“Everything is of like form from everlasting and comes round again in its cycle.”
-Marcus Aurelius
Cycles, seasons, whatever you want to call them, they exist in our daily lives. Maybe when you see or hear this word you think of the different seasons of the year, cycles of life from birth through old age and death, or maybe you even think of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Cycles are a great way to orient ourselves and to get to know ourselves better. One way of using that knowledge is to work with essential oils to find balance in the ups and downs of those cycles..
Let’s start with the simple cycle of the day. Not everyone’s cycle is going to be the same, but we’re going to stay simple here. When you wake up, you may feel a little groggy, especially if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Essential oils can help boost your energy levels and help you to be more clear headed and focused. During this cycle of your day try oils such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, wild orange, peppermint, Motivate, Cheer, or spearmint to put a little pep in your morning.
During work, try Past Tense for tension, In Tune for focus, or peppermint or Deep Blue for that nagging stress headache you got. Sometimes you can have some digestive discomfort around meal time, especially if you ate quickly or foods that weren’t the best for you, or carried the stress from our day through meal time. If this is the case for you, try ginger, DigestZen, peppermint, spearmint, or wild orange to promote healthy digestion and digestive comfort.
The day is over and you want to relax, what essential oils should you pull out? I’m a big fan of an intuitive choice of whatever oil makes you feel happy, calm, and relaxed, but some suggestions include lavender, wild orange, jasmine, rose, magnolia, Peace, Balance, and Serenity. To promote a good night of sleep free from tension, try serenity, lavender, juniper berry, vetiver, cedarwood.
Another important cycle, is a woman’s menstrual cycle. Self-knowledge is power! Observe your patterns, by taking notes on mood and physical well-being. Some days you might be more tired, more introverted, slightly impatient or super confident. Once you know your patterns you can quickly balance any extreme reactions with the oils. Use citrus-oils for tiredness or supporting oils, such as balance for days of tears. If you experience PMS during your menstrual cycle, essential oils such as bergamot, Roman chamomile, clary sage, fennel, geranium, Clary sage, marjoram, and ylang ylang can be beneficial. Painful menstruation? Try cypress, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, or marjoram rubbed over your lower abdomen or lower back.
What if your menstrual cycle is missing? Pregnancy will obviously cause this, but if you’re not pregnant, essential oils of clary sage, Clary Calm, fennel, geranium, juniper, rose, and marjoram can help bring back and regulate your menstrual cycle.
For menopause essential oils such as bergamot, cypress, jasmine, neroli, rose, and ylang ylang can be beneficial in providing support and make the transition through the end of the menstrual cycle go smoothly.
There are also essential oils that can benefit us during the four seasons of the year. In Spring and Summer, it may be helpful to use TriEase or a mix of lemon, lavender, and peppermint for seasonal allergies, blue tansy is another excellent oil for this. You may want to use some peppermint or lavender if you were out in the sun too long and ended up with a sun burn. Peppermint or spearmint can be mixed with distilled water (optional: add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel) to make yourself a cooling spray that you can carry with you through the hot summer months.
In fall and winter, immune support becomes important. Break out the OnGuard products to boost immunity and kill germs. Black pepper can be used in fractionated coconut oil and applied to the feet as a warming oil to help fight the chill away. And any citrus oil, Cheer, Elevation, and Passion can be used to help combat fatigue and seasonal anxiety that can come along with the decrease in daylight hours.
Our lives are filled with cycles. Some we like better than others, but all a part of the human experience. I hope you can use some of the oil suggestions I’ve outlined here, so the cycles do not rule us, but instead are a way to celebrate the diversity of life.