Mindfulness can be a multisensory experience. We know that beautiful natural sights and peaceful music can both relax us and focus our attention to the present moment. Scent, too, can have a calming and meditative effect. Think of incense in churches and the fragrance of a rose garden or a field of lavender.
Below, I’ve chosen oils that are known to have meditative and/or mindful effects. I included among them those which can assist in emotional healing.
I recommend not burning oils. The heat will damage them. Use a diffuser or a mister. If you are going to be meditating, you can also occasionally inhale directly from the bottle. They make a fragrant addition to a calming bath. (See cautions below.)
If your heart feels wounded, you could use bergamot. If you’re feeling emotionally vulnerable, reach for chamomile.
You can find a lot of more specific information about essential oils on the internet. Consider this a starting point.
Bergamot: Opens hearts closed by grief to receive and give joy. Helps hearts already open to direct healing to others.
Cedarwood: Cuts through mental blockages to deepen our connection to spirit. Excellent for deep relaxation, meditation and psychic work.
Chamomile: Calming and soothing, with a strong effect on anger and oversensitivity. Assists in loving communication.
Cinnamon (bark): Helps us connect with our psychic powers; used with visualization to create prosperity.
Clary Sage: Helps to encourage vivid dreams and clear inner visions. Also relieves stress.
Cypress: Helps with transitions, especially when involving decision-making; gives comfort and strength in the face of loss including that of death.
Eucalyptus: Psychic cleanser of negative energies especially from arguments or fights.
Frankincense: Historically a ceremonial oil, used to deepen breathing and elevate consciousness; helps to make us aware that reality is multidimensional; also helps break unwanted ties with the past.
Juniperberry: Cleans out negative psychic energy, including one’s own feelings of un-cleanliness.
Lavender: Calming, balancing; helps us integrate spirituality into everyday life. Can assist in sleep.
Lemongrass: Stimulates psychic awareness.
Marjoram: Eases loneliness and grief, unites psychic and conscious minds.
Melissa (also known as Lemon Balm): Opens the heart center; good for anxiety, emotional shock, grief; assists in past-life recall.
Myrrh: Grounds spiritual energies, aids in meditation; helps us move through emotional and spiritual blockages.
Patchouli: A grounding oil which connects us to our physical selves.
Peppermint: Mental stimulant; balances both the overblown and the underdeveloped ego.
Rose: It is a healing and balancing oil with a natural affinity with the heart. Rose has the highest frequency of any oil, and raises the frequency of cells bringing harmony and enhanced well-being to the body and balancing personal will.
Rosemary: Psychic protector; stimulant which promotes mental clarity.
Rosewood: Calms without inducing drowsiness; an excellent oil for meditation.
Sandalwood: Stills the conscious mind so a meditative state can be achieved; helps free the mind from the past.
Vetiver: With its wonderful earthy smell, this is one of the most powerfully grounding oils.
Guidelines and Cautions
Choose only therapeutic-grade oils. I use Young Living Oils. I get no financial benefit from saying this. I just think they’re the best. If expense is an issue, it’s better to have a few high-grade oils than a lot of lower-grade ones that will deliver fewer benefits.
Skin irritants that should neither be applied directly to the skin or used in the bath include bergamot, lemongrass, lemon verbena, melissa, peppermint. If you’re susceptible to skin allergies, place no essential oils directly on the skin.
Do not use if you have high blood pressure: cypress, rosemary
The information herein is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified medical professional. I recommend looking up any oil you contemplate using.