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How essential oils have enhanced my Ashtanga yoga practice and life

Image © Robin Ellen Lucas

why essential oils and ashtanga yoga?

When I first started to experiment with essential oils, I thought of their scent which brought to mind the emotional sparks that would be kindled within me. I began with the more well-known oils mixed in with my bubble bath. Lavender, Patchouli, Sandalwood, to name a few... When I was going through a challenging time, a friend insisted that I put some Frankincense on the bottoms of my feet and top of my head. I did as instructed and I didn't know why. I trusted.

Fast forward to years later... I now am quite the essential oils investigator extraordinaire. After stumbling upon a close friend's website while I was buying some of her artwork, my intuition clicked on the "essential oils" tab to dive into this deeper. What else was there to know? Why was I drawn to these little brown bottles of elixir and how could they shape my holistic health practices?

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Deep relaxation in Savasana

Savasana (Image © Yoga Robin®)Savasana is one of my favorite poses. Why? Not because it's a simple relaxation...

It depicts the end of a vibrant and soulful yoga practice preceding it. It's the most spiritual aspect of my yoga practice sometimes, as I assimilate the meditative state I uncovered preceding it with breathing, movement, Samskaras burning and spiritual insight. 

Namaste.

~ Robin Ellen Lucas, MA

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Be humble every day: Follow your heart

 

you are free

The root of who I am, sometimes channelled—through other people or inanimate objects—is held in the secret. It is the key to banishing anger, sadness, frustration and any overwhelm.

i feel humble.  i am real. does that touch your heart when i say it that way?

Getting in touch with your own heart is easier said than done. It can live unconsciously in ways you never notice until it is pointed out to you, or until you have an epiphany. Too many people speak in a tone that aludes to the opposite of real. When I say real I mean authentic. I mean coming from the heart. This doesn't necessarily mean crying and professing undying love. It means being real, eyes wide open. It's the opposite of being in denial. Isn't that what we all strive toward? Or do we instead wish to hide?

Being humble is the opposite of showy. It's conscious and unmasked. It's secure and intimate. Don't be someone you're not. Every word counts, even the ones you tell yourself internally (the ones you say no one hears). Humble deserves to be repeated. 

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Don't give away your personal power by complaining

Be empowered when you are injured or in pain. You have what you need inside to heal yourself if you let your body's inherent wisdom do its job. 

keep your power

Are you ever around people who complain, sometimes incessantly? Do you ask yourself if they are actually expecting you to take care of their issues? 

own your own issues, feel your heatWhen you complain, you are giving away the answers and natural healing abilities. When others are in the room to hear you—whether intentionally or not, you put it out there for the person who is potentially listening. Do you think that person should heal you?

no whining

If not, then why

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protect your heartbeat, yoga can help

 

hearts matter

You believe in your heartbeat. You live by it unconsciously, but more importantly, you trust it. It is a gage for how you feel. It's a symbol of livelihood. It's the engine for your life's blood.

When you inhale deeply to the top of your chest and feel the euphoria of your day—or stress, and then exhale deeply to the bottom of your solar plexus—as far as you can go held as long as you can go, you feel yoga.

You also feel your parasympathetic nervous system in action. Befriend it for stress-reduction and a healthy heart.

On the flip side, the sympathetic nervous system, which releases the adrenaline hormone when you are stressed, is predominate in sufferers of disease.

Your heart always beats though

Yes, it does but it matters how it beats. The ability of the heart rate to change its beating

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do you know the most important part about yoga?

 

breathing is the key of yoga

Do you know that the most important part about yoga is breathing. Sure, flexibility, muscle strength, meditative spaciousness, spirituality, stamina and emotional clearing are all important aspects as well of this 5,000+ year old practice called yoga.

But, to get to the truth of your yoga, you must breathe. Deep inhale. Deep exhale. Keep doing it.

When in doubt or overwhelmed, just breathe. When depressed, just breathe. When overly excited about something to a point where you get nothing else done, just breathe.

yoga on your mat

It's easiest to practice the deepest meditative breathing while on your mat, emulating colors of fire and feeling in your mind

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The medicine of yoga and herbs

Energy or emotional boost

While hatha yoga stretches out your body, lubricates the joints, pumps blood and healthy fluids through your body while also reducing inflammation, what can you do—outside of yoga—to aid the process? When you could use an energy or emotional boost, a cool-down, or even stress management, how can you gain some holistic assistance?

Herbs.

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