How to Use your Essential Oils in your Yoga Practice
This afternoon I caught up with an old friend of mine, and we were talking about the tools and practices we turn to for when things are good and when things are, well … not so good.
Over the past few years, I have been enjoying the benefits of using essential oils in my yoga practice and when asked the question today about what the ‘non-negotiables’ in my life are, I, without missing a beat, said ‘my yoga practice, and using my oils daily’.
It dawned on me that this has been the constant in my life over the past few years.
Not a day goes by that I don’t meditate, do breathwork or asana practice, or move my body in some way. Nor does a day go by when I don’t therapeutically apply, or energetically use my essential oils.
I’ve been experimenting with and teaching others what I’ve learnt (Yin YOGA Aroma Applications); mostly because I find that as a collective, our nervous systems are in need of regulation; something that the silence and stillness of a yin practice can really help us with.
One of the most fascinating things about yin yoga is that it’s a relatively new practice but is rooted in ancient philosophies that are thousands of years old.
It’s this intersection of old and new that I think helps this practice to feel familiar and grounding but also refreshing and relatable at the same time.
History + Philosophy Key Facts
Yin Yoga’s ancient roots are tied to both Chinese + Indian philosophies with perhaps the strongest connections to Taoist Chi Kung.
Paulie Zink is considered the “Founder of Yin Yoga” and was trained in the Taoist arts of yoga + Chi Kung by a Kung-fu master from Hong Kong. From this training and his own study he developed, what he calls, the Art of Yin Yoga, which has many levels and combines both passive and active yoga poses.
Paul Grilley was a yoga teacher in California who attended one of Paulie Zink’s Taoist Yoga classes. He was fascinated by the floor postures and started leading classes dedicated to practicing those poses combined with his own personalized approach examining the anatomical uniqueness for each student.
One of Paul’s students, Sarah Powers, also fell in love with the practice. She titled it “Yin Yoga” and also began sharing it with her own students.
The popularized yin yoga practice that most of us see today is what grew from these teachings.
This is not to say that practicing only yin yoga is the way of the future. Yin and Yang are both a part of the elements of nature. These are parts of the elements that also live within you. They are parts that make up your inner creativity, and as such, both deserve a seat in your practice schedule.
Learning to work with both your yin and yang energies will connect you with the deepest parts of who you are, which in turn helps you to understand not only why things go wrong when they do, but how to bring them back to right (the ‘bounce-back’ is so important).
The Yin Yang Principle implies that you can have both, do both, be both.
IN fact, you must have yin for yang to be present, and vice versa for there is no yin without yang and no yang without yin.
It’s all about balance and harmonisation.
It’s holding a cocktail in one hand and green juice in the other.
And when you zoom out - you’ll notice that along the time-stream of your life, if you give and take a little at various times, that in itself, is BALANCE overall.
Combining these modalities into one practice is a clinical approach to creating balance.
Applying essential oils along energy lines and reflexology points to stimulate homeostasis and balance in the body, in my experience, has been one of the quickest and most effective ways to cultivate changes in your energy system. Couple that with shaping your body in a pose for a few minutes, and the work is mostly done.
Holistic health is about creating balance between all aspects of your being – from physical wellness to emotional intelligence – so that you can live an empowered life full of meaning and purpose. It’s about learning how to listen deeply within yourself so that you can make informed decisions based on what’s best for your overall well being rather than just “going with the flow” or following trends blindly.
With holistic health practices such as yoga, breathwork, essential oils therapy and energy healing becoming more popular among corporate professionals around the world today – there has never been a better time than now for you to explore this powerful approach! So why not take some time out right now to rediscover yourself through holistic wellness?
You may just be surprised at how far reaching its effects can be!
I looked through my YouTube Channel and realised that I’ve actually been about this for years now, and although my methods and techniques have evolved over time, there are a few basics that I continue to lean into regardless of how much time has passed.
Here is a list of ways that you can make use of these magical essences in ways that will change your life forever:
How to use your essential oils in your yoga practice (live practice)
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With love
Arianna