“Health is the ability to adapt to change.” ~Robert Davidson
A mentor of mine once said that “health is the ability to adapt to change” – and never is this more evident than in winter, when we begin to resist the transition from autumn to darkness. As we get closer to winter and the season gets darker, it’s very easy to feel a little hopeless, down and even depressed. That makes sense; therefore winter is archetypically a symbol of ‘death’. If you think about it, winter represents the death of the sun’s visibility (with our shorter days), the death of the current year (as we near the completion of this cycle), the death of nature (as our trees bare lie) . And what we forget, in a culture that always wants to be ‘on’ and busy – that is, a culture that does not like ‘death’ and prefers the vibrancy of summer – is that where there is death and hopelessness, there is also are opportunities for renewal, rebirth and hope.
When we work with winter as a symbol in this way, we can learn to harness its power for rebirth and change, creating a deeper sense of well-being and health. We can learn to embrace the gifts of slowing down (which it often forces) and begin to tune into the hope that comes with the idea of rebirth—the movement toward spring, the move toward longer days, the regrowth of green leaves. According to Kathryn May, who wrote the book ‘Wintering’, it is a time to slow down, rest and go inward – a time of rest and restoration, which can feel like a stark contrast to other seasons, but if we look at this fully embracing it can offer us healing and renewal.
What’s even better is that there are many essential oils we can use to stimulate and inspire ‘hope’ during this dark and depressing time of year. That’s why today I wanted to explore which oils we can work with to make us feel a little better. uplifted – and to support our winter well-being – as we navigate this season! Let’s discuss this at the levels of body, mind and spirit.
BODY – Create a safe space to slow down and embrace the change
One of the first things we want to do as we head into winter—as a step toward the ability to cultivate a sense of hope—is to create a safe space for ourselves where bodies can slow down and embrace change. It can be very tempting to carry on through the dying season, as if it were the same energy of summer, but that can be a real test for our bodies, which naturally slow down. Consider, for example, the well-known idea that digestion slows down in winter and that we therefore put on winter weight to get through the season – an adaptation from when our ancestors would have had fewer resources than we have now. What we need to do is create a slower pace where we get back in tune with our body – because that is the foundation for us to feel more emotionally hopeful – and there are some wonderful relaxing oils that can help us cultivate this:
Essential oils to create a cozy environment to relax:
- Geranium – cyclically balancing, relaxing and emotionally soothing
- Lavender – often experienced as the most relaxing oil there is
- Rosewood – like a hug in a bottle
- Rose – a comforting oil that helps us regulate
- Vetivert – an earthy, grounding oil of “tranquility”
MIND – Support change and provide reassurance and emotional healing
In addition to slowing down to create a foundation in our bodies, we also want to work with oils that can help support change and initiate emotional healing for our minds so we can tune into our feelings and feel deeper to regain hope. . It can be very difficult to accept change mentally and emotionally, so when making blends this month it is always good to use ones that can remind us of our cyclical nature. After all, essential oils remind us of what our natural state is and how we should go through life. This can remind us that there is something beyond the darkness of winter, opening our minds to a new possibility beyond the hopelessness and despair we feel this season.
Here are some emotionally supportive oils for change that can lead us into a space where we can cultivate hope.
- Cedarwood – an oil that promotes inner strength
- Cypress – restores peace in times of unrest and change
- Neroli – revered for its balancing effect on the human psyche
- Patchouli – calms mental chatter
- Rose Geranium – a mood-enhancing balancer for emotions
SPIRIT – Lift the spirit and inspire hope
As we support our bodies and minds through the change of winter season, we also need essential oils that can inspire hope in our minds. Grounding ourselves in our bodies and supporting our emotions as we face the change of winter is the foundation for us to open ourselves to possibility and a sense of inner hope – to something greater than the darkness.
There are some powerful oils that will uplift our spirits, including:
- Frankincense – a meditative oil to uplift the spirit
- Grapefruit – a sunny, inspiring oil
- Helichrysum – derived from the Greek words ‘helios’, for sun, and ‘chrysos’, meaning gold, this is a great word for inspiring hope in winter
- Sweet Orange – a cheerful, cheerful oil that brings hope
- Ylang Ylang – a sweet, passion-restoring oil
Essential oil blends to inspire hope
Overall, I recommend playing with the essential oils shared in this article to create your own aromatic diffusions, letting your nose guide you. The oils we need usually summon us through our sense of smell, so trust the blends. The only thing I would advise is that when creating a blend that will help inspire your hope, to maintain harmony, I choose an oil that supports you on the level of body, mind and spirit – aka one of each.
One of my favorite blends right now, as we travel through the dark, is as follows:
Winter Hope Diffusion Blend: Mix 3 drops of cedarwood, 2 drops of geranium and 2 drops of sweet orange in water in an electric diffuser or candle burner and diffuse in the room you are in for 30 minutes at a time as desired.
I recommend keeping a journal as you sit with your mixture and think about the following:
- How do I feel (welcome everyone)?
- What am I hopeful about?
Have fun playing with some diffusion blends as we head into winter – notice how it helps you reconnect with a sense of hope!
Nicole Barton
Advisor Aromatherapist
Disclaimer and safety advice
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