Aromatherapy has been an integral part of yoga practices around the globe. Aroma yoga that is based around incorporating the use of essential oils — (Read till the end to figure out how you can get some essential oils for free) while performing yoga has proven to take the experience of yoga, up a notch.
Aroma yoga is a great form of yoga to declutter one’s mind, balance the body, have control over the mind, and basically transform the whole experience of yoga. The infusion of essential oils in yoga has been in practice for very many years and have proven to be highly beneficial and rewarding.
One of the best things about essential oils, which makes the whole experience of aroma yoga incredibly enriching and soulful is the fact that the essential oils that are used to carry forward aroma yoga are 100% natural, organic and free from any chemicals or enhancers. The aroma of the oil that is scattered across the whole room where yoga is performed is not just soothing to smell, but also does wonders for the body, both mentally and physically.
To yield the maximum benefits out of aromatherapy and yoga, it is important to combine the essential oils into the yoga practice, in the correct and suitable manner. It is important to choose the right kind of oil, with the essence that will help in amplifying the whole experience of yoga. It is important to use good diffusers that will help in spreading the aroma throughout the space. Just like these, there are also various other factors that play a huge role in having a super calm, and exotic yoga experience, both at the luxury of home or a yoga studio.
Before learning more about aroma yoga, the ways and procedures to do it, and the benefits it has to offer, let us look at some of the most widely used essential oils in aroma yoga.
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Best Essential Oils for Aroma Yoga
Essential oils have vital properties attached to it. They are pure secretions of plants with numerous health and wellness benefits and effects. The essence of the plant is seized while the component is being extracted, hence the name. Many different kinds of essential oils can be found with their characteristic attributes, scent, benefits, and properties
Essential oils benefit the body through various modes. They help in alleviating any mental related issues such as stress, tension, or anxiety. They calm the body down when it becomes restless. Their therapeutic properties help in reducing headaches and migraines. Essential oils are a boon for people who have sleepless nights as they help in improving the quality of sleep and keeping away the insomniac days.
Here some of the most commonly used and recommended essential oils:
- Lavender Oil
With a calming aroma and a floral scent, lavender oils are a favorite amongst yoga instructors and yogis. They reduce the risk of severe stress and anxiety by calming down the mind and balancing the other functions of the body. They are mostly used at the end of the yoga class during savasana, in order to bring the bodies at rest from the practice. They can also be applied on the wrists, the necks, and the shoulders so that the yogis can constantly inhale the pleasant smell it delivers while meditating. They are mainly recommended to be used during practicing yin yoga or restorative yoga.
- Peppermint Oil
A great mitigator of headaches, migraines, and other mental imbalances that the mind struggles through, peppermint oil has a very refreshing and energizing tone to it, due to which it is commonly used during yoga practices that require immense energy. It is a highly concentrated form of oil but gets easily diffused in other liquids to form sprays. The intense smell dispensed by this oil helps in stimulating controlled emotions, and energy levels for a good, high-functional yoga session. They also help in relieving muscle pain. The cooling effect of peppermint makes hot, severe yoga sessions worth attending. They also provide relief from nausea and improves focus.
- Lemongrass Oil
The citrusy scene provided by lemongrass oil is the best aroma one can come in contact with to open each and every sense of their body. The smell is not just energizing and invigorating, they are a great way to do away with gloomy days when the spirits are extremely low. The aroma of the oil is herbaceous, fragrant, and fresh.
- Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil is not just an amazing oil to fight off a sluggish day, they also help to deal with muscle ache and stiffness. They also have many medicinal properties to it which makes it highly suitable to be used while performing yoga. The woody smell of the oil helps to reduce nasal congestion and helps clear the lungs and the nose while performing savasana.
- Tea Tree Oil
Restore the senses and refresh the mind by using tea tree oils for yoga aroma. They are packed full of valuable properties that help in rebooting the mind, provide mental renewal, and detoxify the body. They help to deal with a frazzled body or a stressed mind and are mostly recommended to be incorporated while performing restorative yoga.
How to use Essential Oils for Aroma Yoga
Essential oils are naturally sourced and are more concentrated in comparison to herbal products. They are effective, produce quick results, and can be inhaled, diffused, or applied to certain body parts.
Various energy-based exercises and asanas that are performed in yoga are based around different essential oils, their smell, and their properties.
When the essential oils are inhaled, they tend to stimulate different parts of the body, the same parts that are responsible to control our emotions, the way we behave, the way we react to situations, and in general terms, our memory.
Essential oils also support the seven major chakras that reside within our bodies. These chakras help us in providing spiritual balance, help in maintaining our sanity, connects us to the universe and the creatures around us, and help us live a balanced life. When chakras are paired with essential oils, they facilitate the natural healing of the body.
The limbic system of our body is directly affected when it comes in contact with essential oils. The limbic system is responsible to maintain and motor different functions played by the body. The breathing cycle, the blood pressure, the immune system, and various other highly important physiological functions are supported by the limbic system.
Essential oils, for the amazing benefits it has to offer, has been a great source of calm, peace, serenity, composure, confidence, distress, and relaxation in yoga classes. Some yoga practices are designed specifically around a particular essential oil, while some use it to enhance the whole experience.
The scent that is provided with the essential oils directly controls the way we feel, behave, and emote. The whole ambiance and environment that is created by using essential oils, escalates the benefits provided through yoga by ten folds.
Different essential oils have different aromas to it so it is important to choose the one that is most likely to augment the whole experience and set the desired tone for the practice. Different breathing exercises like pranayama and its kinds should be practiced so that the most can be made out of the oils.
For a calmer mind and soul, restorative yoga and yoga that revolves around heavy meditation should be practiced along with essential oils with tones of lavender or tea tree oils that provide relaxation and mental rejuvenation.
Essential oils can be applied directly to the body, on the wrists, the necks, behind the ears, or the shoulders. They can be blended with other oils like coconut oil or olive oil and can be stored in bottles for easy application.
An essential oil spray or mist, by diluting the spray in some fresh, clean water, can be created for providing a cooling, soothing experience at the end fo the yoga sessions by spraying it directly on the face.
Diffusers can be used so that the smell of the oils can easily permeate throughout the room where yoga is performed and so that the aroma of the oil stays for a good amount of time.
Conclusion
With a few simple breathing exercises, a quiet and calm environment, and air pervaded with the smell of beautiful essential oils can level up a session of yoga. For the many psychological and physical benefits, it has to offer, aroma yoga has been successfully practiced within many different cultures and communities.
The rate with which we breathe in the oils directly reflects our postures and asanas achieved during yoga so it is important to inculcate proper techniques and reap the maximum benefits out of the aroma yoga session.
As promised, head over to https://www.wellnessspoiled.com/blog/2020/5/9/scoring-doterra-oils-for-free/ and see how you can get essential oils for free.
The smell of the essential oils lingers on throughout the yoga session. Each and every molecule of the oil that is inhaled directly influences the mind, the soul, and the physical features of the body. They trigger emotions, calm the mind, and has many other profound effects on the body. They help in eliminating any dismissive thoughts that may exist in our minds and brings us closer to ourselves, in a place full of peace and harmony.
