The month of December of each year is a time of great physical, mental and spiritual stress for many people. The season that is supposed to be a time of celebration and joy can actually lead to a drop in immunity leading to more colds, gastrointestinal upsets, falls and traumas, emotional upsets, depression, and “blues.” Is there something in the natural world that helps him get through the holidays while he maintains his sanity? As a certified aromatherapist, I have some great advice for you.

physical balance

Keep your immune system healthy: get enough sleep, exercise, eat in moderation. Here are her aromatherapy tips:

• Spent lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)before going to bed. You can put a few drops on your temples or sprinkle 1-2 drops on your pillow. Don’t use too much, it will have the opposite effect and keep you awake!
• Use oils like incense (Boswellia carteri,) Thieves essential oil blend, oregano (Origanum compact), Y thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to strengthen your immune system. Taking a good probiotic is also a good idea.
• To keep your GI tract healthy, use Mint (peperite mint), Say-Gize essential oil blend, ginger (Zingiber officinale) Prayed fennel (Foeniculum vulgare).

Emotional balance

Holidays are emotionally difficult times so it is important to give yourself an emotional break. You can’t please everyone, so try to please yourself. What gives you joy? Here are some aromatherapy tips:

• Use oils like pink (damask rose), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), Bergamot (citrus bergamia), orange (Citrus sinensis), ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata), Jasmine (Jasmine officinale) to calm, balance, relax and revitalize your spirit.
• Use emotional oil blends that contain harmonically balanced oils. These blends are often given names that denote how they work in the body. For example Joy, Harmony, Peace and Calm, Christmas Spirit, Essence of the Season. These blends beautifully balance everyone in your house when diffused.

spiritual balance

The holidays are a time of reflection and deepening, but they can be agonizing with anxiety and pressures to do “everything” to celebrate. Often the joy is lost when planned events arrive. How do we keep our balance and not “lose our religion”? Here are some aromatherapy tips:

• Incense (Boswellia carterii) is at the top of my list along with Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) Y balsam fir (Abies balsamea). These were the royal gifts and the three gifts given to the infant Jesus. Yes, balsam fir was considered “liquid gold” in ancient times, so they were not gold coins given by the Wise Men. All of these oils are high in terpenes, making them ideal for affecting the brain’s limbic system, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and pineal glands. Whether you diffuse them or rub them on your body, these oils will bring you out of the “blues” and help calm your overactive mind. To reach spiritual balance is to enter a place of unity: essential oils can help.

You’ll want to use only pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils. Buying them from health food stores or from companies that don’t do their own testing will lead to less than desirable effects.