Flourish

The first time I had a panic attack I was sitting in my room in the house I grew up in at 14 years old watching What Not to Wear. Nothing really prompted it. It came over me like a deep, dark wave of suffocation, and I had no idea what was happening inside my body. This was before Google was popular, so I couldn't really search my symptoms. These terrible things happened to me continuously for years. They have stolen much of my life and my joy I feel. I desperately prayed for a solution.. For the Lord to take them from me. I would go up to the altar at church weekly as a teen pleading to God. I thought I had some kind of asthma or lung defect, because it felt like I could never catch my breath, and I lived in a constant state of fear of having another one. Some days I would have panic attack after attack. When someone is experiencing a panic attack, their body is responding to a fearful thought or stressor by placing itself in a state of fight or flight. It's actually trying to help you stay alive. It's a very simple system in our bodies. If we saw a tiger standing in front of us in the jungle, our body would go into fight or flight, pumping adrenaline through us to either fight the tiger of flee away from it. People who live with anxiety have an imaginary tiger that the body is responding to in the same way. It doesn't know that there is no real danger. I have lived with these since then, sometimes having more "calm" seasons. I have tried many things that are supposed to help, and none of them have helped me. . Fast forward to 3 years ago after having my daughter. I was on anti-anxiety medicine, and my panic attacks had become worse than ever. I have tried several meds for it in my life, and none helped me, personally. When Addy was 8 months old, we got her her first flu shot (not getting into all of that), and she became ill and stayed ill (ear infection, colds, flu) for several months. I began looking into natural remedies, because I felt completely helpless and wanted some control back in my life (another personality trait of someone with anxiety). I wanted to help her. I began looking into essential oils, and I have to maintain compliance, so I will simply say, they helped her wellness tremendously. Because they helped her so much in many different ways, I wanted to try them for myself and my emotions. I bought my first YL starter kit and fell in love with the oils. I became a part of Our Essential Life when I bought my kit, and I have learned so much about health from this resource. It gave me a thirst for knowledge in understanding the body and mind. Side note: Dr J (my Dr I see now.. I'll get there) founded and runs OEL. She's brilliant and has an amazing track record and reputation for helping people achieve and maintain health for over 20 years. End side note. My episodes did not completely stop from using the oils alone, but they helped me tremendously once an event started. Fast forward again to the end of my pregnancy with August last year. Without disclosing everything we have been through in the past year or so... Everyone has a "hard"... Chris did get laid off 2 months before my due date with him. Other "certain" jobs fell through, and it was a very stressful time in our lives. We weren't really using the oils much during that time because we were about to have a baby, and we were broke. Chris got his old job back at Goodrich after August came along, and I decided I wanted to start using the oils more regularly since I was experiencing a lot of unwelcome emotions after having him. The oils did help a ton, but I needed more help, to get to the root of the issue. I contacted Dr J after experiencing some very dark weeks, and she spoke with hope that she could help me. We decided to make my health a priority and book an appointment with her. She ran several tests, and the next appointment she sat me down in a room showing me my results and began explaining to me how the gut and brain are directly linked. That when we are only a few weeks old in the womb, our stomach creates our brain. I knew these things, but I loved hearing her explain it. In fact, I was pretty star struck because I had only seen her in videos and through Facebook posts. I may not have heard most of the things she was saying from my state of struckness and my children hanging off of all my limbs simultaneously. In her nutrition appointments, she told me what oils and supplements (Standard Process has my ❤️) my body needs support with to get back to a state of wellness. She also wanted me to take the plunge I had considered taking for years and stop eating foods that were damaging my body, and therefore my mind. I did so and also began cleaning up my environment, replacing everything in my home and things I put on our bodies. It was actually really fun being able to find natural solutions for all of the chemicals we were using (Thieves cleaner replaced most beautifully). Soy, wheat, corn, and sugar were my focal eliminations with food. In cutting these out, you pretty much eliminate most processed foods. I'm working on dairy now for skin issues. We all know sugar is bad for us, but you may not know why the other 3 are. They (and the products from them.. Think corn starch, soybean oil or vegetable oil) are genetically modified. Our bodies do not know how to process them. Wheat Belly is a good resource to start with on learning about these things. They are damaging to our gut, liver, and brain, amongst other systems. When the gut is being damaged, the brain is being affected. Do a search for gut health and symptoms. How do essential oils assist all this? There are oils that support gut health, and oils clean receptor sites, which in turn make sure that all of our systems are communicating properly. So, oils, combined with diet/environmental changes, and chiropractic care are helping me, when nothing else has in the past. I noticed a huge change in my moods the first month. I didn't have a single attack. I have been devoted to this food journey since January (Trim Healthy Mama has delicious recipes that help me stick with it). I do still have days where I feel more anxious and emotional than others, but my body still has a LOT of healing to do. Plus.. Life. Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) with Release oil helps me greatly when I do still have moments. It's a wonderful tool! When I start feeling my stress levels rising, I sniff oils like Peace and Calming or Stress Away for preventative measures. I feel hope and joy again. I feel like I'm beginning to "Flourish" for the first time in my life. I love teaching others what I have learned. I hope it can help others. I pray it can. I have had many people along the way mistake my passion for judgment that they don't do things the way I do, and that's not the case at all. We have all been given different paths and trials to walk through. Life is hard enough without all of that. I share my story in hopes that it has answers for someone else. My Dr likes to say, "if there is something you don't like, change it." Our bodies want to function beautifully, we just have to give them the right assistance. Keeping this in perspective with Christianity, I am not trying to prolong my life, but I desire to be able to use my body to serve the Lord. Living with crippling anxiety makes serving others nearly impossible, and that is unacceptable. I choose joy and peace and to use my body for the glory of the Lord. This is the answer to my prayers. I know the Lord has led me to this journey. He is always faithful, even when our prayers aren't answered the way we would like.  

My Essential Life

Disclaimer:

The Our Essential Life Members do not claim to be medical practitioners. We do not diagnose, treat or prescribe any medical treatment or advice. You should always discuss treatment of medical conditions with your medical practitioner before using any alternative therapies, natural supplements, or vitamins. The following safety precautions are guidelines only. You should consult with any aromatherapist about essential oil usage and always inform your primary care physician what you are using as they may not be conducive with his/her prescribed therapy and medications.

Getting right to it before my kiddos wake up! The first part of this will be the very basics of essential oils. I also plan on teaching a class in the future, so this isn't entirely comprehensive, but will hopefully answers some of the questions I've been asked. If you're not interested in the basics and just want to know about my personal experience and routine, then scroll on down! 

What are essential oils? 

This is the "lifeblood" of a plant. Did you know that these herbs and oils were used in Biblical times? Frankincense, Myrrh... And numerous passages describing various "fine," "fragrant," and "pure," oils. There are all kinds of articles and blogs already available that go into the science behind them and much longer descriptions, so I will spare you! 

Why Young Living, and not the (likely cheaper) oil companies you can find in an aisle of the health food store, Walmart, or on Amazon? I get it. I LOVE bargains and to try to find the best deals. I'm cheap. I shop sales, used, clearance, yard sales, and thrift stores. But I won't budge on this. YL is the only essential oil (EO) company that provides the Seed to Seal guarantee. Please see the graphic below:

It is so important to know what is in your oils. The FDA doesn't regulate this, so there could be, and probably are, other things in EO even if they say "100% pure" or "therapeutic grade." It very much matters how the oils are extracted, because if solvents are used, they can compromise the oil. If it is extracted with high heat, it removes its "good properties" ;) (this is why we also don't recommend putting them in wax warmers, but instead in our diffusers). YL owns its own farms and distilleries (all 11 of them), which most oil companies don't, and you can visit them and even participate in the process! That speaks volumes about this company! No secrets! You can call around to other oil companies and receive very obscure answers about how oils are extracted, how the plants are grown, and if they own their own farms! Some even said they do not know?? 

Furthermore, YL listens to consumers' concerns and respond. For example, consumers were concerned about folic acid (comes from coal, and is toxic to people with certain disorders.. Just stay away. Instead, go for food-based Folate. In fact, stay away from all synthetic vitamins. Standard Process is one of the only companies that create food-based supplements not grown in yeast baths, which causes all kinds of gut health issues. Anything that says "vitamin," stay AWAY from) in their protein powders, and YL listened, and reformulated it without it! They have the upmost concern for health and produce quality products (not just EO). Everything with YL is grown without pesticides and is thoroughly tested by YL and 3rd party companies...another question other oil companies either said no to or they didn't know...so we, the consumers, receive a pure product we can feel confident about! That's a rare feeling I get about products these days. If all of that doesn't convince you to go with YL, let's chat and maybe I can change your mind!

Why Our Essential Life? OEL is a network of "oily" folks that I became a part of when I joined my upline by purchasing a premium starter kit. <Side notes: Once you purchase a kit, you become a wholesale customer qualifying you to receive a discount on future products. You also gain the ability (if you choose) to participate in an AWESOME rewards program, and/or you can choose to pursue the business side of YL (I just now started this, and I've been a "distributor" for a couple of years now.. I just maintained for the discount). There are no hidden monthly fees or anything weird like that. You just buy the kit... Which, by the way, is the best deal YL offers on its products...and decide your involvement. To maintain your membership, you just have to purchase 50PV (personal volume) within a year's time. That's so easy to do if you continue using the oils. End side notes> OEL is a wonderful network of people. This group has changed my life! They have so many incredible recipes, suggestions, videos, links...etc that are super informative and helpful. I've had nothing but good experiences on there with very gracious people that are willing to go out of their way to help. They are well-informed and practice tons of safety with oils. The group doesn't just offer info on oils, but health in general. They believe in the 4 pillars of health (EO, nutrition, environment, and movement aka.. chiropractic care). They encourage a Paleo nutritional lifestyle, which I have a looong way to go on, and believe that the 4 pillars go hand in hand with each other. It's not just about selling a product.. It's about health and life. I have been encouraged by this group so much, and it is the reason why I have so much knowledge of health and a passion for it. Anyone that purchases a starter kit under someone in this group becomes a part of it! I can't say enough good things about it. 

My experience. I will briefly share the reason I got into oils. When Addy was an infant, we got her a flu shot (no judgment here, but it's not for us). She had a reaction to it and stayed sick for several months and then got the flu. I believe it was because her immune system was so weakened by it. I felt helpless. I started researching holistic methods to health, because I wanted to take charge of my family's health, and I came across oils. I tried a few other brands, which I did not love, before discovering Young Living. I sampled a few oils (RC was my first and I was not a fan at the time, but now I love it in the diffuser), and I decided to plunge into oils and purchase a starter kit. I started seeing a ton of improvement with Addy, so I decided to start using them to see if they could assist me overcome my anxiety and panic attacks that I have had for half of my life. I'm still on this journey, but they have helped me so much with this! I believe that the 4 pillars mentioned above all play a role in my attacks, and the more I improve on each pillar, the better I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. The oils are the vehicle that is getting me there. 

We now only have well doctor visits and use oils as opposed to other methods to support our bodies! Chris was super skeptical for a while, but now he asks for me to "oil him up" if he starts feeling less than great, and Addy loves getting "oiled" too. I have almost completely cleaned up our environment by making our own cleaning and skincare products (I'm transitioning into non-toxic makeup), and we plan on starting chiropractic care in the future. A big thing we are trying to work on now is nutrition. Addy and Chris struggle the most here, but it is baby steps. Nutrition really is key. 

Now that all that has been said, here are my top 10 favorite oils with descriptions of what I use them for, and my daily routine as an oiler!  Keep in mind, these are just MY uses for it, though I do include a few suggestions that other people use them for. There are far more uses for them than just what I use them for. You can browse through the oils on Youngliving.com for more details and pricing.

10: Purification (starter kit oil) 

This blend is one I use for purifying (hence the name), bad odors, bug repellent, soothing sore throats (apply it diluted with a carrier oil down the front of the neck), and I use it neat (not diluted) on blemishes. I keep a spray bottle of it in the bathroom to sanitize it daily, and to freshen up the house. It smells very clean!

9: Joy (starter kit oil)

I wear this blend behind my ears and over my heart. I HATED the smell of this when I first received it, and could only stand to put it on the bottoms of my feet, but it is super effective in uplifting me and easing my stress. I have heard others rave about this one as it helped them during PPD. 

8: Peace and Calming (one of the most popular oils of Young Living)

This smells so good! It's very safe to use super diluted on kids. I use it on them to help them when they are moody and it can help little ones when they are congested. It's wonderful in the diffuser as well. I used to sniff this one at my desk in my cubicle at work when I got overwhelmed, which was about every 10 minutes ha! It also helps me to regulate my breathing when it's shallow due to stress. The name says it all! 

7: Lemon (starter kit oil)

This one smells super refreshing! I could sniff it all day! I use it for cleaning, liver support for all of us (hello immune system), fevers, coughs, in homemade hand soaps, and in my water daily (on Pinterest look up Good Girl Moonshine and add a drop or 2 of lemon to it.. Mmm! **Warning: we do NOT advise any ingestion whatsoever of any oils if you are on any medication! It drives me crazy when I see other oil groups encouraging ingestion of them with no disclaimers). This oil is also one of the 3 oils in the allergy assisting trio (lemon, peppermint, and lavender).

6: Lavender (starter kit oil)

So good! I use it on my babies (always heavily dilute any oil with children!) when they need to be sleepy. I like filling a glass spray bottle with several drops and water and squirt it on their pillow or in their room. I use it mixed in with my face oil morning and night (I will write a separate blog on my skincare when I have perfected it), and I love it in my natural shampoo. It is great for stress and skin irritations. 

5. Frankincense (starter kit oil)

My FAVORITE oil by its smell alone. So good. It's great for aging skin and scarring! I put several drops of this with Rosehip Seed Oil and Jojoba oil in a roller bottle and roll around my eyes morning and night. It's fantastic for immune support. I take a capsule of this and lemon with a carrier oil if I start feeling sick. I also place it on our spines, bottoms of feet, and behind ears for prevention. It can very safely be used on young children diluted. I plan on incorporating this one into my Bible and quiet times in the future by diffusing. It's recommended during meditation and inhaling ("huffing") for stress. 

4. Cedarwood

This oil is quite amazing yet super inexpensive. I diffuse this at night along with Favorite #2.. Oh. My. Word. It has a very Cedary smell (go figure) that isn't pleasant straight from the bottle, but it has magical unicorn powers. This one helps regulate oxygen to the brain (which is healing to the brain) and can help lower your heart rate. I'm a high stress, anxious person. I can't live without this. It has greatly helped with my panic attacks. It's also one of my favorites for sleep. It helps promote healthy hair growth so I pair this and either Lavender or Rosemary in with my shampoo. It's also nice with those 2 oils in a homemade hair mask. 

3. Valor 

(This is an older label if you're wondering why it's different) Valor and Peace and Calming used to be in the starter kits, but they were so popular, they couldn't keep them in stock, so sadly, they had to take them out of the kits. This one was out of stock for a very long time, and when it came back in stock, it broke the Internet, ha! Another favorite by the smell alone. This blend has Frankincense in it, so if you are tight on money, it is a cheaper way to get some Frank in your life! This one is great in spinal/alignment support. When I feel tense or uncomfortable in my neck or back, I put this one where I feel the discomfort. It's also a happy oil for me. I smell it and I feel more at peace. When I have a tension headache, this paired with Peppermint or Deep Relief helps tremendously. This oil is known as liquid courage. When Addy is afraid I put this one on over her heart to help those feelings. I do the same for me. I also place it along August's jawline when he is having teething discomfort. It has a way of releasing tension.

2 and 1. Release and Rutavala

I combined these because they work together. Release on my temples, Release and Cedarwood in the diffuser, and then Rutavala over my heart.. It's my new favorite combination. It's so relaxing. I do this every night to wind down and fall asleep easier. Release by itself can help "release" negative emotions or fears. I have just starting dabbling into EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping.. Go to www.thetappingsolution.com), and I use Release on my fingertips during, and I notice a huge difference in my mood and anxiety before and after. Rutavala by itself, is awesome for sleep and stress. The Valerian in it (which smells absolutely terrible.. Don't worry.. You didn't get a bad batch) promotes restful sleep. No need for addictive sleeping pills! You wake up feeling rested.

Here is what a routine in my life with oils looks like. This includes some honorable mentions that I love, but didn't quite make the top 10.

In the morning, I put Joy over heart, Awaken on temples, and Release over heart and on forehead. I add in others if I feel extra emotional. I then diffuse Stress Away. This helps my kiddos' moods big time! 

I place diluted Endoflex over thyroid and adrenals to help balance my hormones (this, I believe,  has been helping me tremendously in my anxiety, but I just recently started using it.. And also my acne.. I think it's a game changer, but it's a little too soon to tell). 

For my skin day and night I put a drop of Tea Tree with witch hazel on a cotton pad as a facial toner. I mix Lavender with Rosehip seed oil as my moisturizer (I have very sensitive acne prone skin) and Purification neat over any blemishes.

I have Frankincense with carrier oils in a roller bottle for around my eyes morning and night. 

I put Frankincense and Lemon diluted on us and the kids for immune support.

Rosemary and Cedarwood (and sometimes Lavender) go in my shampoo to promote healthy hair growth.

Orange gets mixed in with toothpaste for teeth whitening. 

I use Fennel and Basil for helping my breastmilk supply by taking a capsule with both and a carrier oil.

If August is teething and uncomfortable, I mix Clove with olive oil and rub on his gums. Valor on his jaw.

Peace and Calming gets whipped out if either kid is having a "moment."

Lemon goes in my water once a day or in my Good Girl Moonshine (Pinterest). 

I clean with Purification (mixed in a spray bottle) and the Thieves Household Cleaner.

At night, I put Cedarwood and Release in the diffuser, and Rutavala, Cedarwood, and Release on me...heart, temples, forehead. Best combo everrr. I also use Rutavala (alternating with Lavender/Peace and Calming/Valor) on the kiddos when they're restless. 

As needed:

For stress and sadness: Stress Away, Peace and Calming, Frank, Joy, Release, Valor, Tranquil, Cedarwood, Rutavala, Lemon

Sleep: Rutavala, Release, Lavender, Cedarwood 

Immune support: Frank, Lemon, and then Thieves and RC go in the diffuser if we are already sick or not feeling well, which is rare these days. 

Fevers: Lemon, Frank, and Peppermint.

Sore throat: Purification, Thieves (I like to drink a drop of Thieves in tea with organic raw honey)

Congestion/cough: Breathe Again, RC, Eucalyptus Radiata 

Sore muscles: Chris likes to use Deep Relief and Ortho Sport massage oil for sore muscles since he has a very strenuous job. He puts it on before he heads to work, and he says the discomfort doesn't return during work.

Well, there you have it! More than you probably would ever want to know! Kiddos are awake, so mommy hood calls :)

Comparison

I can still vividly remember feeling not... enough at the age of five. "Hillary wears cute sun dresses. I'm not pretty enough for those," I thought. I hated my freckles and fair skin. I can also never recall a time in my life of being happy with my weight. Even as a very young child I was self conscious about my size. As time progressed, so did the range of discontentment. It became not only vanity related, but materialistic. I cringed walking into 8th grade Algebra hoping no one would notice that my White Mountain clogs were Birkenstock knock-offs. When I was fourteen, everyone had a pair of those sexy overpriced clogs that left your feet smelling like a beaver's butt. I'm so thankful that my parents didn't just give me every single thing I wanted when I wanted it just for the sake of blending in with everyone else (though I know if they could have given me everything in the world, they would have, and I did eventually get a pair of my very own "Birks").

I wish I could say that I don't worry about such petty things anymore, but that's far from the truth. I may not lust after smelly clogs, but these days it comes in the form of, "I wish my skin was flawless like hers, but I have stretch marks and acne," or on a deeper note,"she's such a better mother and wife than I am." Shoot, as I write this, Addy is asleep, and I'm watching Fixer Upper (I have a slight obsession with HGTV) and wishing that my life was more like Chip and Joanna's. I have wasted so much of my life comparing mine to others'. You see, when we are so focused on what other people have, we forget our purpose. We forget that we are here to glorify God in all that we do. He designed each of us uniquely and with different abilities. Every single person wasn't designed to have a white picket fence and the American Dream. My purpose right now is to glorify God by raising my children to love Him, and my purpose is to walk alongside my husband encouraging him in his faith. The fact that my floor isn't clean and my toddler sometimes eats crackers and cereal for supper doesn't make my work any less valuable. My floor isn't clean, and I don't always have meals made from scratch because both of my kids love my cuddles (and because sometimes I'm just too lazy to fight with Addy to find something she will actually eat). I'm trying to learn to be okay with this.

But how blessed I am. The Lord has set this amazing opportunity of raising my babies at home before me. When I worked full time, I constantly thought, "if I could just stay home with my kids, I would be so content." It's baffling how we seem to think all these things can fix us, even as wonderful as they are.

I have been reflecting on Philippians 4 the past few months. “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content — whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:8-13 

Paul highlights the importance of what we choose to dwell on. I believe this correlates in part with the following verses--that he has learned the secret of being content, in abundance and in need. At the risk of sounding very TBN evangelistic, what we constantly choose to think about affects us on a deeper level. I pray that the Lord helps me to be content in all circumstances, and I believe one way for me to be proactive in this is to be mindful and intentional of what I allow myself to "stew" on. 

I may not ever learn to love my freckles and stretch marks, and I may never feel comfortable in a sun dress. *Side note: every time I read something about self esteem and loving/accepting yourself I tend to want to roll my eyes. The Lord's work in my heart is what defines my worth. He has given me worth and that is what I will esteem. There's nothing in myself without Him to esteem. *End note. But I will fight for joy every day. 

Please stop allowing comparison to steal your joy. Fight for it. Be intentional with your thoughts, and pray that the Lord teaches you how to be content in Him in all circumstances.

Please also know that you are more beautiful than you see, more special than you feel, and more loved than you know.