I have heard that if the scent of an essential oil does not appeal to you, your body needs it; the toxins in your body are trying to make you keep that oil away. And if a scent of an essential oil greatly appeals to you, your mind and soul needs it.
Well, in that case, I really need Peace and Calming, Stress Away and Joy, because, I'm sorry to say that those scents stink to me! Please...don't psychoanalyze me. Suffice it to say that I'm the mom of a recovering PANDAS and Lyme child, the mom of another child who has Lyme, the wife of a husband with an autoimmune disease and a Lymie myself. AGHHHHH! Run for the hills--I mean fields!
Well, the fields of Young Living Essential Oils are rolling with color, vibrancy and medical cures. I attended a party/seminar the other day in order to learn how these oils can help this not-so-peaceful family of mine. I took notes. And I'll share whatever I learned with you. Any mistakes are mine. Please check with your medical practitioner before using Essential Oils.
Rebecca McCracken is a friend and a certified nurse midwife/RN who uses YL Therapeutic Essential Oils in her practice. Through her, I learned that Young Living Essential Oils are being used in many top hospitals around the country. I then spoke with a couple of friends in the medical field who have been using these oils for a long time; they now seem to be making a resurgence (at least in the PANDAS and Lyme communities.) Once I go the go-ahead from my son's doctor, I was ready to learn.
Becky kindly put together a list of oils that would be good for treating PANDAS. Note: there is also a PANDAS group on FB that was started by another woman who gently sells these oils (you have to ask HER to sell them to you--she won't push.) This is also a good resource for therapeutic oil-users. Becky was joined by Bianca and Jodi of Sundala Center for Wellness.
We briefly discussed the use of cannabis oil and hemp-seed oil. I am by far not an expert on either of these. It seems that cannabis oil is not yet legal and hemp-seed oil, which is very expensive, is working for some people. But these are not Young Living products, as far as I know.
So, here's what I've learned thus far:
Bianca shared that since she began using YL oils, she hasn't had to take an antibiotic. It's been 8 years. She and Jodi shared that oils can be used on pets, for cleaning products and a lot more. Becky talked about getting our homes toxin-free.
The YL oils are super-compounded. They cross the blood-brain barrier when inhaled. Many of these oils have been around since biblical times. YL uses no chemicals when growing the herbs that are used to make the oils. YL actually believes their herbs are a standard above organic. YL has its own farms to ensure purity.
I haven't checked it out, but you can find articles on PubMed about essential oils.
With a high quality oil product, normal cells will not be affected with use, but cells such as cancer cells can be killed. Oils can be diffused (you can purchase a diffuser,) rubbed onto the bottoms of feet, bellies, wrists, etc., dropped into water and swallowed, put into capsules and swallowed or inserted rectally. Oils taken internally can improve liver function. You can also place oils on a warm wash cloth, then lay the wash cloth over the liver and/or kidneys to detox.
Tarragon mixed with coconut oil, inserted rectally, can help with parasites. Some oils can be inserted vaginally to help with Candida.
It was mentioned that there are more immune cells in the intestines than anywhere else in the body; this is an advantage to rectal insertions (not something the group seemed to embrace.)
You can put oils in your bath; drop them in right before you get in (not while you're running the water.)
Frankincense used to be "more valuable than gold" in ancient times. It works on depression, anxiety, PTSD, cancer/tumors. Boswellic acid is one of the main components in frankincense. The oil is distilled from the resin. We learned that Oman is a center for Boswellia sacra and that within a 100 mile radius of the plants in Oman, the people who chew the resin have excellent teeth and gums with a very low incidence of oral cancer. You can take a little frankincense in a carrier oil and massage it into teeth and gums.
Forty-three lemon rinds are used to create one bottle of Lemon EO. Yes, you can drink it. Becky added a drop or two to a pitcher of cold water and it was delicious. This is a great detox tool. For Lyme, we're often told to drink lemon squeezed into water, but then told to use a straw so that we don't ruin the enamel on our teeth. Using an EO is much more gentle, I was told. So, you can drink it. You can clean with it; the lemon EO kills MRSA. Put some in a spray bottle with water and use it to clean.
One drop of peppermint EO equals 26 cups of peppermint tea! Peppermint enhances digestion, alertness, helps with headaches and migraines. It is a vaso-dilater/constrictor and will help with sinus relief. It can help curb appetite, food addictions and cravings. You can put it on your temples but avoid the eyes! If you get it in your eyes, don't wash with water; you need to use an oil (like olive oil) to cut it. Peppermint improves acuity. It can also help with air-hunger (a symptom of babesia.) Put 1 drop in 500 ml of water. Check to see if you can use this if you're doing homeopathy also.
Joy works as an anti-depressant. It's a blend of different oils and can be used for mood swings and blood pressure. It's a good calming oil for kids who are struggling with going to school. You can put it on your wrist.
Lavender is anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and anti-allergy/asthma. You can use it on your dog--place a drop where the tail meets the spine. If you put it on your hands and your dog needs it, s/he will lick it (which is ok.) Not all oils are ok for pets, however. Lavender can increase concentration and mental acuity. If I could, I'd diffuse this in my classrooms during a test!
Purification is good for bug bites and anything itchy.
Lavender and Purication together work well for bug bites. In fact, you can add Purification to paints to void the toxicity of paints. People have done this before painting rooms in a house.
Thieves' Oil is a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary that works well on mold and bacteria. Here's the story behind this EO: In the time of the bubonic plague, thieves were robbing the bodies of the dead. When the thieves were caught, they were offered a lesser sentence if they would only explain how it was that they could rob the bodies and not get sick. Turns out they were covering themselves in a blend of different oils. In fact, it is thought that Nostradamus also used this oil to help his patients. There is a hand sanitizer made from this oil, created by Young Living. (I want it.) It can be used for teething (use in carrier oil on gums.) Even more mainstream dentists are using clove oil now. This is the oil for mold, yeast, jock itch, athlete's foot, etc. Purification and Lemon can also work for yeast/fungal infections.
Panaway is made from wintergreen and is supposed to chase the pain away. It can stop bleeding and is anti-inflammatory. For even more relief, you can use Deep Relief.
V6 oil is a good carrier oil but may contain wheat (for those of us who are wheat-free.)
Peace and Calming can be massaged into a child's chest or feet before bedtime. It's also good for animals. It can be used topically or diffused. It is made from Tansy Blue, Patchouli, tangerine, orange and Ylang Ylang.) It promotes relaxation and dampens tension.
Copaiba is from Brazil. It's anti-inflammatory and used for gastro-intestinal issues.
You can layer oils. Put peppermint on first, copaiba on last.
Valor helps you to hold a chiropractic adjustment. It is good for TMJ and can increase courage and self-esteem (don't ask me how!) I tried it on my son's feet this morning before the first day of his state core curriculum test (along with lavender, which is supposed to help with getting good grades.)
For allergies, try lavender, lemon and peppermint. Use 3 drops of each in a capsule; take internally 3 times a day or in water (but it's pretty intense.)
There are many blood vessels in the bottom of your feet, or in the crook of your elbow or behing your knee. You can apply oils to any of these places (close your limb after until the oils are absorbed.)
Nitro is for brain fog. I have to check into that one.
Ocatea balances blood sugar levels. It's a cinnamon derivative. Use prior to eating. You can drop it in water. Use grapefruit EO, Lemon, Tangerine and a drop of ocatea for weight loss.
Oregano has antiviral, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It's an immune system stimulant.
This was a Young Living Therapeutic Essential Oils information session. There are other oils out there, but you have to do your research. Some oils don't work for some people, some oils need to build up before you see an effect. I don't know how to tell if there's a placebo effect yet. I tend to be a doubter but I want to believe there's something about these oils. We'll see. Guess I better start using that Stress Away.
I'd love to hear your stories! For more information, please contact Rebecca McCracken.