Yoga practitioners, specifically those practicing physical asana, tend to be interested in natural medicines, and in all the ways nature can offer healing to their bodies. Essential oils are truly potent natural therapeutic agents, and can support one’s yoga practice in many ways. Here we’ll look specifically at healing physical injuries; in future parts of this article we’ll look at using essential oils for supporting various organ systems, and even oils to enhance meditation.
One of the ideas of yoga practice is to make our physical bodies more healthy, energetic and aligned. Yet sometimes injuries occur — either as a result of our practice, other exercise or even simple accidents. Either way we’d like to heal them as quickly as possible, to get on with our practice as well as the rest of our lives. Essential oils have actually been successfully researched for their anti-inflammatory properties, as well as many other medical applications.
Perhaps the most important action needed for healing injuries to our muscles, tendons and ligaments is the reduction of inflammation. By reducing inflammation, all other regenerative processes can occur more quickly. Pain is also significantly reduced. So when creating a formula for topical application to injuries, we’ll select one or more oils known to be potent in this action. Some of the most popular and effective are ginger, frankincense and German chamomile. When you can find them, the “CO2” distilled oils of these plants are often the more effective inflammation reducers, and are highly recommended for this application.
To create a truly healing formula, the anti-inflammatory oils are blended with oils specifically to stimulate healing. The most effective of these is helichrysum, distilled from helichrysum italicum flowers grown in the Mediterranean region. Helichrysum is also highly anti-inflammatory and analgesic (in emergencies, it can be used “neat” at 100% strength to prevent bruising and such).
An effective blend for stimulating healing, and reducing inflammation and pain can be made following this recipe. This is for one ounce of total formula, and you can simply multiply up your numbers to make more. It is easiest to make your formula in a bottle of known size, like a one-ounce glass eye dropper tincture bottle. In this, add three to five milliliters of helichrysum, and one milliliter each of ginger and chamomile. You may also consider adding one milliliter of frankincense for additional anti-inflammatory, regenerative support. Then simply top your bottle off with any carrier oil and there you go! Simply massage-in a few times a day into the affected areas of your body.
While helichrysum is considered the finest essential oil for healing of our connective tissues, muscles and even skin, its cost can be prohibitive. Plai essential oil, distilled from a root similar to ginger native to Thailand has recently been researched for similar effects. And if its even more pain relief you’re looking for, wintergreen can be an excellent choice (wintergreen should be used with caution — it is chemically equivalent to aspirin; it should only be used as needed and kept away from children). Marjoram, too, is known for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory action. If you need to forgo the helichrysum, try this recipe — for one ounce, use: 3ml plai, 2ml wintergreen, and 1ml each lavender and sweet marjoram.
The yoga practitioner will find at least one, and perhaps both of these blends very effective at complementing their physical practice. It will also open the door to a whole world of aroma medicine, which ranges from purely medical applications to purely esoteric ones — a feature that is likely to deeply interest those who’s yoga is an integral part of their lifestyle.
The author is the co-owner of www.anandaapothecary.com – More aromatherapy resources such as the chart of essential oil uses are available on this site.