Your Power Tool for Overall Well-Being: Reimagine Wellness with Essential Oils

Reimagining Wellness: The Power of Essential Oils

In this episode of the 'Default to Yes' podcast, host Juli Reynolds, a nurse coach and certified aromatherapist, shares her journey of integrating essential oils into her practice, which she now calls Aroma Coaching. Juli discusses the transition from conventional medical practices to the use of natural remedies like essential oils, which she discovered while trying to find alternative solutions for her and her son's health issues. She delves deep into the chemistry and functionalities of essential oils, explaining their extraction methods, the importance of purity, and how these oils serve both plants and humans. Juli categorizes essential oils for easier understanding, detailing their specific benefits—citrus for uplifting and detoxifying, florals for calming, spices for warming and protecting, herbs for cleansing and activating, roots for centering and calming, leaves for invigorating and soothing, woods for grounding and renewing, and resins for restoring and strengthening. Finally, she offers a free 20-minute aromatherapy consult to help listeners find the right oils tailored to their needs. Juli emphasizes that essential oils can be a powerful tool for overall wellbeing, reshaping her view on health and healthcare.

00:00 Introduction to Aroma Coaching

02:01 Discovering Essential Oils

05:40 The Science Behind Essential Oils

14:46 Classifications of Essential Oils

21:43 Choosing the Right Essential Oils

22:09 Free Aromatherapy Consultation

23:05 Conclusion and Invitation

Transcript

0:59

welcome to another extraordinary week. I'm Julie Reynolds, and I am the host of the default to yes podcast, as well as a nurse coach and certified aromatherapist. I have been there. Really transitioning my practice into what I'm calling now, Aroma coaching and using a practice that I've called Aroma Cognition. And with that pivot a little bit, coming full circle. As far as when I started my private practice, called my business re imagine wellness and it all started with this one tool and that's aromatherapy. I learned about essential oils and I started on a mission to re imagine wellness for myself and that's what happened. Now I'm a nurse, so I came from the medical model where pharmaceuticals and interventions. Are everything diagnosis, tools, medications, all of the things that you think of when you go to the doctor and what you're looking for is remedy, a cure, a pill intervention of some sort. And there's algorithms for that research that backs it up. And that is the world that I knew. So if I had a problem and there was no pharmaceutical answer or there was no, no therapeutic intervention that would solve my problem, what was I to do? And I began to learn trying to solve my own health problems and then my son had an issue as well that just wasn't being helped by expensive, really expensive diagnostic tests and a maybe it's this and a maybe it's that. Let's try this. It was expensive. It was painful and we were not getting anywhere. and I knew from the My nursing history. What happens with people with that problem is they end up having multiple surgeries, medications, they end up in trials and never really get a cure or get better. And so I knew there had to be a different solution, or if there was, I was going to find it. enter essential oils. Now, I had been to a symposium a couple of years prior to this, and I learned about the chemistry of essential oils. I was in this class learning about sesquiterpenes and carbons and All of the things that I missed when I took organic chemistry. Now I'm not going to go all the way into that. so hang in there with me a little bit, because I had to look up those words and see what I left that class with is knowing that there was something very significant here for healthcare. And I couldn't figure out why, if this is so effective and these stories are true and this chemistry lines up with what I learned about pharmaceuticals, why aren't we using these natural components? And it came down to wondering if maybe we weren't using them because there's not a lot of promise for revenue generating, as far as how do you patent a plant and how do you keep for everyone else from doing the same thing? Was it worth it financially to research these oils, so that was answering the question of why aren't we using these in healthcare, but why couldn't I use them personally, because the truth is that essential oils or aromatherapy have been prevalent in cultures for over a thousand years. Essential oils are basically extracted volatile aromatic compounds that are found in leaves, in bark, stem roots, resin, seeds of plants. The rinds of citrus fruits, and they are those things that bring beauty and flavor and health to the plant, to our world, to our health, and we can use those properties for our bodies. So if you're looking for evidence, it's one of the largest case studies that we have, that Different cultures are still using plant medicine for maybe even their first line intervention. so when I started learning about essential oils and then I, Think a year or two passed before I actually tried an essential oil for one of my I had a headache and I was, it was turning into a migraine and someone recommended that I try a peppermint oil. And so I did, it helped immediately and it was such an amazing outcome that I actually just went into, went back to my notes because I'd saved them and started researching on essential oils and learning aromatherapy and how significant it could be for health issues and really diving into the chemistry. when I started learning about essential oils and when I started sharing it with other people, I aligned myself with. with a company that provided essential oils that I knew that I could trust, and I didn't take that lightly. I did my homework. I did my research, and I really felt good about where they were scientifically and how they were providing evidence and I liked their quality measures to protect their product. And so I felt like that was this. With my limited knowledge, that was as good as I was going to get is that to align with somebody that would disclose their information and give me the answers to my questions. And I didn't know a whole lot. And since then, I've discovered a vetting process for where to get my essential oils. And, but I would say that Because purity and potency matters if you, especially if you're going to health care, you want that consistency. So I wanted to align myself with someone who was actually doing the research, had a good team of scientists that that I felt like I could trust. So that's where I was with how I was going to get my essential oils. Now, scientifically speaking, an essential oil is comprised of hundreds of chemical constituents. And the combination is what provides the plants those distinctive qualities and healing properties. Now, essential oils function in nature as secondary metabolites And that is where primary metabolites are those essential things, those essential properties to the plant survival and that essential oils provide that protection for predators and threatening influences. They promote healthy reproduction and they're the communication system that the plant uses. They contribute to attracting pollinators with the aromas and other vital processes to the plant to for to protect it as it functions in the environment. Now they're extracted by two primary, basically two primary methods of extraction, steam distillation and cold pressing. And when it's skillfully carried out, the end product is a pure and potent essential oil. Consistency depends on environment. So that's where essential oils can part ways from pharmaceuticals, where a pharmaceutical is consistent every single time and everything that is in it is going to be the same every time. And they're looking for outcomes that can be are repeatable when they do research. We're not there with essential oils because of the natural components and the things that maybe we will never understand what a whole oil does. In the body, all of the things, but but we want to make sure that we have purity so that we don't have those contaminants, pesticides and such. So lower grade essential oils, the ones probably that you can find on the store shelves are more extracted through chemical processes with solvents and maybe Maybe are cut with a carrier oil, like fractionated coconut oil, so they might be able to label it 100 percent pure oil, but it's not all if it's a bottle of lavender, it might not be all pure lavender oil. It might be lavender oil and coconut oil or any kind of other carrier oil that they might do. They might put in there just to make it more affordable. To better appreciate the value of essential oils. It helps us to understand how they assist Their plant host to flourish in their environment. So if you think about how they protect from predators, we have Melaleuca, which is a small tree that typically grows along the streams of swampy areas in Australia and we're That weather is consistently hot and humid. And you want to think about the variety of types and numbers of microbes that grow in that warm, moist area, a natural breeding ground for molds and fungus and bacteria and a plant growing in this terrain has to have a strong internal immune system in order to both survive and thrive. Now the. The beauty lies really in the primary constituents of the aromatic compounds found in tea tree, that's our, for example, and that would be like alpha terpenines terpenine 4 ol, which are naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, antifungal and analgesic in their nature. and since humans are carbon based, just like plants, the extracted essential oils are then compatible and beneficial to humans as well. So going back to tea trees, aromatic compounds to protect it from dangerous microbes, they are Inherent in the immediate environment, we can also use the same oil to strengthen protection from microbes in our own bio terrain. that's pretty cool, right? So we have a some guiding. We can look and see what it does in the plants. We can look at the chemistry. And pharmaceutical companies have studied a lot of these compounds. And so they've told us what these compounds do as single components. And we can get clues there as well. Now, another unique quality of essential oil is the molecular size of the active compounds. So they're very small, and they quickly pass through dermal layers of the skin, and then they're absorbed directly into the bloodstream. In some cases, they even cross the blood brain barrier, and they easily penetrate cell membranes. So that makes them accessible and transferable into the body. So long story short is that recognition of essential oils as powerful promoters of physical, mental, and emotional health is becoming more popular on a global level. As we learn more and more about essential oils, we see more and more people gravitating towards this tool. so that's what gave me the idea that I could probably help with the thought process and brain health and cognitive function by also using aromatherapy. Because it's backed by growing scientific validation, the rediscovery of holistic self care with the oils is really becoming something that is really becoming something that we're using beyond the tea tree for skin health or, wound care. We can also use it for improving mood and rejuvenating skin and overall health, enhancing cooking, supporting natural cleaning. We can clean up our environment. So we really can address all of the aspects of overall wellbeing with this one tool. this makes aromatherapy or essential oils a first line intervention when you're looking for natural ways to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy. So just quickly in how you know, like what to, what oil to use. First of all, I always say, Anytime you just reach for an oil, you're not going to do the wrong thing, probably with an oil. You just might not get the outcome that specific outcome that you want, but understanding plant classifications can help you get to know essential oils categorically. And this will also help you with the general attributes and the characteristics that help you to just reimagine wellness. Now, while oils within the classification have common characteristics, each oil has a lot more specific and even unique properties from each other. And but you can think of these in categories. So in many of my conversations I don't get a lot of resistance like I used to, to the use of essential oils or what they are, or the skeptical nature that people would have about them, as much as the overwhelm of how you choose an oil. There are so many options of oils. If you could see my office. I don't even know how many bottles there are sitting around me of the various oils. I made it a goal of mine to, at one point, I, it was a dream of mine to have every single oil. And I think I do. And then I think I have multiples of some of them, of a lot of them as well. but that came over a period of years and learning. I actually had one year two years ago, every week I took a different oil and I studied it. And I used it, and I learned it, and I just spent time with it. And this is where Honestly, before this time, I wasn't really sold on the emotional benefits. I knew that they helped relax and I knew they helped, but I didn't know how do we know what these oils do for our emotions I think Felt like that was made up and as I started really spending time with one oil at a time and researching it and the chemistry and studying neuroscience and the way the oils affect the brain, I started learning about all of these oils. Now, All of that to say back up to you're just getting started, and then you have the all of these selections. I have a really hard time telling anyone what my top 10 everybody should start with oils. Now I've chosen some because I think these are the ones if you have these, you're set, but there are so many that you could use. And there are so many options. I get it. So it gets overwhelming at first. So I'm going to go through some just basic categories. And as I'm coaching and doing this aroma coaching and introducing aroma cognition, I've been putting the oils into categories to help people sort through what their preferences are. And we do an aroma audit and that's when you really can tap into this. And I think that we can get the physiological effects. We can choose oils that we really prefer better. Because if we prefer them and we like them, then unless you are an aromatherapist, you might not need hundreds of oils sitting around and all of the options, you might not even want all the options. You might want just three oils that you can always rely on and that you enjoy. And that is a great place to start. So essential oil classifications, we're going to put them in categories that just create that broader knowledge of their general attributes. And that's going to help us to reimagine wellness with some of the things that are already in our environment. And then we can get the oil because it's a more concentrated version of something that we already enjoy. so first of all, citrus oils are bergamot, grapefruit, green mandarin, kumquat, lemon, lime, tangerine, wild orange. Those are all uplifting and detoxifying. So you want to think about anything that is going to cleanse or uplift in any way, then a citrus oil is a way to go. They are, they create that energy and Those feelings are to be productive and mindful and all while being antimicrobial and antiseptic and very stimulating and uplifting, bringing those antioxidant properties. So those are citrus oils. If you gravitate to citrus oil, then fantastic. You have a power tool here for overall well being. Now florals are flowers and they are oils that are distilled from petals or those aerial parts of the plant. This is clary sage, geranium, lavender, hilly chrism, magnolia, neroli, roman chamomile, rose ylang, yarrow palm. These are all florals and they are known for being calming. and harmonizing. So if you think all things calming, you have a flare up on the skin, you have a sore joint, you have something that is excited or inflamed or needs to be calmed, a floral would be a good go to. For any of the, for any of those things now, like I said, I'm being comprehensive here, not exhaustive on the properties, but general categories will help you get started. So if you really like floor, the aromas of florals and flowers, then pick up one of these oils and I think you'll find that it does a lot for your overall wellbeing. Now, spices is another category, and spices are those aromatic, flavorful parts of the plant. We use them in cooking. They're distilled from the bark and the roots and the seeds and the buds of the plant. With spices, you want to think warming and protecting. This is your black pepper, cardamom, celery seed, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fennel, ginger, vanilla, pink pepper. All of those things are very warming and protecting. in all different ways. So you want to think about, and great for digestive support and respiratory support. So very good for the immune system. So overall wellbeing, warming and protecting. So if you're trying to protect yourself from anything, spices. Which made me think of pepper spray too. So in all ways, if you gravitate towards spices, you've got warming and protecting here. Honestly, if you get the, any of these kind of oils in your eye too, probably, yeah. All right. Alright, so that's the category of spices. Then you want to think about herbs. If you love herbs and the way they smell, and they make you, maybe you grow herbs, or you love to smell them in your food. This is your basil cilantro, dill, marjoram, melissa, oregano, patchouli. Peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, thyme, blue tansy. These are all cleansing and activating. And so you want to think about all of the things that might be come with cleansing and activating. and then what they do in the plant to to protect from, to cleanse from bacteria and fungus and viruses. Think about the cleansing and activating. All right. Roots are those plant fibers that attach to the ground to receive the nourishment, and these oils are distilled from the root, and that's spikenard and vetiver. Those are the only two I can think of. Now, those are both centering and calming. Now, I know that in vetiver is well known for being good for sleep. And a nervous protection, a little more sedative, neuroprotective spike nerd as well are very good for all of those things. Spike nerd, I don't think smells that great. So it's not one of the more popular aromatics. Nobody has ever in my aromacognition practice, nobody's ever selected spike nerd. But I did have somebody use vetiver. All right. So that's your roots. Now leaves are invigorating and soothing. So your other category is leaves. So this is your eucalyptus, laurel leaf, ravensara, rosemary, tea tree, tulsi, wintergreen. Think invigorating and soothing. And those that's, anything invigorating. a lot of times soothing involves reducing inflammation. Soothing involves analgesic and then and maybe even removing some bacteria or microbes to help get clean cleansing of that. So you want to think invigorating and soothing for leaves. next category is woods. Wood oils tend to be distilled from the leaves, and the twigs, branches, needles, berries, bark, and the wood of the specific oil. You want to think grounding and renewing. This is Arborvitae, which is one of my favorites. Birch, Cedarwood, Cypress, Douglas fir, which is a lot of our Christmas trees, right? Juniper berry, Manuka, Pettigrain, which, Interestingly, it has this very similar chemistry to lavender. So if you don't like lavender, pettigreen would be a good substitute, Sandalwood, Siberian fir. All of these are very grounding and renewing. So you want to think just comforting. And if you're, If you need something regenerated, you need to relax or ground all of those things. So woods, wood oils. I want to talk more and more, but I want to, I don't also don't want this to be a three hour podcast. All right. The last category I'm going to talk about is resins and resins are that natural sticky substance of that certain trees have and are, insoluble in water, and these oils are distilled from the hardened resins of these trees. And this is your copaiba, your frankincense and myrrh. when you think resins, think restoring and strengthening. restoring and strengthening the immune system any time you're doing that a good way to make that happen is to reduce inflammation. And so you want to think about that as well. What I would say first is about your oils and so to not be so overwhelmed, I know I just gave you many categories, but think about what you like. Do you like flowers? Do you like herbs, spices? Do you like woodsy smells? Start there. Select one or two oils from that category or maybe one oil from each category or that you like. And just start there. You cannot go wrong with having an oil. Now, that said, I'm going to offer you a 20 minute Aromatherapy consults for free, click the link below and sign up. We'll get, have a chat and I'll help you select the oils. Now, as far as where you get the oils, I will share with you the questions that I ask about. when I'm vetting a company or a source and checking that out for its reliability and quality, I will share with you, the sources that I trust, and then you can make the decision from there. All right. So there's no obligation with this aromatherapy consult. we'll just talk about what outcome that you want, what problem you want to solve what category of these essential oil classifications that you really enjoy. And we'll talk about solutions. I'll throw some resources to you. So we'll just chat. But I'd love to connect with you and And demystify essential oils a little bit for you so that you can have this power tool because I can tell you that it changed everything for me as a nurse, it changed the way I view overall wellness. It changed the way I view health care by looking at some of those natural solutions that we have at our fingertips. We have them, they are affordable and accessible and really not that challenging to learn. You don't have to know everything about essential oils to get the amazing outcomes and, I've got you. So I will walk with you every step. I'm on this journey with you because whether it's a physical or emotional or relational, whatever aspect of overall wellbeing you're trying to improve, what is it that you want to feel more of? What do you want to feel less of? I think aromatherapy, I think essential oils are a power tool for all of those things. And I'd love to help you find a solution because I'm on this journey with you. And I want you to have all the tools that are at your disposal as you get up every day and default to yes, your extraordinary self.