Feb 4, 2021
Easy Guide to Meditating with Aromatherapy
Meditation can incorporate a wide variety of techniques that can improve mental clarity and enhance focus. Incorporating aromatherapy can further improve mood, mental awareness, and overall health.
There are different ways to incorporate aromatherapy into meditation practices. You can diffuse the essential oils in the air, apply diluted oils directly to the skin, or dissolve them in the bath. Therefore, the aroma can soothe the body, reduce inflammation, and, most importantly, calm the busy mind.
Keep reading if you want to learn more about the types of aromatherapy, its potential benefits, useful tips, and possible side effects.
Why Meditate?
Sure, eating a healthy diet and staying physically active is important for numerous reasons, but training the mind should be treated no differently.
Think of it like this — physical activity like running or swimming can enhance muscular growth. Mental activity such as mediation can enhance emotional control. With each time you meditate, your brain produces more gamma-wave activity that leaves you feeling happy and calm.
Although being mindful does take some time and practice, its principles are straight-forward:
- Focus on your breath
- Check-in with yourself (mentally and physically)
- Stay in the present moment
Apart from feeling occasionally sleepy, there are no side effects to meditating. And the best part is you can meditate virtually anywhere — all you need is a quiet space and a little time.
Added Benefits of Using Aromatherapy
Incorporating essential oils into mediation practices can help ground your focus and allow your mind to clear of negative emotions. Furthermore, different aromas have shown the potential to heal the body and mind.
Aromas like roman chamomile can improve insomnia and relieve stress. Other fragrances like rosemary and eucalyptus have the potential to reduce muscle spasms and ward-off infections.
Although research is limiting, one small study determined that aromatherapy can stabilize blood pressure in patients undergoing cardiac stent insertion. Other studies pointed out that regular aromatherapy treatment like massages can significantly decrease depression by 4%.
Additional benefits of aromatherapy include:
- Lessens menstrual cramping
- Strengthens the immune system
- Decrease headaches
- Improves memory
- Clears sinus
- Reduces fatigue and insomnia
- Treats muscle spasms, back pain, and joint pain
Even though aromatherapy can improve anxiety, depression, and other health problems — it should not take away from other medical treatments.
Types of Aromatherapy
There are several ways you can incorporate aromatherapy techniques while meditating. You can use topical lotions or perfumes that already have essential oils in them. Alternatively, you can incorporate essential oils in:
- Bath salts
- Soaps
- Diffusers
- Fragrance rollerballs
- Facial steamers
- Incense sticks
- Candles
- Room sprays
- Skincare
- Body lotions
When looking for essential oils to buy, read the label and only buy 100% natural oils with no synthetic fragrances or additives.
If you’re planning to use essential oils topically, always add a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba oil to dilute the essential oils’ potency.
RELATED ARTICLE: What’s Aromatherapy, And Is It Safe? Here What You Need To Know
TIPS: Mediating with Aromatherapy
Consistency is key to building mental awareness. Try keeping meditation sessions short for 5 minutes when starting. As you become more mindful, you can start increasing the length of sessions.
Here are some other helpful tips:
1. If you’re new to meditating, start by finding a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for 5–10 minutes.
2. Decide before you start meditating what aromatherapy technique you would like to use. It could be as simple as lighting an incense stick or applying an essential oil blend on your pressure points ( wrists, neck, back of ears).
3. You can practice mindfulness by trailing the smoke curls left behind from the incense stick. Or determining how certain scents make you feel while focusing on your breath.
4. Whenever a thought arises, gently acknowledge it and return your focus to the breath of the present moment.
If you have a ‘monkey-mind,’ try incorporating essential oils in diffusers or use them topically (diluted with a carrier oil). The aroma of the essential oil can potentially improve focus and alleviate pain.
Are There Any Dangers to Using Aromatherapy When Mediating?
Although there aren’t any side effects of meditating, there are a couple of things you should be aware of when using essential oils in aromatherapy.
If you’re using incense sticks or candles, always look for non-synthetic ingredients and never leave a lit stick or candle unattained. Lighting more than one incense stick at a time may cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting. If you want to use incense sticks as your form of aromatherapy, try opening a window for better airflow.
The same goes for essential oils — always read the label and check that the oils are 100% natural with no synthetic fragrances or preservatives. Never apply essential oils directly to the skin. Instead, use a carrier oil to dilute them.
Other potential side effects may include:
- Rashes
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Headaches
- Irritation
- Asthma
Before using the essential oils on the skin, remember to do a patch test. You will be able to determine if you have an allergic reaction to any of the fragrances.
Shop Essential Oils
- Lagunamoon Essential Oils Set
- PURE AROMA 100% Pure Essential Oils
- Anjou Essential Oil Set
- NOW 100% Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil Set
Shop Beauty
- Aromatherapy Associates Support Equilibrium Bath & Shower
- Bubble t Cosmetics Bath Oil Beads
- Aromatherapy Associates Body & Shower Oil Collection
- Campo Beauty Focus Pure Blend Essential Oils
Shop Home
- L’or de Seraphine Aurora (Almond & Orchid) 6.4 oz Candle
- Sharper Image Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Diffuser
- TaoTronics Remote Control, Warm & Cool Mist Humidifier
- L’or de Seraphine Ares (Sage & Cedarwood) 6.4 oz Candle
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Originally published at https://www.fitmindfitliving.com on February 4, 2021.
