A dear friend of mine asked me if I had any grounding rituals I perform before makin
g a synergistic blend (an aromatherapy blend with more than one essential oil aimed to illicit dynamic healing in the body, mind, and soul). Keenly aware of how his energy might affect his blending, he was perhaps trepidatious about doing it “right,” however that is interpreted. I believe in this context, “right” meant peacefully, soulfully, lovingly.
Creating synergistic blends with essential oils is a process that involves a foundational knowledge of how each essential oil works on its own and how it works in concert with other appropriate oils, but there’s more to it. Creating blends is also a creative and intuitive process. So as the poet must have an understanding of the mechanics and deep soul of language to render their heart’s offering fluidly on the page, so must the aromatherapist understand the therapeutic actions and soul of the essential oil to render their guided assistance effectively in a bottle. But please don’t let that overwhelm you.
I offered my friend what first came to mind after a bit of a pause. I responded something to the effect of, “I think of the person for whom I’m creating the blend. I close my eyes and meditate on their nature, their concerns, and their heart. As the right oils come into focus in my mind’s eye, I let love lead the way. That’s all.” (Please note: I am keenly aware of any health issues my client has before creating blends, which ultimately guides my process of blend making for others.)
What we didn’t discuss, however, and what is equally important – practice and confidence; the former feeding the latter. It takes time to learn and understand how essential oils work therapeutically and metaphysically, if that’s in your practice. Last night, as I walked through the Loess Hills, surrounded by countless medicinal herbs, I reminded myself that the indigenous peoples of this area took their time observing how insects, birds, and animals responded to native woodland and prairie botanicals and trees before using them as their own remedies, a process which took more observation, trial and error, and time. So too do we need to allow ourselves the time and practice to develop our own understanding of how aromatherapy works for the body, mind, and soul.
Veteran aromatherapist and author Valerie Ann Worwood writes in Aromatherapy for the Soul (New World Library, 1999), “With an etheric quality, essential oils activate the receptors of love, compassion, and empathy. … Through them, we can contact the wisdom of nature, the power of light, the energy of the universe, and the love in our hearts.”
And so we create through investigation, observation, and understanding, through practice, through mistakes, and ultimately, through our courageous hearts. In time, we become confident that our overall awareness of the practice blossoms as we understand the oils and our shared humanity more and more.
This post is intended for educational and/or inspirational purposes. Always follow essential oil safety best practices. For questions and concerns about contraindications, please refer to your physician. For chronic health problems, please refer to your physician and/or mental health professional. Never ingest essential oils.
Recent Comments