No expectations

I started using some oils in the massage office this week. Since I'm just getting started, I had no expectations.  It turns out that they worked really well. The most interesting discovery for the week was with YL Valor blend. It's a bit of a joke with my clients that they get free cryotherapy from my cold hands, especially at the start of a session (trust me I've tried lots of ways to warm them).  Even though my hands started cold this week, they warmed up after I added Valor to the lotion in my hands.  The heat stayed too. My clients really enjoyed their sessions too with very little side effects. Comments like "best massage yet" are going to be challenging to reproduce.  However, I attribute the reactions to an enhanced client/therapist connection from the addition of the oils.  I felt more intuitive during the sessions.

Application of YL Purification on a clients feet resulted in the client experiencing a great increase in blood flow to the area for about 10 minutes after application.  I did some homework afterwards & learned that using the V6 massage oil blend will help cool the body when this response occurs. I'm hopeful that plain old grapeseed oil will do the trick to, since that is my oil of choice in my office.
I also brought the Thieves household cleaner to yoga class to clean the mats that I have available for students who don't have one.  I offered the cleaner for the students to use too.  Everyone loved the fragrance.  I used a splash of cleaner in 3/4 basin of very warm water. The only recommendation I have would be to rinse the mats afterwards.  There is a strange residue on some mats.  I haven't noticed if this change in texture would affect the grippiness of the mat during practice yet.

Lemon oil infused water: After trying the lemon water at the health fair, I've been offering it to everyone. After initial apprehension, the results are very good.  The greatest learning for the week...use only glass bottles for oil infusions.  We added a drop of lemon oil to water that was in a waxed paper cup (like you get from a soda fountain).  After about 15 minutes the lemon oil removed the wax from the cup.  Fortunately,  the cup contents were discarded before the cup sprung a leak.

I highly recommend Go Glass bottles by Lifefactory .  Everyone had one at the KYTA conference at Kripalu.  I was so excited to see that my local health food store had them for sale-- I got a pink one :)

Getting started...

People explore essential oils for many reasons and frequently claim that their lives are changed.  I have to say that I have been avoiding essential oils for about 3 years.  My rational mind found it difficult to believe that aroma could profoundly impact a person.  It seems silly that I had this notion...just ask anyone who had their day changed after their dog had an encounter with a skunk!

So why did I get started now?

I have been working part-time juggling a job in a hospital with benefits, teaching yoga & offering massage therapy. After 7 years, I was beginning to burn out.  I scheduled a trip to Kripalu to recharge at the KYTA conference & was really looking forward to reconnecting with the energy that got me on the path to healing arts in the first place.

A few days before the conference, I was doing chair massage at a health fair.  I didn't want to go.  I really considered going home for a nap, but I went anyway.  I set up next to a former colleague who was selling Young Living Essential Oils.  I tried some "joy" on my wrists & neck, "deep relief" on my forarm, and drank some lemon infused water.  I felt better.  My colleage & I discussed how I could use the oils in my massage practice & yoga classes.  I decided in that moment to enroll as an independent distributor. Let the journey begin....