Mindfulness and Aromatherapy for Stress Relief

What Is Mindfulness?

  Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

(Mindful.org 2020)

  Being mindful is very important for our wellbeing and mental health as it helps us to cope in a world that can often be very stressful and uncertain. This is something we all know and are experiencing at the moment during the Covid-19 global crisis.

How Can We Practice Mindfulness?

  We can practice being mindful in many different ways: meditation, mindful movement (noticing bodily sensations when moving), mindful eating (noticing how your food looks, smells, tastes and concentrating on every mouthful), listening to the sounds around you, and even having a mindful cup of tea or coffee.

The Experience of Deep Relaxation

  If you go to a yoga class that ends with Deep Relaxation, you have experience of doing a mindful body scan, and if you have ever done this, you will notice the feeling of deep relaxation that leaves you floating out of the yoga studio.

Mindfulness Exercises for Daily Life

  Mindfulness exercises can help us fall asleep easily, deal with feelings of anxiety and/or depression, and help us notice how we are feeling. It’s all about being aware.

  The easiest way to be mindful is to sit or lie down in a quiet place, be aware of how your breath feels and sounds, and every time your mind wanders to thinking, worrying etc., bring your awareness back to your breath. Where does your breath go in your body? Your stomach or your chest? Can you feel how your stomach expands or how your breath feels under your nose when you inhale and exhale?

  Mindfulness exercises aren’t always easy, and even the most experienced practitioners can have trouble, but it is always worth trying. Each time you do it is a practice.

What Is Aromatherapy?

aromatherapy
noun

aro·ma·ther·a·py | \ ə-ˌrō-mə-ˈther-ə-pē \

Definition of aromatherapy
Inhalation or bodily application (as by massage) of fragrant essential oils (as from flowers and fruits) for therapeutic purposes. Broadly: the use of aroma to enhance a feeling of well-being.

(Merriam Webster 2020)

Using Aromatherapy to Enhance Mindfulness

  Aromatherapy can be a useful tool in mindfulness as the presence of a scent, or the faint noise of a diffuser, can be very helpful in bringing your awareness back to your breath.

Benefits of Essential Oils

  Essential oils also have potential benefits for our mind and body. For example:

(NHC 2020)

  Incense sticks and cones can also be used as aromatherapy, as well as candles and massage oils. 

Check out our range of Aromatherapy Products HERE.

📚 References

Merriam Webster 2020 – Aromatherapy Definition

Mindful.org 2020 – What Is Mindfulness

NHC 2020 – Essential Oils