Updates from Cecilia Bruce-Okrzesik

You are receiving this because you are part of our Young Living organization, this is for educational purposes only, this is not a solicitation.  

It's August and welcome to the dog days of summer!  I have just returned from visiting family in Indiana and Michigan and got to enjoy some beautiful sights and down time before the craziness of Fall and the holidays.  Have you had time to get away or are you enjoying a Stay-cation?  I traveled a lot with my 5 kids when they were young, even as a widowed single parent, but we always drove, ate out of a cooler and did as many things we could that didn't cost money.....and in all honesty, when my youngest kids were little, they were playing out in the kiddie pool one evening when I went out there to pull them in for dinner and one of them asked me to get wet in the pool with them, "I declined" but somehow we ended up getting into a water fight and I used the hose to spray them all down and play water tag with them for about a half hour, getting soaked beyond belief.   Still to this day when I have asked my kids what is your favorite memory growing up, its not the trips to Canada, Disney, or even the yearly trip out east to the beach, I have been told it was when I just let loose and played in the backyard with them and doused them with water and let them do the same to me.  So whether your traveling or if this is a season where you stay put, I hope your Summer is being good to you and you enjoy the little things.  

It is Hot out here in the Midwest and if its hot where you are, make sure to keep your bottle of Peppermint in your pocket.  Peppermint helps to cool the bodies internal and external body temperature when 3-4 drops are applied to the back of the neck and one drop on the wrists.  You will feel that icy cold sensation and you will also feel immediately cooler.  Just a note when applying it to small children, many kids are confused by the icy cold sensation and sense it as "hot", and if that happens, you can put several drops on the bottom of their feet to get the same result.   Peppermint also helps the bodies response to inflammation, so you will cool down and see some other beautiful benefits!  A drop is also great in warm water and stevia for a peppermint hot tea, hot chocolate, and homemade chocolate bark. Check out your desk reference for all the different ways to enjoy Peppermint essential oil.    

Remember to order your must haves for Fall/Winter.  Every year I have people message me when their family is down for the count and unless you have oils and supplements on hand, you don/t have any tools to work with and you will be waiting a week to have an order shipped to you so stock up this Fall and be prepared!!!!  Jump on our Loyalty Rewards program and order a small order monthly to enjoy the rewards points and reduced shipping and the fun of getting your healthcare shipped right to your door.  My top pics for winter are RC, Thieves, Christmas Spirit, Cedarwood, Myrrh, Orange, Oregano, Thyme and Digize!!!!!

I am including an article below about a supplement that my husband started taking this year, called Nattokinase.  The following statements are my own opinion and I encourage everyone to read the article and continue with your own research.  We have several sources for the benefits of Nattokinase and so when my husbands doctor wanted to put him on a synthetic blood thinner, we were off on an adventure to research how we could do this naturally without harm to his body and side effects.  When researching this product, we also found it has been shown to break up blood clots, support a healthy heart and bones too.  This is not a recommendation that you stop whatever drugs you currently take, but this is merely to encourage you to look at some other sources to make an informed decision for your health.  Nattokinase is not a Young Living product nor is it  promoted by Young Living.  These statements are my own and are for educational purposes only.  I do not profit from this product but just enjoying the benefits in our own home.   Enjoy the article.

I have many people asking me about this topic and I hope you enjoy doing more research for you and your family!  

Last week I sent out an educational email about our Melissa oil, its benefits, how its grown, harvested and distilled.  It is one of the most expensive oils that we have at Young Living, but the benefits are pretty incredible.  I personally buy a bottle every year and use the drops sparingly in other blends to enjoy the benefits but also to stick within my budget.  Another way to enjoy the benefits of Melissa that I mentioned in our educational email, is to take Young Living MultiGreens.  Have you heard of Bioavailability?  Before putting essential oils in our Multigreens supplements, there was a 42% blood absorption in 24 hours, but after adding essential oils to our Multigreens, blood absorption rate rose to 64% in 30 minutes and 86% in one hour.  Multigreens also helps your body have smoother and regular bowel movements daily.  Who knew healthy living could be so easy?  

You are receiving this email because you are part of our Young Living organization.  This is for educational purposes only, this is not a solicitation.  

Can you believe it is July?  Half of the year is already over and Summer is just getting started for most of the world.  How do you use your products during the summer?  My favorites are Purification for bug bites and deterrent, Lavender for soothing sun kissed skin, Citronella, Peppermint and Eucalyptus to put in a spray bottle with water to keep bugs off your garden vegetables (spray twice weekly - add garlic water too) Lemon in the diffuser and Lemon Lush soap to give your home an energetic vibe that smells amazing, Peppermint to cool your body down by applying drops down the back of your neck while on nature hikes or when you feel unwell,  and Digize to use internally in capsules (5 drops) after eating all the food that we know we shouldn't, and to put on your kids feet so they can safely run barefoot on the beach, in the grass and through the rain puddles.  It keeps all the stomach buggies away!!!

This month we are highlighting Ningxia Red and Ningxia Greens.  Do you know the history of the Ningxia Wolfberry?  So many people think its the same as the wolfberry you find in the grocery stores, but it is far from it.  Ningxia Red is our signature drink that is a powerhouse of nutrition.  The Ningxia berries are grown in the Ningxia province of China, and is saturated by the run offs of the Himalayan mountains, so the soil is rich in minerals and vitamins and protein.  Ningxia wolfberries have the highest ORAC scale of any whole food.  

 Human blood was sampled and tested before and after ingesting Ningxia Red, enjoy the short video here - 

My daughters have taken Ningxia Red during pregnancy for optimal nutrition and health of mama and baby, and both had midwives that commented on the health and strength of their placentas.  Coincidence?  Maybe, maybe not.  

It is great for kids who are eating solid foods (before that they are getting all their nutrition from breast milk and would be getting their own Ningxia through Mothers Milk if mama is enjoying it! ) Toddlers, teens, athletes, picky eaters, pregnant and nursing women, immune compromised, grandparents, world travelers and everyone in between.  It is a beautiful addition to anyone looking to feel great, have more energy and sleep better!  

Two of my grandbabies enjoying their Ningxia! 

Enjoy this recipe below for Ningxia Gummies:

As you enjoy your summer travels, work through difficult days, take care of your bustling household, or shuffle off to work every day, use your oils preventively and purposely for your emotions, your physical health and all the needs that come up in your home.  Refer to your desk reference when you have a question or contact myself or the person who shared Young Living with you, the ways in which you can use Young Living for all your health needs will blow your mind!  

Enjoy the holiday weekend!  Stay well, one drop at a time! 

Cecilia Bruce-Okrzesik

Young Living Gold Leader 

You are receiving this email because you are part of our Young Living organization.  This is for educational purposes only, this is not a solicitation.  If you are local in Northern IL/Southern WI there is a free class on Women's Hormone Health at Silver Lake Beach, Silver Lake WI, we would love for you to join us on the beach and bring a friend! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/349969336707

It is June, the month I became a part of the group that no one wants to belong too.  June 9th was the day I gave birth to my oldest daughter and 16 years later, June 30th is the day I found her limp in my home.  I decided to share this part of my personal journey through grief because we are currently living in a hurting world.  Some days seem hopeless, some days seem so grim.  Many people have lost loved ones, friends, co-workers, children, spouses and we all need a little hope to cling to, an encouragement, a kind word to soothe our soul, a friend to talk to.  We may only be connected through me being your upline in Young Living, but if after reading my story you need someone to talk to, please reach out.   We all need a comforting ear.     

Many of you have had your Young Living account for a good while, and some have just started.  For me, it was 10 years ago that I had a good friend ask me to come to her house to hear about essential oils.  I had tried two cheap oils from the health food store years prior to that, and had such terrible reactions that I had to go to the emergency room three times in a week before I knew what was causing my reaction.  After the last ER visit, I figured I was allergic to essential oils and vowed never to use them again.  Fast forward to when my friend asked me to come to her house, I was a  stressed out, grieving, widowed mom, who had also just lost her 16 year old daughter tragically, was homeschooling 4 other kids, and cleaning houses to make ends meet.  The last thing I wanted to do was to go listen to a talk about essential oils that had given me such terrible reactions.  But, because I am a loyal friend, I agreed to come and at least give it a listen.  

Have you ever had one of those unexpected experiences that rock your world?  That night was mine.  I "bitterly" listened through the class that was being taught on essential oils not really paying much attention, but before the lady who was teaching was through, she talked about emotions and how pure essential oils, distilled properly, reach the limbic region of the brain and can help us overcome deep emotional trauma and more.  Immediately I started to listen more intently because I had a daughter who was not doing well emotionally after loosing her older sister and I didn't want to medicate her but I was at a loss on how to help her. I too, was struggling with so many triggers from all the loss and trauma we had experienced, that I was interested in what she had to say.  Could this be something that could help myself and my kids?  I didn't have a lot of extra money at the time, but I wanted to see if these little bottles of oils could help my daughter and possibly even myself.  So I asked a lot of questions before the end of the class and sought this woman's input on what oil to try first for my daughter who was struggling so deeply and she suggested the oil of JOY.  It has many properties to uplift the mind, calm deep struggles and rewire pathways of damaged connections from trauma.  I signed up and ordered this gem in a bottle and I skeptically applied it to my daughters pillow case for several days when she was out of her room.  I chose not to tell anyone else in the house what I was doing to see if anyone else noticed.  Within days, her siblings started to ask why she was smiling, why she was happy and not so distant and angry, and why she was in a better mood.  

I have to say that I was stunned, I really didn't think the oils could work like that.  I thought they were just a pretty scent to be put in a diffuser.    I bought a desk reference that had all the in-depth information in it on every one of Young Livings oils and I proceeded to look up every issue that came up in our home.  I started to learn how the oils work cellularly, how cheap oils do not work the same in our bodies and with our emotions and how when they are not grown or distilled properly, it can cause the terrible reactions I had experienced years prior.  I kept seeing the oils work over and over again for all the little ailments that popped up in our home, so the next test was ME and my thoughts, fears and traumatic memories.  My many emotional triggers and traumas, I thought,   was a feat that was too big to tackle, but I had had so much success in just months of using the oils that I was purchasing, that I decided that it was time to work on this grieving mamas heart.  

Have you ever been so scared of something happening and then having it actually come to fruition? That was my life.  I had always been terrified of loosing a child, and after having been widowed and left with 5 small children, I thought I had been through the worst of things, not realizing that there was something far worse than loosing a spouse, but your own child.  

We all grieve differently and I thankfully had 4 other children in the home when my oldest daughter died, so I didn't have much time to reflect or think or process, I just had to get up and take care of my other children daily, not realizing that those unchecked emotions catch up to you after a while.  So, after seeing great success with the emotions of my middle daughter and so many other ailments in our home, I decided to do a test on myself with the oils.  When I first got my starter kit, I detested the smell of Frankincense.  It was repulsive to me.  Upon studying and using the oils daily, I had read that the oils you can't stand the smell of, are the oils you need the most.  So I started reading up on Frankincense and found that it was the number one oil for trauma.  Trauma was my first name at that point in my life, so I grabbed a calendar and made note of when I started this experiment.  I knew that the bottom of the big toe was the brain reflex and I knew our emotions and trauma affect our brains, so I put one drop on the bottom of each of my big toes nightly for 2 1/2 months and journaled along the way how I felt and my struggles.  I was stunned to find that the two biggest triggers in my life at the time that I could never seem to shake, were now non-existent.  I could not believe that I had conquered those feelings and emotions with a little bottle of oil.  

This realization rocked my world and it was at that moment that I just couldn't keep my mouth shut about all that these oils could do.  I shared high and wide about what a gift they were and started the journey of helping people transform their lives, one drop at a time.    

Did you know - 6th edition Essential Oil Desk Reference

Hello, 

Weekly you receive education emails from me because as of 2021 many have left social media and our Facebook education page has dwindled.  I stopped sending out my monthly emails via this platform in September of last year because I was in need of changing some things up a bit AND I had two daughters get married in the same month in November.  Que in all the STRESS oils!  

So I am reintroducing this monthly email, and myself, but I will continue to send out our bi-monthly education emails too!  It has been a great way to connect with all of our customers around the world and educate on how to stay healthy during this trying time!  

My name is Cecilia Bruce-Okrzesik, your Young Living Gold leader, and I have been educating the masses with Young Living for the past 10 years.  I, like many of you, was invited to a friends home for a class not knowing a single thing about essential oils and didn't think anything of it at the time, but I left with my world changed and so many solutions for the needs in my home.  My primary need was a daughter who was struggling emotionally after the death of her sister, my oldest daughter, and desperately wanting to help her struggling emotions.  The oil of Joy was recommended to me and with that, my first order was placed and the atmosphere in my home changed so dramatically that I couldn't deny it.  I bought a desk reference and never looked back.  

This monthly email will now contain other natural wisdom that you can research and verify yourself as the months move forward in addition to all of our normal oily goodness, and my husband and I are adding a Rumble channel (similar to You Tube) that you can subscribe to for all things, homeschooling, organic gardening, repurposing, canning, cooking, baking and tips from a seasoned mama and grandma).  I hope you will join us, we will include the link in June's newsletter!  

The following content may be something you already received in your inbox today, as I sent it out to our whole organization but incase you missed it, I wanted to include it in this Intro email to get this platform started again.  

As always, please reach out if you have questions, concerns, or would like the resources to delve deeper into any of the content provided!