heat and cooling sensations of the product really did help support my joints! The orange was wonderful as well. I would put it on my wrist and the back of my neck. When I was feeling anxious I would take deep breaths and inhale the sweet smelling oil. Sometimes I would also put a few drops of oil on my palm, cup my hands around my nose and mouth and take a deep inhale. This is a great way to experience the aromatic properties of the oils if you don’t own a diffuser. The oil didn’t completely take away my anxiety, but it definitely put me in a more relaxed state and it was a wonderful step in the RIGHT direction! The Rev. also mentioned that geranium is an oil which can help support emotions and anxiety. After smelling this oil I honestly thought it was the worst smelling thing I’d ever smelt! haha! I would take a deep breath, hold it and put it on the bottom of my feet. Before I would let my breath out I would put on like three layers of socks so the smell would not permeate out. LOL! (probably a bit dramatic)

In my therapy sessions I started talking about the oils and my dramatic ritual of how I put the geranium on my feet. It turns out that she was very into the oils as well! What a small world- right??

After many sessions of talking about new uses for oils and other oils that would be beneficial to me I was convinced to sign up as an Independent Product Consultant with doTERRA. My main reason was because I’d get the products at wholesale price! As a bonus, if I wanted to sell them I could. I was very interested in trying out different oils to see how I could complement my current western medicine regiment. Every month I started getting more and more oils to experiment with. I knew that if I wanted my experiment to be a true representation of how these oils could work I would need to get others in on the fun! I started passing out different oils to different people to see how they worked. A friend who was having infertility problems, a friend who was having extreme anxiety, another friend who had horrible stomach problems and was living on tums several times a day, and the list went on and on!

I started researching and reading everything and anything I could get my hands on that talked about essential oils. There are oils for balancing your system, for reducing stress, for cooking, for detoxifying, for supporting your immune system, for supporting your body’s fight against invaders, for lifting your spirits – if you have an ailment, I guarantee there is at least one oil that can help support your body.

I started really becoming a believer in nature’s medicine. If you think about it- what did people thousands of years ago use for medication? You couldn’t go to your local pharmacist and get a Z pack when you had a sinus infection or you couldn’t take Tylenol if you had a fever. Food and nature is what you used. Some cultures still behave in this way today. Remember in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love book when she gets an urinary tract infection in Bali? As a remedy she’s given a concoction to drink and it helps to clear it up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRuX6npPzxI

Why did our culture ever get rid of these wonderfully natural medications? Is our world so revolved around money that we would rather rely on the heavily marketed and commercialized medication rather than the power of the lavender plant? It’s actually quite sickening the amount of advertising the pharmaceutical industry does. Every time I see the humira commercials on the TV I shake my head.

I really believe in the power of essential oils and you will see many posts from me about essential oils. At the top of this page, in the right-hand corner, I have a “What Is An Essential Oil” button. I also have a link to my doTerra website. I challenge you to go and explore what essential oils.

I do want to make one thing clear. I am not expressing my love for these oils because I want you to go and buy them from me. I NEVER want to make you think that I’m pushing these products on you. Yes, I am a consultant for doTERRA and yes, I do sell them BUT that’s not why I signed up with the company. I want to spread the amazing word of these oils. I want to help other chronically ill patients, and the normal every day person, see that there are more options than adding another manufactured pill to your pill-box. I still take a laundry list of medications, but I’m slowly seeing that I can supplement other medications that I would have added for these oils. One of the most powerful things we can do as patients is to be educated. To become educated about our options that are out there. And that’s what I want to do. Educate others about the oils. If you end up wanting to try them and do buy a product – that is great! But please please please please don’t think that is the intent of every essential oil post that I publish.

So where do essential oils come from? It really depends on the oil. The Lavender oil is made by pressing the Lavender plant flowers. Some oils use the entire plant, others may only use the stems. Here is a video that they showed at this year’s conference showing a behind the scenes look at how they source lemongrass. Emily Wright, the VP of Leadership Development, travels all over the world to find the most pure source of the oils.

There is honestly so much that I can’t wait to share with all of you! I know a few of my posts have had mention of doTERRA products, but there are so many different oils, so many different uses, so much information!

I hope that my posts can help educate you and help you make the best decision for your health!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

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