essential oils

When you’re washing up, do you question the ingredients in your body and hand soap? You should. Most of the soaps available at places like mainstream commercial stores are loaded with artificial fragrances that have been known to cause allergies and irritation. Not to mention an ingredient called sodium laurel sulfate is one of the most common toxic ingredients found in soaps (and shower gels!). These ingredients are used to create lather and bubbles but also strip the skin of its natural oils.

With the amazing summer climate, many of us find ourselves outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. We are not alone in this enjoyment – insects will also be out and about more often. Occasionally, we humans and insects hang out in the same area, which sometimes leads to bites and stings.

Trapped in a pattern of feeling limited in my body and unsure of how to move forward with a true sense of purpose and self-worth, I reach for a bottle of Frankincense oil as my life-coach had instructed. It is supposed to help with this kind of stuff. Why is it so difficult to believe in myself and what I came here to do? Lifting the lid and inhaling deeply something powerful within me begins to shift.

Lighting a bundle of sage, the shaman, oracle, priestess, healer wafts the thick smoke of the quick-burning leaves in order to purify the space, open up psychic channels and prepare the way for deeper issues to be addressed. As the smoke clears, so too does the heaviness that was present before its igniting. All that was unclean is now clean, and negative energies cease in the space for the true work to begin.

Has hunger ever gotten the best of you midflight and led you to eat those things that the airlines pass off as cookies? I set off on a project recently to create a portable snack that I could take on a plane. I had a few prerequisites: it had to be nutritious and treat-like, meaning it had to feel like some kind of reward for getting myself through airport security and onto the plane with my sanity intact.  The result? Blissful energy bites, the sweetish cashew based snacks pictured above.

Preparing to step onto the stage, butterflies in my stomach, fear seeking to grip my frame, I reach for a vial of ginger essential oil stashed in my purse pocket. Dropping a few drops into the palm of my hand and rubbing it gently, inhaling the essence, I can immediately feel a sense of shifting. My feet plant more firmly into the ground and my spine straightens. Suddenly, overcome with confidence, preparing for this moment, I find myself elevated into the state of empowerment I know is normal for me,  and I step onto the stage.

Traveling, whether for enjoyment or for work, can disrupt sleeping schedules and eating habits, and create more stress than we bargained for. I’ve been in airports where the only food to eat was a greasy Chinese buffet, and gone for two days straight without sleep due to cancelled and delayed flights; likewise, I’ve been on trips where I’ve had the opportunity to indulge in fresh, organic, local cuisine and slept for 12 hours at a time.

Okay, so perfume is great and all, but am I the only one who sneezes around artificial perfume? (That is, perfume scented with fragrance, instead of essential oils?) I doubt it: That’s why I would much rather DIY my own perfume. I really like solid perfumes instead of the ones you spray because they tend to be easier to transport and aren’t as obnoxious (come on, the ones you spray get everywhere).

The nose, connected to our body’s extensive network of neurotransmitters, is a powerful sense. When smelling something, our mind and body react practically instantaneously. Maybe you smell a berry pie baking in the oven – Mmmm. Or you catch a whiff of something rancid and sharp – your face scrunches up in disgust.

I'm disgusted with most conventional deodorants: They contain harmful ingredients like aluminum and parabens! Not to mention antiperspirants aren't healthy either: Anything that inhibits your body's natural sweating ability is dangerous. What's the solution? Making your own homemade deodorant!