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What Inspires Me {Essential Oils & 3 Reasons Why I’m Still Head Over Heels}

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In an effort to remind myself of what I already know and in hopes of sparking a streak of creativity for you and me, I’ve been thinking and writing and periscoping about what inspires me.

I think it would be safe to say that nothing has inspired me more in the last year than diving into the deep end with essential oils.  It took me a few months to dig through the hype and honestly the fact that it was trendy made me even more skeptical.  I finally tried them because some people I trusted were raving about them and I had to find out for myself.  It all seemed so strange to me, I’m not gonna lie.

What won me over was how amazingly effective the products have been at keeping me well on every level.  It’s hard to argue with something that works.  It’s hard to argue with measurable outcomes.  My immune system became stronger than ever, my hormones were so much more balanced, my emotional life was no longer so topsy turvy.  I started to feel better than I ever have.  It was simply amazing.

When I left my medical practice 7 (or is it 8?) years ago, I was so disillusioned with modern medicine and our seeming inability to give people real, tangible help for wellness. When I found essential oils, I felt like I had won the lottery.  Here are a few reasons why I’m still so in love with them.

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1.  They have the intelligence of a compassionate Creator

 For the past two months, I’ve been mostly teaching a class about the oils of ancient scripture and in researching and studying to teach that, I fell head over heels (again) essential oils.  I had studied the science behind why they work and was fascinated with their chemistry and the properties of their constituents.  But when I began to look at their roots in ancient scripture and when I began to ponder on that fact that this was just another way God is caring for us, I was even more thankful for them and how much they’ve helped me.  I asked myself questions like, “Is it possible that a God who loves us so much to provide for our very salvation might also have known that I would need physical and emotional support too?”  Of course.  And that it was probably no accident that he put Adam and Eve in a garden, of all places, where they would have both the nourishment of good food AND the healing properties of all the plants and shrubs and flowers that He so graciously gave them.

 Essential oils are one of God’s gifts to us because He knew beforehand that we’d struggle with stress and emotional ups and downs and sleeplessness and hormonal shifts and a million other things.  They have His intelligent design so it’s no surprise that they should be so effective at keeping us well and fit to carry out our mission as lovers of neighbors and sharers of His good news. He was caring for us before He ever made us because that’s the kind of Father He is—full of compassion and care.

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2. They inspire curiosity and you don’t have to be a weirdo

One of the things going to medical school taught me was to never stop learning and essential oils have inspired to keep learning and reading and searching like nothing else in the health field ever has. I was amazed that a few of my otherwise seemingly normal friends were embracing something that seemed so OUT THERE.

Curiosity finally got the best of me.  And even after they started amazing me in how well they work, I remember saying to a good friend, “Don’t worry, I won’t become one of those crazy oil ladies.”

Except I did.  Like the crazy cat lady only with oil.  Lots of little bottles of all kinds of different oils. And I’m CRAZY for them.

BUT.  I’m not otherwise crazy or weirdo.  (Or maybe I am, I guess you’ll have to decide.)

These little drops of love are quite amazing and you can’t know it until you’ve experienced it.  You can be skeptical and you can be doubtful but when you begin to use them, you can’t help but be curious as to how and why they work so well.  The more I learn and the more I use, the more I want to know and the more I want to experiment.

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They inspire curiosity and conversation like no other.  And not just what you can learn from medically researched journal articles about the amazing benefits of something like Frankincense but also just what you learn from a year of using an awesome little oil called Joy.   My friends and family who use oils become so intrigued by them that they want to read more and talk about them and ask lots of questions.  Essential oil usage tends to inspire lots of reading and way more self-awareness which often leads to positive lifestyle changes that can be otherwise hard to make.  The YL starter kit is BY FAR the best investment I’ve ever made for my health.  Without a doubt.  Not crazy or weird, just the BEST THING EVER.  Okay, fine, they also tend to make you very passionate.

The funny thing is we don’t think it’s weird that people take so much medication, which we should because medications are loaded with side effects.  Just watch the next drug commercial. The side effects of essential oils? Better mood, stronger immunity, more relaxed inner life and yet more focused on your work.  Maybe it’s not so weird after all. 🙂

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3.  They are natural supporters of a healthy emotional life.

This is my FAVORITE fact about essential oils—every person I know that uses them experiences a noticeable shift in mood.  This is one of their qualities that baffled me and made me insanely curious.  HOW do they do this?!  Is it just placebo?

The staggering statistics of how many women are on some sort of mood altering/boosting medication are enough to make us want to find alternatives to help us with our stressful lives.  And modern medications work by blocking difficult emotions, which can sometimes be helpful but they do very little to help us process all the change and grief and difficulty in our lives.  Essential oils are such small molecules and are lipid soluble which means they readily cross the blood brain barrier.  Once inhaled they go straight to the emotional center of our brains.

This ability makes them so special and unique and because the sense of smell is so tied to our emotions and memories, they begin to help us change some of our deeply ingrained emotional responses.  I cannot begin to tell you how many people I know personally whose lives have been improved by this quality alone.  If this piques your interest, I’m doing a video class Sunday night via Facebook on emotional healing and essential oils and would be delighted for you to join me.  Click here to join the event.

I actually never thought I’d be inspired enough by anything to actually write about health & wellness, despite the fact that it’s been my lifelong obsession and the subject of so much of my study and reading.  Now, because of these reason and more,  it’s become one of my dearest passions because I’ve found something that I believe in with all my heart.  I’m so thankful to have found this treasure trove of goodness and I’m so thankful for the growing community of women that are taking this wellness journey with me.  We’d love to have you join us!

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I’ve started a new blog for my Young Living peeps called The Oily Sisterhood and I wrote this morning over there about a day in the life with oils if you’re curious about how you would incorporate them into your daily life!

If you find all this intriguing and want to know more about what I use and how I came to choose Young Living, click here.

To view my class on Essential Oils & Emotional Healing, click here.

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If you were already on the fence and are ready to give them a try, click here or email me at ediewadsworth@mac.com.  You’ll love our wonderful, supportive group!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stacy says

    So timely! I have the YL starter kit and have only used the Purification oil in the diffuser in my kitchen. I want to really get into them, but as a newbie it feels completely overwhelming. I will jump over to your oil blog and see what your days look like. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  2. Jennifer says

    Can’t wait to hear what you have to say on Sunday. I’m battling anxiety and lifelong insomnia and currently use lavender, p&c, vetiver, clary sage, frank, Ylang Ylang, en-r-gee, tangerine, orange, cedarwood, valor, progessence plus, bergamot…and I’m still struggling. I’ve had seasons where it’s under control but right now it’s BAD and I’m dipping back into the xanex and ambien big time. I desperately want to be free.

    Reply

  3. Missy says

    As a previous skeptic myself, Edie, your transparency and passion spurred me to give oils a shot and I am forever thankful to you! Life changing for me and my family! Thank you for providing information and support for those of us less medically inclined! Hugs to you from California!

    Reply

  4. k says

    I love love love that people are becoming so interested in natural ways to help and heal themselves!! I don’t want to be a wet blanket, but PLEASE remember that essential oils are as powerful as drugs, so more is not necessarily better. I know that, as a doctor, Edie, you are well aware of the precautions one must take with EOs. But in my world, many well-intentioned people are slathering themselves with straight oil, unknowingly overdoing it, all because the person who sold them the oils has had no training, save marketing skills. Oils are a wonderful, God-given remedy for much of what ails us, but we need to take the time to find out about aromatherapy and just what is the best way to use them. There is much information by pioneers such as Robert Tisserand that is helpful. I wish everyone the best health, but as a sister in Christ, I just want everyone to be safe. I hope I didn’t offend. xo

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  5. Melissa Oden says

    I am so glad to read this post, Edie! I have been a Young Living distributor since 2003 (long before EOs were “en vogue”), and can completely validate what you say here! These oils have changed my life and I am so glad that my BFF introduced me to them all those years ago!

    Reply

  6. Terri says

    I have been using yl oils for a few months and have been very disappointed with them. I have tried them to get rid of an ant infestation to no avail. I have applied them on bug bites with no results. I have tried peppermint on the temples for headache and all I got was watery eyes from the fumes. I have tried purification to eliminate pet odors, on my dog, after cleaning the litter box and on wood floors after cleaning up accidents, it is a short term cover up, not an odor eliminator. Panaway on myself and my dog,no results. I have tried them in other applications also but have never gotten the results many people claim. I use natural products and natural/alternative health care whenever possible so am a firm believer in natural but have been nothing but disappointed in yl oils. It makes me think all these results are written by people who are looking to recruit others to enroll under them.

    Reply

    • Donna says

      I am not trying to offend you, but wonder if you are not apply them or using them correctly. I know that when I have applied the peppermint to my temples that I have ended up getting the watery ,burning eyes. I have had lots of success with natural products and just learning about the oils. can’t wait to learn more from DR. E . ( And with the oils there seems so much to learn.

      Reply

    • Elizabeth says

      You may not see this, Terri, but wanted to let you know you aren’t totally alone, and it’s not likely a brand issue for you, as much as just not doing the trick. I do use YL oils and love them, however, I too have found that some of the major uses don’t work for me. Still trying to figure out how to use them for a headache – the watery eyes is about all I get from peppermint. I have yet to find an oil or blend that will help my 2.5 year sleep more soundly.

      However, I do love the smells and find that when used in my toner (just witch hazel and fave oils), my skin has improved greatly. I’ve found that panaway is helpful on sore knees after a half marathon, but only to make them feel well enough to forget they ache (which works for me). I’ve also had success inhaling Lavender just by holding the bottle to calm down an emotional overload. Like the other response, perhaps we just aren’t using them in an optimal way. I’ll continue to research, but in the meantime enjoy the benefits I am finding.

      Last thing – I think body chemistry does play in to it. I use a magnesium oil lotion (not essential oil) on my sons for different reasons. The one for sleep, which doesn’t work at all (maybe nothing will!!). The other son for calming and focus at school. It has been a game changer for him. Point is, I think different bodies react differently. That doesn’t explain the ant infestation, but might some of the others.

      Reply

  7. Carol says

    Hi Edie. So excited to see this. I have been trying to get started on essential oils recently, and I have a few immune system blends and am not sure how best to use them. We have been using them on-and-off, and I am sure that is not the way to get the benefit. Any tips? I tried to visit the other blog, but for some reason I can’t get my silly computer to play videos right now…
    Thanks!
    Carol

    Reply

  8. Gwen says

    I have just started using essential oils. I thought it was weird, but my brother-in-law talked us into it. Lavender has truly helped with headaches and sleeping well. I am very curious about oils helping the emotional side of life and hormonal balance. What do you recommend for that? I have also purchased my oils off of Amazon because it seemed the others were very expensive. Is there a difference between them? Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Edie Wadsworth says

      Gwen! They are amazing! I would caution you about getting them from Amazon and would be happy to chat about why. YL oils take an incredible amount of dedication and hard work and know how to make. It takes a committed farmer, which is what we have—someone who studies and stewards the earth well and has mastered the art of distilling pure grade oils. I do have a video on emotional balance with oils but anytime you want to phone chat, just let me know! xoxo

      http://lifeingraceessentials.com/?page_id=281

      Reply

  9. tammy dabel says

    Hey I’m new to Young Living since Oct 2017. I enjoyed reading your story up above. You are inspiring. I would love for tips etc from you to help me fulfill my passion on the oils. I would love to touch people to join as customers &/r as a business. Every bit of what a Diamond or higher leader that can help me I would greatly appreciate! Leadership from others is what makes up follow along!

    Reply

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