Choosing the Perfect Essential Oil for Your Yoga Session
- May 27, 2017
- 3 min read
Breathe deeply in any yoga studio and you might detect a sensual, relaxing aroma in the air. At one time, it might have been incense, or a scented candle, maybe even a nice plug-in scent. These days, however, it’s most likely a diffused essential oil.
Essential oils are conquering yoga studios the world over, and not just because they smell nice. Properly used, essential oils can invigorate, clarify, and relax both the bodies and minds of yoga practitioners. They must, of course, be used safely!
Safety First!
Essential oils are great, but if you don’t handle them with care and respect, your experience could end up the opposite of relaxing. You might have seen a recent social media storm surrounding one woman’s painful experience with citrus oil. She applied orange essential oil to her skin before a tanning session, only to end up with nasty burns and blisters. She faulted herself when she talked to Buzzfeed, but also added, “Every yogi I’ve talked to has no clue that this could have happened.” Some people use essential oils only for diffusing, without considering that it could be harmful when applied directly to the skin. Of course, her case was drastic, but it was an important lesson in proper essential oil usage. Here are some rules to follow before using essential oils.
1. If putting on skin, always use with a carrier oil! Carrier oils are made from the nuts, seeds, or
kernels from vegetables, and they dilute the concentrated essential oils – carrying them onto
the skin. Don’t worry, dilution won’t ruin the effects of the essential oils.
2. Water can be a good diluter, too. Whether it’s for cooling down after some hot yoga with a nice
scented compress or de-odorizing your mat, water can be a safe carrier, too.
3. When in doubt, follow the directions on the bottle. The directions can vary based on the type
of essential oil and the region it’s sold in, so read them carefully before using.
4. Maybe don’t use essential oil on the skin for outdoor yoga. They can cause harsh reactions
with UV rays, causing burns. Definitely don’t hop in a tanning bed!
Aromatherapy and Yoga - when you use essential oils in a diffuser before yoga, you’re combining two ancient disciplines into one, and getting added spiritual, mental, and physical benefits.
If you’re not sure where to start, go with a pre-blended aroma. A lot of essential oil blends are carefully mixed to make an aroma that will create the proper mood – whether you’re looking to be uplifted, relaxed, or invigorated.
Many yoga practitioners love to use it directly on the skin (remember to use a carrier oil!). Focus on
touching the essential oil on the body’s pulse points with a roller bottle or soft towel: usually the wrists, the neck, and behind the ears are the preferred locations. Depending on the oil, this practice can soothe and help you focus during the yoga session.
Essential Oils for Yoga - let’s cut to the chase, then: what are some great essential oils for yoga? Power up the diffuser – there are a few great options to consider!
- Frankincense: Known as a sedative, frankincense is a great oil to help relieve stress and anxiety,
two things you really want to dissipate while practicing yoga. It also clears out the respiratory
tract, and mixes well with citrus, pine, and sandalwood oils.
- Eucalyptus: Clarity, thy name is eucalyptus. Invigorating, stimulating, and congestion-relieving,
eucalyptus essential oil can awaken the senses and help with mental exhaustion. It’s a great one
for winter yoga sessions.
- Lavender: This is an aromatherapy favourite because its herbaceous, flowery scent can be both
calming and stimulating. Lavender can relieve a headache and lull you to sleep, but it can also
revive and awaken a fatigued mind. It’s an excellent all-purpose scent, which is why lavender is
the perfect essential oil for homemade body products.
- Bergamot: This citrusy aroma is similar to lavender only in its effects: bergamot is both relaxing
and invigorating. It’s known to soothe tension and relieve anxiety, but can also create energizing
feelings of freshness and joy. Citrus essential oils are crowd-pleasers because of their
stimulating properties, so if you like delicate bergamot, try lemon and orange to wake yourself
up during sunrise yoga.
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