in·tu·i·tion / noun
INTUITION: the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.
The more I dive deeper into my practice (& yes, I'd call it a practice) with Essential Oils, the more I realize that our body & emotions are often onto something well before our thinking brain is.
While I really do like thinking of Essential Oils as being prescriptive - How do I want to feel? What do I want more of? Less of? Target the need or want & choose an Essential Oil (or oils) to use. Mission accomplished.
On the other end of the spectrum, I also like to respect & let run free, the intuitive relationship I have with Essential Oils.
This relationship is a bit more nuanced, & certainly seemingly less "logical" on the surface, but trust in this relationship is where major ah-ha's & breakthroughs can happen.
So naturally, intuitively selecting an Essential Oil (or oils) stems from a slightly different line of questioning - What Essential Oil am I drawn to right now?
And without yet asking "Why" or attributing any reason, practicality, or prior knowledge around this decision, just choose an oil & choose a way to integrate it.
How does this look in action? Just walk up to your stash of oils & grab one (or two, or three)...
How would you integrate? Some examples might be: creating a diffuser blend, applying to your wrists, rubbing over your heart or the back of your neck, adding into a body oil blend, putting a drop in your hands & breathing it in before a meditation, or a meeting, or whatever it is you're about to go do, and so on.
Don't allow for too much brain chatter, just integrate as your intuition tells you to integrate. Even if it doesn't "make sense."
And before any brain interrogation begins, take a moment to experience the Essential Oil you’ve chosen. And I mean EXPERIENCE it - What do you smell? How does that aroma make you feel? Where does your mind go? How does your body react? Are you breathing deeper? More fully? Does your mind feel clearer? Mood brighter?
It's sometimes immediately that I feel or know why my body chose that Essential Oil. Perhaps I've chosen this oil in a similar situation before, or perhaps I've reached for it a number of times recently.
And other times it's less clear. In that case, I'll take it to a resource like my Emotions & Essential Oils book to look up the energetics or emotions of the Essential Oil (or oils) I chose or maybe something more clinical & look to my apps or resource books to read the health benefits & what systems of the body it supports to see if I can find any connection to either how I currently feel or what I might need - mind, body, or spirit.
It's often then that I say "Ahhh, yep, that makes sense."
Occasionally I might dig in to my resources & still see no real connection to why I chose it. It's in those times I trust that it was just what I needed in that moment. And leave it at that.
As our emotions, energy, surroundings, physical body, etc, changes, that which we're attracted to changes. Today might be different than tomorrow, which night be different than next month, & next year.
Truth time: I actually did NOT like the smell of Frankincense when I first opened the bottle. But I felt pulled to keep opening that bottle & smell it every so often. Now it's my most favorite Essential Oil & go-to happy place to de-stress & reduce anxious feelings.
Along those lines, allowing myself to work intuitively with my Essential Oils also meant releasing judgment or opinion on the smell of an Essential Oil, more specifically: if I "like the oil" or "don't like the oil." Just like my Frankincense example, but also because our intuition often knows what we need before we do.
When we create this judgment around what we '“like” or “don’t like” - & believe it - is when we step further away from our intuitive power. Again, it's a practice - so follow what's guiding you, trust it & integrate accordingly. Get excited when you see the patterns & don't worry about it when you don't.
And most importantly… have fun :)
Do you use intuitively choose & use Essential Oils? What has been your experience?
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