I've been working on breathing more deeply and was struck by how I must inhale to exhale - which seems obvious. But there have been times in my life that I have tried to exhale more than I inhale. Let me explain!
Growing up I found great rewards internally and externally when I would give, help, achieve, please and work hard. These were my exhale - my way of giving out to meet needs and care for others. There are fewer rewards to resting. It always felt like a waste of time! I kind of resented having to sleep - wasting so many hours of the day.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has taught me the value of what I saw as unproductive time. Silence, stillness, space where there are no demands - no earning, striving, trying to prove anything. Grace and unconditional love from the God who is Love have become the breath in my lungs that I need to inhale deeply! It is in these spaces that I learn who I am and my priorities for life giving, meaningful days. God's care and perspective is the inhale that I need so desperately before I can live outwardly my purpose with clarity again.
May today have some spaces to be still and reconnect with the One who knows and love us all deeply. To inhale purpose, peace, clarity, wisdom, life and love so we can exhale the comfort, gratitude, joy and beauty we have received in the unique place and ways we are made to shine!
Blessed Sunday, friends!
It's my favourite season! Autumn is when the air gets crisp, I pull out my soft, warm sweaters and tea becomes a regular comfort in the evening! I also am drawn to the beautiful spicy scents we associate with Fall!
Why do we love them?
Scents work directly with the part of our brain that influences and holds all of our emotions!
Emotional Ties!
Scents may be tied to happy memories so that a scent of apple pie or pumpkin muffins can transport us back to happy memories of Christmas gatherings or baking with Grandma. This can instantly shift our emotions and trigger happiness. Our emotions also communicate to our overall nervous system, digestive system and impact our overall health. Let's get scents working for us!
Now before you run to places like bath and body works for plug ins, candles, hand soaps, scented lotions, room sprays and all the things that smell just perfect for the season, hit pause!!
Many chemicals in these scented items disrupt your endocrine systems and are linked to rising hormone imbalance, respiratory issues, headaches and other symptoms that come from overburdening our bodies. Our skin is our biggest organ and lotions and body sprays absorb into our bloodstream in less than a minute. But there is a better way to infuse our homes with delicious scents and beautiful natural products that actually work to support our body's efforts.
So if you want to feel pampered and love well your skin and overall wellness, let's reach for healthy options!
Here are some ingredients to avoid:
Isopropyl Alchohol: may cause premature aging of skin. Also found in anti-freeze. It strips skin of natural acid mantle, promoting growth of bacteria. It can cause headaches, flushed skin, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Also causes mental depression according to “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients.”
Tetrasodium EDTA: contains formaldehyde and is a known skin and lung irritant.
BHT: this fragrance has been linked to organ system toxicity and is a known skin, eye, and lung irritant.
Disodium EDTA: neurotoxin linked to brain damage and liver changes in animals.
Diazolidinyl Urea: this chemical releases formaldehyde into your body. Mayo Clinic says formaldehyde can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions, trigger heart palpations, immune system toxicity, and cancer in humans. Exposure may cause joint pain, depression, headaches, dizziness, loss of sleep, chronic fatigue, ear infections, allergies, and chest pains. It can also trigger asthma and aggravate colds. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen found in Johnson and Johnson baby care products, skincare, antiperspirants, and hair dyes.
Methylparaben and Propylparaben: directly linked to breast cancer. In mice it had weak estrogenic effects which caused damage to the sperm formation in the testes. It may contribute to sterility in males, hormone imbalances in females, and cause early puberty. A relative of methylparaben, sodium methylparaben has been banned in the E.U. Some other common names for paraben’s are ethyl-, butyl-, and isobutyl- all ending with paraben. These do not have to be labeled, so sometimes companies will not list within ingredients panel.
Ceterareth-20: ENHANCES the absorption of ALL above chemicalsYou can download an app called Healthy Living by Environmental Working Group that can help you assess the products in your home right now! These ingredients are hiding under fragrances you may have come to love. But once you stop using them, your body will be able to gradually clear out and repair the damage they have caused. I promise you won’t miss them, they’ll actually start smelling bad to you. It's crazy that harmful products are allowed on our store shelves, but the power of choice has been left up to us. Let's vote for health and environmental stewardship with our dollars!
Affordability:
Let's compare candles to diffusing!
Studies show that paraffin and soy candles increase the particulate matter in the air to levels considered unsafe by WHO and compared to second hand smoke. Paraffin are worse than soy/vegetable oil, but the latter still aren't good. Beeswax candles burn cleaner, and release very little (if any) particulate matter and do not come close to reaching the WHO limits.
Diffusing is extremely effective for supporting emotions, respiratory health, helping focus and promoting a calm atmosphere! It sends messages to our brain helping us to rest, reset, and recharge. It is an inexpensive and effective way to get a lot of oils on a room full of people.
Studies show that paraffin and soy candles increase the particulate matter in the air to levels considered unsafe by WHO and compared to second hand smoke. Paraffin are worse than soy/vegetable oil, but the latter still aren't good. Beeswax candles burn cleaner, and release very little (if any) particulate matter and do not come close to reaching the WHO limits.
Diffusing is extremely effective for supporting emotions, respiratory health, helping focus and promoting a calm atmosphere! It sends messages to our brain helping us to rest, reset, and recharge. It is an inexpensive and effective way to get a lot of oils on a room full of people.
"Diffused oils alter the structure of molecules that create odors, rather than just masking them. They also increase oxygen availability, produce negative ions, and release natural ozone. A cold-air diffuser is designed to atomize a microfine mist of essential oils into the air, where they can remain suspended for several hours."
How do the Costs Compare?
A small Yankee Candle has 25 hours of burn time and costs $25.99
A small Yankee Candle has 25 hours of burn time and costs $25.99
Diffusing 4 drops of Peppermint with 4 drops of Stress Away (a perfect Vanilla Mint Scent) for 10 hours Costs less than a dollar. (The graphic below has US pricing in 2021.)
Yay, health!!
Young Living has earned my trust as they create products that respect our health, our environment and the people who work on the global farms. Let's leave the chemicals that harm behind and care for our environment with plants that can fuel our minds, emotions, hormones and nurture our skin with high quality, natural ingredients. Let's thrive, friends!
James commented last night that we get tight muscles when we use our muscles and when we don't!Whether we sit at a desk all day or go hard with exercise, our muscles need some TLC.
We celebrated the end of our first week back to routines with some gentle stretches and sharing shoulder and neck massages!
We enhance our massages with some tingly, tension busting essential oils. We usually use our PanAway/ Copaiba/ Peppermint Roller or Deep Relief, but this time we switched it up with our new Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream! It was nice to have a creamy aloe base to this muscle pleaser! It penetrates deeply with all natural ingredients to keep our skin and muscles happy!
By the end of the first week we were tired. So we kept dinner simple with Friday night make our own pizzas and spent extra time lingering around the table to talk and debrief our new routines together.
Saturday morning we were at the soccer field bright and early to watch Andrew's rep team finishing up their season. It was a beautiful morning to be outside! I'm glad I can just hand over the muscle support when my guys need some recovery relief! 
We've been taking introvert time since we got back home to rest and refuel.
How did you celebrate the end of a week of returning to routine?
"And so it begins.
The back-to-school shopping flyers have arrived and so, too, has the stress. Child mental health experts say the middle of August marks the start of their busy season. After a summer’s hiatus, mental stress starts to build as the school year looms. Whether it is a new class, a new teacher, a new job or school, transitions are hard at any age. By University age, the steps get bigger as young adults move out on their own - sometimes to a new city at a whole new level of school. Even as adults, the fall can trigger new levels stress where some emotional support is welcome - especially during times of change, loss, or dealing with trauma.
Is your child anxious or nervous for the first day of school? Or are you a Mom dropping off her little for their first day of Kindergarten? Or are you a teacher heading into a new year?"
From our Essential Collective Team
I have found emotional support blends incredibly helpful at releasing emotional patterns, lifting my mood, reducing stress responses, focusing my mind, and overcoming insecurity.
Try one of these roller bottle recipes to help calm nerves on the first day of school. Great places to apply are at the back of the neck on the brain stem, over heart, behind ears, along spine and bottom of big toes.
When making up rollers, use this for a dilution guide with a 10 ml roller bottle:
For ages 2-5 years old, 3-6 drops total of essential oils, fill to top with carrier oil of choice
For ages 6-12 years old, 6-10 drops of essential oils, fill to top with carrier oil of choice
For ages 12-15 years old, 10-15 drops of essential oils, fill to the top with carrier oil of choice
For ages 15+, depending on the oil you can use 10-30, fill to the top with carrier oil of choice.
Start Low and Slow:
Use the lower dilution rate until the body gets used to the oil - and start low on the body - the big toe is connected in reflexology to the head. It’s a good place to start, especially if you don’t love the smell of the oils… It’s far enough from the nose, but still lets the body absorb balancing support into the bloodstream and body cells.
PEACE ROLLER BOTTLE
Lavender*
Frankincense*
Lemon*
Add oils to 10 ml roller bottle. Top with carrier oil. Dilute according to age. (This would also help with immune support and is safe for young ones.)
KEEP IT CALM ROLLER BOTTLE
Lavender*
Stress Away
Optional: Vetiver, Orange
Add oils to 10mL roller bottle. Top with carrier oil. Dilute according to age.
BRAVERY ROLLER BOTTLE
Vetiver
Valor
Frankincense*
Add oils to 10mL roller bottle. Top with carrier oil. Dilute according to age.
CONFIDENCE ROLLER BOTTLE
Valor
Bergamot
in 10 mL roller bottle and dilute according to age with carrier oil of choice.
PRO-PARENT TIP: Get your kids to help you make up the rollers. This will give you a chance to talk about how they feel about going back to school, which roller might be the best fit, and open a conversation on how to deal with any feelings of anxiety and worry. Every body is different, and so it takes some experimentation to see which Essential Oils will most benefit you.
Helping your kids talk about emotions - giving language, normalizing and learning from emotions - is so important. I found it interesting to read that boys brains had very little connection between language and the emotional parts of the brain - while girl’s brains had lots… so boys may need a little more help and guidance with processing emotions.
Signs to watch for include unusual sadness or anxiety that shows itself with stomach-aches, crying, a fear of trying new things, an inability to make friends. A great parent resource is available at www.hincksdellcrest.org/abc. If you think this is more than first day jitters it would be wise to contact your family doctor.
FOR ALL OF US: These oils are great emotional support oils—so pull a roller out as you get ready for your first day of school or student orientation or before your next presentation or before taking that midterm or for whatever project you are working on that is making you feel a little bit jittery!
Roll your Brave on!
Roll your Brave on!
When I was praying with our prayer group this week, I was struck freshly by the joy that came in realizing we each have a unique place in God's story. Becoming and being more fully the self that God designed allows us to live our purpose without feeling burdened and weighted down by it.
When I was a teenager and into my twenties, I had an idea that I was supposed to put others before myself which fit well with my Pleaser ways. But I often went to bed empty, weary and teary wondering where the abundant life was that Jesus talked about.
I had a martyr syndrome that made considering my own needs feel selfish. Boundaries taught me that I was not carrying my own needs, preferences, managing my own emotions and health. Instead I was trying to take responsibility for others that leaned on me and were happy to have me carry them. This was a recipe for burnout!
The image I got this week was inspired by the scripture:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
I was struck by how the burden is only light when we live out of our shape and passion and pull next to the One who can do imaginably more than all we ask or imagine. This world is full of pressure to be more, do more, comparisons that make us wonder why we can't keep up.
Maybe the reason we can't keep up, is because we are trying to be like someone else. Jesus invites us alongside His movements of compassion and justice. The yoke is already moving with God's energy and passion, we are invited to just slip into the place made just for us. The space only we can fill. The part of God's story that we are beckoned into that will satisfy the deepest longings of our soul for purpose, passion, belonging and healthy service. We are needed and God has the best ideas about where we fit!
