Essential Oils for Yoga and Meditation
As a long-time practitioner of both yoga and meditation—as well as a student of the relationship between essential oils and the emotions—I love incorporating high-quality essential oils into my practice.
Here, I’ve detailed a few of my favorites.
Melissa
The oil of light
Melissa invites us to release tension and attachment in order to regain a sense of our true nature and purpose. With Melissa as an ally, we get back in touch with our wise intuition, offer strength to our hearts, and let go of what’s been weighing us down.
This oil brings a sense of lightness, brightness, joy, divinity, and enthusiasm to our practice, especially if we’ve been neglecting it lately.
Let Melissa inspire you to get back on your mat or cushion and allow it to illuminate your path once again.
How to use: one drop on your forehead or one drop each on the backs of your hands; inhale from the bottle or diffuse. Pairs well with Peppermint (the oil of a buoyant heart) and Lime (the oil of the zest for life).
Copaiba
The oil of unveiling
When the veil is pulled back, we see the truth: we are and have always been connected to ourselves and each other as a precious member of the family of all beings. This recognition creates the space for us to heal hurts from the past and embrace the beauty of our practice.
Self-compassion work can feel vulnerable. Once we begin, we may find pain or difficult feelings hiding below the surface. Copaiba invites us to move past those feelings in order to access forgiveness, healing, and peace.
Copaiba is clarifying, making it an excellent accompaniment to self-compassion, metta, or mindfulness meditation.
How to use: one drop over your heart, on your crown or on your sacral chakra; inhale from the bottle or diffuse. Pairs well with Frankincense, the oil of truth, and Helichrysum, the oil of healing pain.
doTERRA also makes excellent Copaiba softgels that can be taken internally. email me for more information: christy@christytending.com.
Lavender
The oil of calm & communication
Everyone loves lavender. It calms the chatter of the mind so that we can rest and access our inner calm. It eases insecurity so that we can express ourselves fully—in a way that keeps us connected to our hearts.
Lavender facilitates emotional truth, and frees us to embrace and communicate our most authentic selves. If you have been numbing yourself in order to feel calm, Lavender is the antidote. It creates a deep sense of calm that allows us to feel, do and say what feels true for us, without artifice.
An excellent choice for yoga teachers and leaders of all kind, as well as those who are looking for support in learning to use their voices.
How to use: one drop over your throat or one drop on each of your temples; inhale from the bottle or diffuse. Pairs well with Spearmint for clear communication.
The Yoga Collection
Arise
enlightening blend
Amplifies joy and divinity, allowing us to rise to meet our full potential. Repairs symptoms of burnout and despondency. Returns us to a buoyant, optimistic worldview so that we can rise.
How to use: One drop to the forehead, top of head or the back of the neck.
Align
alignment blend
Shifts and helps release barriers to progress or distracting disruptions. It works in the middle chakras, and facilitates integrity, awareness, trust and acceptance.
Contains: Bergamot, Coriander, Marjoram, Peppermint, Geranium, Basil, Rose, and Jasmine
How to use: One drop on heart chakra, solar plexus, or sacral chakra.
Anchor
steadying blend
An antidote to anxious feelings, upheaval and instability. Anchor brings us right back to earth, offering support and courage in the face of difficulty. Brings us back to the steadiness of the path.
Contains: Lavender, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Black Pepper, and Patchouli
How to use: One drop to the tailbone or lower abdomen.
