After the closing of gyms, the increase of online workouts and classes, with more and more people looking to energize and utilize their time through exercise. Many companies like Bloc Training have founded Blocktv, apps, and programs to pay for online classes they can no longer complete in person. While this appears to be a current solution for fitness cravers or new members to the fitness world, the idea of having an instructor talk to you through a screen during your exercise and those unable to have a comfortable working out area, such as a home gym or large spaces may feel strange and impersonal. This sense of anxiety can especially be found in frequent yoga participants.

Many of you are already familiar with the magical effects of fragrances on the human body. Therefore, it’s only natural that many people prefer to use aromatherapy to heighten feelings of relaxation and stress relief during their yoga session. But what is the secret of aromatherapy magic? What is the unique composition of essential oils that they help from various ailments and how to use aromatherapy in your yoga practice?

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

Aromatherapy, also known as essential oil therapy is an entire healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote human health and well-being. Aromatherapy involves the use of aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve our body’s health, mind, and spirit. It improves not only physical but also mental health.

The impact of essential oils on organs and emotional state is not magic, but the result of an individual chemical reaction occurring in the human blood. The point is that essential oil contains many components, which interact with hormones and enzymes in blood by the inhaling. As a result, a human feels a rise in vitality, calm, excitement, and relaxation.

Aromatherapy serves as both an art and a science, and it has gained more approval recently in the fields of science and medicine. Furthermore, there is plenty of historical evidence that proves that humans used essential oils in Ancient Egypt, India, Greece, and Rome.

How To Use Essential Oils In Yoga?

How To Use Essential Oils In Yoga

Essential oils heighten both the health and beauty of skin, nails, and hair, but they are most generally used in aromatherapy practice, during which they are inhaled in various ways. Aromatherapy puts these oils to use for their healing benefits for your body and mind. As a bonus, they smell lovely when applied to the body!

However, essential oils are not designed to be swallowed as the chemicals included in essential oils can interact with the body in several ways. Here are three easy methods to use essential oils in your yoga practice:

• Aromatic essential oils can be evaporated into the yoga practice space to deliver a lovely fine mist of essential oils, enhance breathing, and create relaxation or inspiring mood. Make sure to diffuse before your practice and shut off as a yoga session begins, letting the fragrance in the room linger without overpowering with a constant scent;
• Essential oils can also be used to purify your yoga space, yoga mat, chairs and clothes to help them stay fresh and clean;
• One of the potent methods to use essential oils is by applying them during a massage to improve body stretching and recovery or worn as a scent to promote better visualisation, meditation and focus.

What Essential Oils Should You Try?

Essential oils are the essence of a plant, a present from the earth, distilled and prepared for people to bring the power of nature into your home. Essential oils can work wonders, affecting the olfactory and physical level at the same time. When choosing an essential oil, you should pay attention to the useful properties that it has. It is worth to opt for the ones that are most pleasant and evoke positive emotions.

Even if the oil is considered incredibly useful, but in a particular person causes a negative feeling or discomfort, it is better not to use it. Benefits from it will be a little; besides, an unpleasant smell will appear in a bad mood or even a headache. Here are examples of several kinds of essential oils that you can try out.

Basil

Basil

Inhaling the aroma of basil essential oil is thought to deliver messages to a brain region known as the limbic system, which is responsible for controlling emotions and influences the nervous system.

Basic oil is often used as an antimicrobial agent in complex therapy. It also can help to lower the temperature, improve the immune system, soothe headaches and muscle aches, enhance mood and increase alertness.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit

Grapefruit essential oil has unique properties that may offer a variety of health benefits, including balanced mood, reduced blood pressure and stress levels. It has a pleasantly sweet, tangy/tart, and stimulating aroma that blends well with a number of other essential oils and is shown to improve mental focus and give you a re-energised and renewed feeling.

The oil includes active ingredients to boost metabolism and decrease appetite. It’s also widely used to stimulate circulation, relieve headaches and fatigue, increase energy, and enhance digestion. Grapefruit oil also works as a diuretic and lymphatic stimulant to help flush out toxins and excess water from the body to feel lighter on your feet.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon

Cinnamon essential oil can help to diminish the feelings of depression, exhaustion, and faintness. It’s known to be beneficial for strengthening immunity and thereby decreasing the symptoms of colds and the flu.

The ability of cinnamon to enhance circulation might help to decrease the pain associated with headaches, which is also useful for improving the function of the digestive system. When diffused, the characteristic warm, uplifting, and relaxing scent of cinnamon has a therapeutic grounding and calming effect.

Fir

Fir

Fir is an excellent analgesic that helps with frostbite and stimulator that can be helpful in case of fatigue. Fir Needle essential oil possesses invigorating, stimulating, refreshing, and strengthening properties. It’s commonly used for relieving tired muscles and treating upper respiratory diseases, arthritis, arthrosis, and neuralgia.

What’s more, it may be helpful to strengthen the body and lower anxiety or depressed spirits as well as eliminate unpleasant odours, thus purifying the air.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Active chemical components of eucalyptus contribute to purifying, cleansing, clarifying, and immune-boosting effects of oil that is ideal for use in aromatherapy and on skin.

Eucalyptus is useful for coughing, as well as for throat diseases, colds and infectious diseases. It can help to reduce or eliminate airborne bacteria, harmful surface, and infections upon contact. In addition, it is usually used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, decongestant, stimulant, and diuretic.

CBD Oil

CBD Oil

CBD oil contains the effective component which is called cannabidiol (CBD) and can not only help to reduce stress levels, boost your immune system, and enhance concentration but also relieve pain and promote better sleep.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a prominent, natural compound with various potential benefits and healing properties that is obtained from Cannabis Sativa plants. CBD possesses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, and soothing properties. While CBD products can be a great addition to your yoga practice to diminish pain and chronic aches, aromatherapy with CBD oil can help to relax, activate focus, and increase energy levels.