Add a special twist to the classic sugar cookie for a sweet treat! Simple enough to fit into a busy schedule, these simple sugar cookies will taste anything but simple.
Whether you’re baking for friends, family or yourself, these Lime Vitality essential oil-infused cookies will melt in your mouth and sweeten up any gathering. Plus, they’re perfect for sharing!
Read more...
Gary Explains the Feelings Kit
“If your purpose in life doesn’t give you butterflies in your stomach at least an hour a day, there’s something seriously wrong,” Dr. Gary Young said at the Young Living Annual Grand Convention. But he also understands that not everyone is able to find joy and purpose in their lives.
It seems that past emotional problems are keeping people from achieving their goals. Judging from the response Gary received as he gave an overview of the Feelings Kit, his directions were greatly appreciated.
Dr. Young designed the Feelings kit after studying the ancient Egyptians and a ritual they performed to clear their bodies of negative influences before dying. Understanding that many people are handicapped emotionally, Dr. Young gathered together 12 essential oil blends with special capabilities and frequencies to aid physical and emotional healing.
While sharing the story of his own journey to reclaim physical and emotional health, Dr. Young told how to face traumas or vivid emotions deeply imprinted in memory.
While it’s fairly common knowledge that memories are embedded in the brain, it may be surprising to discover that scientists are now saying that memory exists throughout the body. “Repressed traumas caused by over-whelming emotion can be stored in a body part, thereafter affecting our ability to feel that part or even more,” said Candace B Pert, Ph.D. research professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
“To some degree, all of the organ systems in the human body have ‘memory’,” agreed Bruce D. Perry, M.D., PH.D. “All nerve cells ‘store’ information in a fashion that is contingent upon previous patterns of activity,” he noted. Dr. Perry is with the Child Trauma Program, a partnership of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. Perry said that the ability to “carry elements of precious experience forward in time is the basis of the immune, the neuromuscular, and the neuroendocrine systems.”
Dr. Young knew this intuitively long before he heard of research documenting memory throughout the body. This is why he created the blend SARA for Sexual Abuse and/or Ritual Abuse. SARA covers all forms of abuse—verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, and spiritual. “When you come to a crossroads memory where you see your father beating you, then for to SARA and rub it on the area where you were abused, or as near to the area as you can, because that oil will help to go in and stimulate the cells into releasing that memory,” Dr. Young instructed.
When stored memories are traumatic, the body becomes “stuck” in lower brain responses to these memories. A “trigger” -something that reminds you or brings to mind the traumatic memory- enters the brain stem and midbrain area and is matched against the previously stored trauma. When this happens, an “alarm” response is automatically tripped. Anxiety, fear, or terror flood the body. Researchers have found that after a traumatic experience, the brain can be more easily provoked into releasing adrenaline and is less able to turn off the flow of this neurotransmitter.
The higher centers of the brain –such as the limbic system, the amygdala, the cortex, and the thymus—are where interpretation and comprehension take place. The “fight or flight” cycle caused by traumatic memories locks out the very parts of the brain that might be able to make sense of the negative emotion.
Gary created the Feelings Kit to help heal the grief and pain caused by these traumatic memories. This collection contains the essential oil blends of Valor, 3 Wise Men, Harmony, Forgiveness, Joy, Present Time, Release, Inner Child, Grounding, Hope, SARA, and White Angelica.
During his convention talk on emotions, Dr. Young explained that whether the most recent experience was good or traumatic, the mind starts moving backwards, reliving memories. “Soon,” he said, “you might find yourself saying, ‘Hey, I want to explore this road that leads into a traumatic memory.’”
Dr. Young said that the first essential oil to use when dealing with traumatic memories is Valor. He explained that the frequency of Valor allows relaxation. “When the body relaxes, the mind relaxes; and when the mind relaxes, it starts seeking patterns.” Valor helps balance the energies within the body, helping the user to find courage, confidence, and self-esteem.
“Now at that point, you may want to reach for another oil in your Feelings kit—Release,” he suggested. Placed over the liver, this blend stimulates a sense of harmony and helps to release anger and frustration. Acceptance is another oil that Dr. Young recommends because it has frequencies that when placed on the temples and sternum and breathed can unlock blocks at the memory crossroads.
Sometimes the memory may be so traumatic that you say, “No, no, no! I just can’t do this.” Dr. Young said that if this happens, “Go to 3 Wise Men and rub this oil on the crown of the head. Now I named the oils ‘3 Wise Men’ for the fact that it will bring you gifts. The frankincense and myrrh in this blend have the frequency to help open [us] and allow us to receive the information that we need, and also receive support from our Creator.”
A technique that Dr. Young has used in releasing traumatic memories is to close your eyes and think of something spinning, like a ferris wheel. Watch it spin until all the negative information is erased. “Then you see a beautiful, clean, crystal-clear screen,” he said. “Don’t cross the [memory] intersection until you’ve reprogrammed the screen.” This is an important step in Dr. Young’s process.
Wholesome images of family or nature are good to “program” into the place where the negative memory used to be.
He also suggested using the blend Grounding on the back of the neck or Tsuga on the sternum as an anchor for the emotions during this reprocessing.
For intense childhood memories, “Get Inner Child out, because Inner Child is made from citrus oils and takes you back to warm childhood memories,” Dr. Young said. Interestingly, the best place to put Inner Child is on your thumb and then pressed against the roof of your mouth because that’s where the oil can open meridian centers in the brain.
“My suggestion would be not to go through more than one ‘intersection’ per week,” Dr. Young said. “Take your time. That way, it allows the memory to clear. You may find that other emotions may trickle in. It’s like digging a posthole in subsoil. You dig down and you hit a little moisture in the posthole. Three days later, you go back and the posthole is full of water. So you have to bail all the water out before you can put the post in and set it. Your mind will do the same thing,” he warned.
Sometimes the memories are so painful that people think about leaving life. “Folks,” Dr. Young said, “it is not our choice about leaving life. That is one choice that we shouldn’t make. That is our Father’s choice only, to decide when it is our time to terminate from this planet. Do not go there! And that’s why Grounding is so important, so it will keep you anchored in the ‘now.’ And if you feel like you’re separating, that’s when you reach for Present Time and put it right on the sternum. Because it locks you into the moment and keeps you focused. Remember, you cannot heal your body by living in the past. You can heal your body by letting go of the past.”
Dr. Young also explained that he believes that many traumas go back on a genetic line. He shared an intense experience in Egypt that convinced him that was remembering genetic information from his ancestors. “This experience led me to create the Feelings kit so others could start working and undoing all this garbage that we have carried from our ancestors,” he revealed.
Dr. Young emphasized that all he learned has come from his own experiences. “I give you these directions to work with because they are the directions that I’ve worked with myself. And I believe that we will all go through stuff the rest of our lives. The point that I really want to stress here is don’t allow this to be your focal point in your life. Because if it becomes your focal point and you become consumed with it, that tells me you’re not going forward. Just take a few minutes, go down the path, recognize it, clear it, empty it, erase it, reprogram it. But always know, and this is really, really important for all of you, to always be focused before you go into the reprogramming. Know where you’re going!”
As you start to reprogram, Dr. Young noted that the perfect oil to use is Joy. “Put Joy over the heart and just breathe that in and use that while you’re reprogramming because you want to bring in joyful experiences.”
Once you have dealt with an emotion, Dr. Young suggested another important oil to use. “Before you walk away from it, make sure that you put White Angelica on the shoulders, the sternum, and the nape of the neck. These are four points of the body that help electromagnetically create and enhance your overall sense of well-being and balance.”
At lunch, following Gary’s presentation on the essential oil blends from the Feelings kit, there were many conversations about the impact of his lecture. Dianasue Holland from Ogden, Utah, said she cried when Gary explained about ancestor memories. “I have always felt this in my heart and to have someone validate that feeling was incredible.”
Julie Herbert, Idaho Falls, Idaho, said, “I have been with Young Living for seven years, and today Gary put all the pieces together for me. Gary gave us such a clear picture. The Feelings kit portion of the convention was the frosting on the cake. You cannot put a price on the knowledge he’s imparting to us!”
The bottled salad dressings you find on the shelves of grocery stores can be filled with all sorts of unnecessary ingredients.
Leave the excess sugars and sodium on the store shelves and whisk your own salad dressing with simple ingredients you can feel good about!
Toss your salads with this tasty homemade dressing that’s infused with the fresh food flavouring of Basil Vitality, Black Pepper Vitality and Lemon Vitality essential oils.
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 drop Basil Vitality essential oil food flavouring
- 1 drop Black Pepper Vitality essential oil food flavouring
- 3 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil food flavouring
- ½ tsp salt
Directions
- Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
- Add to your salad and enjoy!
*Found on the Young Living Canada blog*
Pulse. Twinge. Throb.
Who has the time to get bogged down with a headache? Certainly, not you, but they happen to the best of us. It doesn’t matter if you’re feeling the pains of a common headache the symptoms (no matter the severity) can easily keep you from feeling your best.
Before you reach for over-the-counter medicines, or simply suffer through the pain, think again.
Headache remedies can be natural and safe, and we’ve got a few things you can try at home to relieve your discomfort and get on with your day.
1. Lavender, Spearmint and Eucalyptus Massage
A body massage can reduce physical tension that may be the cause of your headaches in the first place. Create a simple homemade massage oil with the headache-busting trio of Lavender, Spearmint and Eucalyptus Globulus essential oils. This powerful combination of oils can be one of the most pleasant, natural remedies for headache that you‘ll ever try. Grab your spouse, a close family member or a good friend to do the massaging for you so you can completely relax!
- Combine 2 teaspoons of fractionated coconut oil with 1 – 2 drops each of Lavender, Spearmint and Eucalyptus Globulus essential oils in a small bowl.
- Gently stir the ingredients with a spoon until well-mixed.
- Massage the mixture onto the skin, focusing on areas where your headache is. Don’t forget to massage other tense areas that may be contributing to your headaches, including the neck, shoulders, upper back and pectoral muscles.
2. Soothing Essential Oil Steam Session
If you don’t have an extra set of hands around to take advantage of the massage, inhaling steam from essential oil-infused hot water can be the next best thing to ease your headache symptoms.
To relieve your head pain, try creating your own essential oil steam session:
- Warm a small pot of water on the stove until it begins to steam.
- Remove from heat. Allow the water to sit for a few minutes before testing the temperature of the steam to ensure that it isn’t too hot.
- Add 1-2 drops each of the following oils (in any combination) to the steaming water: Angelica, Clary Sage, Marjoram, Bergamot and Black Pepper.
- Lean over the pot in a comfortable seated or standing position.
- Breathing deeply, inhale the steam for up to ten minutes.
This soothing headache remedy can be easily completed at home up to three times daily.
3. Basil and Lavender Compress
A headache-soothing compress with essential oils can be just what you need to relieve the pangs in your head. Basil is one of the most commonly used home remedies for headache and is especially useful for easing symptoms when combined with Lavender.
- Add one drop each of Basil and Lavender oils to a bottle filled with 500 ml of warm water.
- Cover and shake the bottle until the oils are well-mixed into the water.
- Soak a compress (soft cloth) with the mixture. Squeeze lightly to remove excess water.
- Put the compress directly on the forehead, temples or bridge of the nose and cover with a dry towel.
- Leave in place for up to four hours, breathing normally.
These steps can be repeated up to three times a day as needed for relief of your symptoms.
4. Warm Essential Oils Bath
Head into the bathroom to draw up this next headache remedy. Soaking in bath water mixed with essential oils can help reduce the effects of stress or tension headaches and is one of the most enjoyable home headache remedies.
- Draw a comfortable amount of warm bath water.
- Combine 1 – 2 drops each of Citronella, Laurus Nobilis, Lemongrass, Neroli and Rose (up to 8 drops total) with an equal amount of shampoo or liquid soap. Add to the bath.
- Gently stir the oil and soap mixture into your bathwater.
- Soak in the tub for at least ten minutes for maximum benefits.
The combination of the above essential oil ingredients creates a relaxing and enticing aroma of citrus, floral and spicy scents that make this once-a-day headache remedy quite divine.
5. Avoid Headache Triggers
Prevention is the best option. Though you won’t stay forever invincible to the pains of a headache, knowing which headache triggers to avoid can help prevent head pain. Here are a few tips to keep top of mind:
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Avoid taking excessive amounts of medication (especially pain relief medication).
- Receive regular massages.
- Dilute and apply NHP-approved diluted essential oils topically to the temples when headache symptoms appear.
All of the natural remedies for headaches listed above are safe, effective and easy to complete at home or at work. The next time you suffer from headaches, try any one of these techniques to ease your pain and get back to feeling like yourself again.
Did any of these techniques work for you? Got your own home remedies to share? Let us know in the comments below!
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 2 drops Cedarwood essential oil
- 2 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 1 drop Tea Tree essential oil
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, for dark hair only
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Scoop mixture into a container of your choice. Empty salt shakers work great!
- Sprinkle on roots of hair and massage into scalp.
- Leave for 2–3 minutes to absorb hair’s natural oils.
- Brush through hair.
- Style as usual.
August Newsletter
Important Team Announcements:
Business oil of the month!
YL monthly promos
Help 5 Bonus
When people are trying to lose weight and shred fat their main goal to long-term weight management should be to raise their metabolism (rate in which your body uses energy). What most people fail to realize is that their hydration level directly affects their metabolism.
Water is involved with almost every biological function in the body, so therefore... your body’s metabolism slows down in a dehydrated state. When your body does not have adequate amounts of water, your calorie burning machines (muscles) slow down dramatically. Over 70% of your muscle consists of water, so when they are not fully hydrated their ability to generate energy is severely inhibited.
Another important factor to understand is - your body’s ability to utilize fat as fuel is also restricted when you are in a dehydrated state. Combine these two factors and you have one slow metabolism!
The list of negative side effects to your metabolism due to dehydration is endless. The effect of dehydration is often overlooked, and in fact, it should be one of the priorities of any healthy eating plan.
Taking in a sufficient amount of water is the first step in assuring your metabolism is working at its optimal level. You should be drinking a minimum of 2 liters of water each day, ideally closer to 3 liters (or 4 liters if you are exercising or have a manual job).
Remember...your body can’t distinguish between hunger and thirst, so when your tummy is rumbling and you think it’s in need of food, it could just be telling you that it needs some water. Have a big glass of water first and if you are still hungry 15 minutes later, then have something to eat. If you’re thinking my mouth gets dry when I’m thirsty, that’s how I can tell, then give this a thought...once your mouth gets dry and you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated...therefore your body and your metabolism is already in a sluggish dehydrated state!
I hope that makes you think twice about how much water you intake each day! I find that the best way to make sure you are getting at least 2 liters, is to fill up a 2-litre bottle first thing in the morning, and make sure it has gone by the time you go to bed. Just remember you will need more on the days you exercise and in the hot weather!
Source... Shape Magazine
Nutrient dense and packed with a bunch of energy boosting power!
Rich in fiber, omega -3 fats, protein, vitamins & minerals...
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, rinsed
- 3 ½ cups purified water or almond milk
- ¼ cup organic maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon good-quality vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
- add fruit on top
Instructions:
- Place the cashews, water, maple syrup, vanilla and salt into a high powered blender and blend until smooth and ultra creamy, about 30 seconds on high.
- Pour into a mixing bowl, then add the chia seeds and whisk together.
- Transfer to a glass storage container, then put it in the refrigerator to soak and thicken for at least 2 hours.
***If you do not have a high-powered blender soak the cashews for about 3 hours before blending them for a smoother consistency.***
Have you ever been curious if other essential oil companies live up to the high-pure-quality that most of know we receive from Young Living?
Below are twelve questions, developed by Dr. Stewart, that you can use to engage with the other essential oil producers. Make a chart, call each one, and then you decide.
These are Dr. Stewart’s “Twelve Questions to ask an Essential Oil company”
1. Does their company own any farms on which to raise herbs for oils? And if they do, are they new farms on land formerly polluted with herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals that contain residuals from the past, or are they farming land that is clean, which has never been cultivated or has been untilled for at least the last 50 years?
2. Does their company have their own fully equipped testing laboratory to verify an oil’s composition?
3. Do they have anyone on staff with a trained nose who can analyze oils by their smell? (There are less than 200 people in the world with noses sufficiently trained to discern the chemistry of a fragrance.)
4. If their company purchases oils from outside suppliers, do they visit the distilleries and farms of those suppliers periodically to observe if the herbs are grown organically, i.e. without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers?
5. Do they know if the grower has a testing laboratory on the farm to determine when the crop is at its peak for oil harvesting?
6. Do they know if the crops were actually harvested at their peak time and, if so, was there an inordinate delay in taking them to the still and into the cookers?
7. Do they know if their distillery personnel understand the art and science of distilling, exactly how to pack the cookers, how to administer the steam, how to maintain minimum temperatures and pressures throughout the cooker, and how to continuously monitor the process throughout distillation to make sure the oil produced contains all of its components in the proper proportions?
8. If their supplier makes a mistake in the distillation or harvesting processes that results in an inferior grade of oil, does that supplier sell the oil anyway or do they discard it?
9. Do they know if the cookers in the distilleries of their suppliers have domed lids or cone shaped lids? Most stills use dome-shaped lids. Cone topped cookers deliver a better grade of oil than dome tops.
10. Do they know if their suppliers supplement the distillation process with solvents to extract additional oil from the plant matter?
11. Do they know if their suppliers bottle their oils directly from the distillery without modifying the composition of the natural oil by adding anything or taking anything away?
12. Do they know if their company has tested their company’s oils side by side with Young Living oils in the same lab to make a fair comparison? And if so, where is the data?
This is not a comprehensive list of questions you could ask, but if their answer to any or most of the above is “no,” or “I don’t know,” then how do they know their oils are “pure therapeutic grade” and that they are “as good or better than those of Young Living?” Without such knowledge, how can they make any verifiable claims that compare Young Living Oils with their brand?
With Young Living, you know that the answer to all of these questions is “Yes.”
This is not posted to degrade any essential oil brand. It is posted to assist those in determining a brand that best fits the standard they may have predetermined or are trying to determine is best for them.
Get Your Oil On!
She makes time for herself
She challenges herself
She educates herself
She understands guilt, acknowledges it and moves on
She knows healthy doesn’t always mean going to the gym
She is financially savvy
She smiles
She can step away from her job and have a life outside of the workplace
She sets goals for herself and hustles to meet them
She knows how to say “no”
She celebrates wins, both big and small
She helps others succeed, not just herself
She knows her own worth
She is always moving forward
She visualizes her successes
She is grateful
