essential oils | Paper Clay Nature

I have been using essential oils in my practice and for self-care for many years. It all started when I participated in some classes and workshops taught by Amy Galper and Schuyler Grant around yoga, acupressure, and aromatherapy about sixteen or so years ago.

A couple weeks ago, I received an offer from Utama Spice. They very generously sent me a complimentary nebulizing essential oil diffuser with a bottle of their own Cajeput essential oil in exchange for my honest review of their products on my blog. How could I say no? Also, I very much appreciated the genuinely personal communication I received from Utama. I made it clear that I would only write a completely honest review and they were in agreement with the conditions I presented to them. As soon as I opened the package from Utama, I knew I was in for a treat. The Danau Satu diffuser came in the most tasteful packaging with a floral decoration. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I was amazed at how beautiful it was. There is a wood base and a glass bowl and diffuser nozel. While it is small enough that it can blend into any environment, it is also classy and ornamental in its sensual shape and design. The instructions for putting it together were easy to follow and included just a few steps. It is glass and needs to be cared for and maintained. Replacement glass parts can be easily purchased on the Utama Spice website.

For me, like many parents, bedtime can be stressful as my children seem to resist putting the day down and their own exhaustion can be a barrier to welcoming nourishing sleep. I decided to give diffusing some relaxing lavender essential oil into their rooms as we put on pajamas and started the bedtime routine a try. The diffuser has a mellow LED light that provides almost perfect sleep light for children who may be afraid of the dark or resistant to complete darkness while they are falling asleep. It’s a really pleasant light. As soon as I turned on the diffuser, I noticed a very light “hum” of the motor, but it is a very quiet machine. At even the lowest level of diffusion, my daughter’s room was almost immediately filled with the lavender oil scent. This is very clearly explained in the instructions, but I must have missed it the first read through, so I thought that maybe the diffuser wasn’t working well when it just kind of stopped diffusing after the first minute. I kept turning it on and off again when this would happen. It turns out that it has an automatic cycle of diffusing for a while and then resting for a minute, then diffusing again. And then, a miracle happened……..this was the calmest and most peaceful night we have ever had! My daughter and I have been enjoying Kate Coombs mindfulness poems that are accompanied by the most magical of illustrations by Anna Emilia Latinen in the book, “Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems”. So, we enjoyed this scented air and lovely poems and…..she just fell asleep. No fighting, no complaints, no problems. And, I woke up alone in my bed in the morning having found that my daughter had a most peaceful night of sleep where she remained in her own bed the entire night without waking me up or asking to get into bed with me—not even once! After my daughter had fallen asleep, I unplugged the diffuser and put it in my son’s room and he immediately said that he liked the scent. He also fell asleep without problems and as soon as he was sleeping deeply, I snuck into his room and took the diffuser back to my own space.

I added about 15-drops of an essential oil blend by Aura Cacia called “Meditation” that includes sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, and myrtle to the remaining lavender oil and diffused for 10-minutes into my practice space. This is a really perfect diffuser for use in a meditation and yoga practice because it scents the air very quickly. I felt that my space was energetically clear and peaceful before I even started. I chose to turn the diffuser off during my practice, but depending on your personal preferences and choice of oils, there is no reason why you couldn’t leave it on for your entire practice. The motor is so quiet that I didn’t even notice it and the glow of the light in the glass bulb would have made for a very calming way to light a night practice.

The next morning, I decided to give the oil that was provided with the diffuser by Utama Spice a try. The cajeput essential oil is a very light herbal scent that has a hint of eucalyptus and tea tree oil refreshment, but is much less astringent or medicinal. I found it invigorating for the morning, but it also created a very peaceful energy in my space. I complimented this scented environment by drinking a cup of jasmine green tea and the floral and light green notes of the tea felt so joyful in that light and peaceful feeling space. The scent of cajeput is very clean and bright and I am so delighted to have been given this opportunity to try it.

As much as I have enjoyed using essential oils for many years, this is the first time I have used a diffuser like this. I am absolutely amazed with what a big difference it makes to use this Danau Satu diffuser! Using a diffuser allows me to bring a significant scent into the environment in a short period of time and to either continue that level of diffusion or enjoy that shift in energy for a shorter period of time. Also, it truly is a beautiful object that complements my meditation and yoga space and home. In order to be thorough in my review, I did follow the instructions for a quick cleaning with alcohol that is recommended in the instructions. It was easy to do and since this is such a lovely and useful machine, it is absolutely worth it to take a few minutes a week to care for it so that it will last for a long, long, time. This diffuser was perfect for shifting energy in my home to promote restful sleep for my children, but was also ideal for scenting my practice space to prepare for a relaxing seated meditation with mindful movement. I also use insense for this purpose, but that can be smoky and I liked being able to scent the air and then turn the diffuser off so that there wasn’t any smoke or oils in the air while I was practicing pranayama (breathing exercises). It’s nice that I could choose to keep the diffuser on for up to two-hours so that I could also keep it on for an extended restorative yoga practice or yoga nidra practice.

I am so grateful to Utama Spice for this beautiful gift that has genuinely improved my quality of life. If you are looking to buy a diffuser, while I have never used any others and can’t “compare”, I can assure you that this one is lovely, works incredibly well, and has features like a low motor hum and graceful light that make it ideal for using to create peaceful sleep and practice space. I’m so pleased with this product that I’m hoping to try some of Utama Spice’s yoga mat sprays and other products very soon. To buy your very own Danau Satu nebulizing diffuser, please follow the links in this review or head right on over to : https://utamaspice.com/danau-satu-nebulizing-diffuser/

This past weekend, I went to my 20th college reunion. My college is my “happy place” and I also love the city that it is in, Philadelphia. Also, so many of the people that I met in college are some of the most intelligent, creative and genuine people I’ve ever known. I love to see them and it’s great to be reminded of the magic that is being unique. Truth be told, I’m not much into socializing with large groups, crowded bars or lots of noise, but I signed up for all the reunion events anyway. I feel confident that I can protect my energy and since I know the city very well, I also had a personal backup plan for fun things I would do if the reunion events weren’t feeling right to me.

That’s one of the great blessings of yoga in my life that I’ve learned to make choices based on my unique sensitivities that do not limit my participation. I’ve always been sensitive and sometimes that makes me choose to stay home, to hide, to not say “yes”. But, that’s not always the best choice for me. Now that I understand that it is my sensitivity to the energy of others, to sounds, light and the environment in general, I know that I always need a back-up plan. My back-up plan and early escape route help me feel that I can attend events that might be overwhelming with confidence. If you feel sensitive in groups or shy, I highly recommend choosing to participate fully in life and just make sure that you have an escape plan that is very attractive to you. If your “escape plan” isn’t good, then it is easy to feel like you “failed” at the social experience. Also, you need a healthy escape plan. If your escape is remaining in an uncomfortable situation and drinking too much alcohol or doing drugs to try to numb yourself to how you really feel, that isn’t nourishing and you will likely take even longer to recover from both the energetic toxicity and the toxins you ingested. But, if your “escape plan” is something you know you will truly enjoy and can nourish any depleted energy from the time you were in the group, then it feels really wonderful to know that you can have it all.

In addition to having an ecscape plan, there are also things that you can do before attending the event that can help protect your energy in large groups. First, I like to practice some deep belly breathing while visualizing a shiny silver light all around the perimeter of my body. I see that I am whole and not easily invaded by the energies of others. Beyond the silver light that coats the perimeter of my body, I visualize a cotton candy pink light about one foot beyond the silver light. This is a soft pillow of sweetness that is a barrier to anything harsh or toxic. It only takes a couple minutes to do this, but I find it is very helpful.

Having a touchstone in your pocket or purse or wearing jewelry with gemstones that protect energy can also be helpful. I like to keep an emerald quartz in my pocket and then hold it in my hand or rub it with my fingers if I need to ground myself. Emerald or rose quartz are suited to the hand chakras and are associated with the heart chakra and may be best for big family events, weddings, baby showers and the like. Tigereye is my preferred touchstone for meetings, interviews or events where I need to remember my personal power.¹ If you aren’t into gemstones, keep something you like in your pocket to touch—maybe a pebble or shell you found on the beach, a colorful marble, or a trinket specially designed for such purposes. There is a store near me that sells lucky pigs, pocket-size metal guardian angel coins and other items intended to be touchstones. If you feel like you are susceptible to the energy of others, wear silver jewelry, especially bracelets.

I’ve personally found myself very sensitive to synthetic scents lately, but I like to use my sense of smell to stay grounded and calm. I use the essential oil blend “JOY” made by Young Living by placing a drop on my palm and rubbing into into my low back, a drop on each wrist and then placing a dab behind each earlobe. Since JOY is made in limited quantities, each Young Living member is only permitted to purchase up to one bottle each month. I also recommend an essential oil blend called “SACRED MOUNTAIN” because it is soothing and grounding. This oil is also limited in sales quantities and only available to members. Due to their limited quantities, I do not personally sell these oils, but you can purchase it yourself at a 24% discount off retail pricing as a Young Living member.

24% Membership Discount

If you are in the Pittsburgh area and it is convenient for you to pick-up oils in Squirrel Hill at Ola’s Herb Shop (on Forbes Avenue above Ten Thousand Villages), then I do sell two products that you can carry in your purse and use to center at any time: Stress Away Roll-On and Tranquil Roll On. If you want your essential oils shipped directly to you and at a 24% discount, then I highly recommend exploring the membership option above.

BUY Essential Oils

If you would like a personalized essential oil consultation, then I offer 45-minute consults where you can try out the oils and receive recommendations for the oils that are best for you and how to use them. The consultations are $60 and can be held at my office in Regent Square or at Ola’s Herb Shop in Squirrel Hill. With your purchase of an essential oil consultation, you will also receive FREE enrollment in my online meditation course “A Mindful Month” ($25 value). If you decide to sign-up for a Young Living membership with a premium starter kit after our session, I provide you with a $20 credit towards a future service or online course enrollment with me. You are under NO OBLIGATION to purchase any oils from me or become a Young Living member.

Essential Oil Consultation $60

¹Gemstone information is from “A Handbook of Chakra Healing: Spiritual Practice for Health, Harmony, and Inner Peace” by Kalashatra Govinda. If you are looking for more techniques for protecting your energy, then try Cyndi Dale’s book, “Energetic Boundaries” for some very helpful ideas for healing and protecting.

Tag: essential oils

Beautiful and Sensual