Way of Will is a bespoke Toronto business creating Essential Oil body-care blends for people who workout regularly. At Framewrk we love Way of Will because of their local presence and commitment to natural products focusing on overall wellbeing and fitness! We recently hosted a Way of Will Aromatherapy and Yoga event at Framewrk and learned about their new Essential Oils. The event focused on how to use the oils to open the heart chakra with Aromatherapy, which is the practice of using scent to reduce physical and emotional imbalances.
Because scent is directly linked to memory it can trigger change in the somatic system by effecting the hypothalamus. This helps open emotional blockages. Aromatherapist Jean Liao helped us blend a customized scent with Essential Oils known to trigger the heart chakra, which is widely thought to be the physical place where we store emotions for love, connection and relationships. Our own Sara Moncrieff then helped us use our personalized blend in a restorative yoga and meditation class that focused on various poses centered around the heart chakra. The results were magical.
Before any blending was done, we also learned a few things about the use and care of essential oils that help both the efficacy and safety of the treatment.
· Essential Oils in their concentrated form should not be directly applied to the skin; they need a carrier oil to dilute them. Two drops of an Essential Oil should be put in 1 tsp of carrier oil.
· A good carrier oil is a Jojoba oil, which has a longer shelf life than other oils which can go rancid.
· If possible, essential oils are best stored in the fridge. If not, store in dark glass containers in a cool, dark, dry place.
· The oils should never be put into the dryer since they can be flammable.
· Children should use much lower dosage than adults; no Essential Oils for children under 6 months old and no more than 0.5% for children under 2. Just because it’s natural does not mean it’s safe. Parents need to look at the specific oil and the restrictions before using it on their children and refrain from applying it directly to the skin.
· Be careful not to expose applied area to UV ray for at least 24-hours after using phototoxic oils.
· Pregnant women and breastfeeding women need to consult with a healthcare professional before using Essential Oil. There are only a handful of Essential Oils that are suitable and they need to be extra careful of the dosage.
We then looked at six specific Way of Will Essential Oils which can have an impact on the heart chakra (emotions of love and relationships).Here’s a list of the oils we looked at and what they can do:
· Lavender – Relieves cramps and pain, calms and helps reduce stress.
· Grapefruit – Promotes a sense of happiness, energizes and uplifts.
· Frankincense – Relieves chronic stress and anxiety.
· Rosemary – Great for memory retention and staying focused. Creates circulation and warmth, great muscle pain relief for sore muscles and aches after a workout.
· Atlas Cedarwood – Relives tension and tight spots and can physically help with decongestion (particularly helpful if the chest/heart is tightened) Provides security, strength and calmness. Good for meditation and focus.
· Tea Tree Oil – Great antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal. Excellent for cold prevention, keeping body health. Also very good for acne or pimples, wounds and infections.
To create our personalized scents, each of us blended our favoured Essential Oils (40 drops in total) into 60 ml of the carrier oil. I chose Cedarwood, Grapefruit and Lavender and the smell is fresh and subtle and doesn’t have a harsh perfume scent that can be irritating for people. I rubbed it around my chest and on my arms and it feels amazing on my skin.
Sara’s 3o minutes of restorative yoga was a calm and quiet practice. We lined 14 mats near the windows and chose one of three poses she offered that resonated with what we most wanted to work on. As the sun shone in on us, we listened to her soothing voice and playlist and let ourselves release into the power of the therapy we were there to explore. A calm feeling entered the studio as Sara walked around to each of us and using her powerful touch provided a little bit of energy healing. Many of us were able to let go of something standing in our way of feeling love for ourselves, for others or for life in general. When we were finished Sara encouraged the group to share their experience with each other with the trust that we would be respected. Real strength and vulnerability came through and many were confident enough to let tears fall. That was the most powerful moment of all. It was clear in the end that some healing had taken place.
Aromatherapy is one of many different practices that can help us achieve better well being. As always, we want to take care using this therapy and remember that everything can have a place. The more open we are to receiving ideas and considering different therapies, the more well rounded we are when it comes to our health. A special thanks to Olympia Lui from Way of Will, Jean Liao and Sara Moncrieff. It was an honour to have you.
If you want more information on any of the Way of Will products you can find them at www.wayofwill.com.
If you’re interested in more information on Aromatherapy you can find Jean Liao at Way of Will.
And if you’re interested in energy healing the amazing Sara Moncrieff can be found at Framewrk and at www.saramoncrieff.com