We gathered in a community centre a stone’s throw away from the sea. I was on holiday in Norfolk and keen to check out the local yoga scene, and Marie’s class was top of my list so off I went. Curiously, I thought, we were invited to have a few drops of oil in our hands before the class started. In my head this was a recipe for disaster and I was already imagining the slippery sequence of events as the opening credits from Casualty swam in my mind. What’s more, Marie was telling us that ginger was being diffused in the room, and that ginger was the oil of empowerment. Now that I did like the sound of, even if it conjured up more bizarre images, this time of gladiators and sushi.
The drops of oil that landed in the palms of my hands smelt simply divine. Wild Orange. The oil of abundance and cheer. It transported me to a Seville hillside in the sun and I felt instantly warmed and lifted by it. The class started gently. The oily residue on my palms? There wasn’t one.
On my way home I knew that I had met someone special and that she had a few things that I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on, starting with that bright orange elixir. We met for coffee the next day. We both ordered peppermint tea and then talked for hours. I began to learn about all sorts of things, including the healing properties of plants and a company called DoTerra. I often talk about meeting people who were meant to give you a message, and this was one of those times for me. I took away several messages that day, as well as a lasting connection with a lady that I am proud to call my mentor and my friend.
It wasn’t until the following year when I really started to use the oils for my own health and wellbeing that I really appreciated their powerful healing properties, both emotionally and physically. I had been diagnosed with a hernia and I did not want to take the medication I was strongly advised to take for life. I was determined to find a way to control my symptoms and I changed my diet, and started using ZenGest, an oil blend designed to assist and support the digestive system. I haven’t taken a single antacid since.
When my local meditation classes started I wanted to be able to offer people the same Sevillian escape that Marie had given me by sharing oils that are known to have an incredible impact on our emotions. Certain plants lend themselves to this brilliantly; lavender to calm, lemon to focus and uplift, cedarwood to combat loneliness. And all by simply breathing deeply and inhaling the heady aromas that are released as soon as the lid is taken off the bottle, like liquid sunshine.
Now I wouldn’t be without my oils. Making a presentation? Apply spearmint to the throat and Balance blend to the feet. Feeling nervous? Chuck some Frankincense into the mix. Want deep sleep? Then vetiver and rosemary are a great combination. Headache? Apply peppermint. I am fascinated by the fact that for every emotional and physical need there is a correlating remedy provided by nature and sourced responsibly by a company that puts millions of dollars back into the communities where the plants and trees are grown.
For me and the work I do with people, it is the emotional support that can be given that really piques my interest. But if one oil alone can inspire, uplift and motivate and give you a natural detox, a great complexion or kick a cold into touch, who am I to argue?
