Finding Your Perfect Match - Essential oils for Fertility
I am absolutely delighted that the lovely Leora Leboff of Aura Holistic Therapies has written this fabulous guest post on essential oils for fertility. Here’s what Leora has to tell us…….
Essential Oils for Fertility…….
Google is an incredible vehicle, any thought, any query, any question that requires an answer is at your fingertips.
But, sometimes face to face interaction is far more effective.
This is how I feel about our relationship with essential oils.
There seems to be an infinite amount of information about essential oils on line, making all manner of claims, including those with a focus on fertility.
Some information is accurate, some is helpful, some is not based on reliable research; some is fuelled by sales. What then is often the most reliable way of knowing that an essential oil is appropriate for you? It’s simple, and where aromatherapy begins - with smell!
As a Women’s Health Practitioner and Aromatherapist working with fertility, my passion lies with knowledge that essential oils can offer support physically, psychologically and emotionally. By using bespoke oil choices for each woman, the selection often depends on their relationship with the odour of the oil.
Here is some straightforward science to explain why.
Two systems come in to play to allow us to smell an odour; the olfactory system and the limbic system.
The olfactory system or olfaction is our ability to smell – an odour attaches to receptors in the nasal cavity and travels up to the olfactory bulb in the brain then on to the limbic system, which is made up of various parts of the brain which support emotion, behaviour, motivation, long term memory as well as olfaction.
With the limbic system, also known as the reptilian or the old brain – there’s no rationalising; it’s primitive and uncompromising.
Think about a time when you may have noticed the smell of an aftershave that your grandpa/Dad/old boyfriend used to wear on someone else - memories and emotions, positive or negative, are invoked immediately.
This why one-size-fits-all, is often not appropriate approach with essential oils.
When giving talks on aromatherapy, I invite participants to take part in a smell test, where I ask them to feel into the emotion that is evoked from smelling an oil. Everyone will smell the same oil, and practically every participant will have a different response.
This is particularly pertinent on the fertility journey; an oil may be indicated for a physical issue, but if a strong negative response is elicited emotionally, that oil may be inappropriate to use.
That said, we do have to create a starting point of theory with our use of essential oils.
As possible suggestions, here are three oils that may play a part in a fertility programme of care.
Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
Distilled from the fragrant leaves of the plant. It has a sweet and floral aroma.
It’s a gentle and balancing oil used for many menstrual conditions, where balance both physically and emotionally is required.
Emotionally geranium is considered a harmonising oil. Where there is emotional imbalance, mood swings or depression the aroma may bring calm.
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
Distilled from the flowering tops and leaves of the plant. It has a musky, warm herbaceous odour.
Considered to be one of the most useful oils to support the menstrual cycle, whether for encouraging menstruation and stimulating the uterus. There is discussion in the Aromatherapy world as to whether the oil has direct oestrogenic action, so it should be used with the support of a practitioner.
Clary Sage is helpful where there is emotional disconnect and coldness.
German Chamomile (Matricaria recutica)
This is a blue-coloured oil distilled from the daisy-like flower heads. It has an intensely sweet and fruity aroma.
The blue colour of the oil is an indication of it’s anti-inflammatory properties. It is helpful for the digestive system, the immune system, inflammatory skin conditions, inflammatory joint conditions. Where there is inflammation, German Chamomile can offer support.
For our purposes with fertility it can ease painful periods or help to regulate menstruation.
It has a deeply calming psychological effect. It’s not just physical inflammation that the oil can give relief from. Anger, irritability, insomnia, are all possible indications for using the oil and all likely to arise when on the fertility journey.
The three oils suggested can be used to make a beautiful fertility-enhancing blend. But explore the oils and your relationship with them, simply through smell and how they make you feel.
Google is wonderful, but the true art of aromatherapy, the relationship with odour, and the difference it can make to your oil choices when supporting your fertility opens a world of opportunity.
The Don’t Forget Safety Notes:
- Safe dilution is key. A guide for the number of drops (either of one essential oil, or the essential oils combined) is 15mls (a tablespoon) of a base oil such as coconut oil or sunflower oil, use no more than 11 drops of an essential oil to give a 2.5% dilution which is generally tolerated by most skin types.
- There are essential oil use protocols during assisted fertility protocols. Please be guided by a practitioner.
- ***Please do not take essential oils internally unless under the care of a clinical aromatherapist who will guide you on safe methods of ingestion. Taking essential oils in water may be damaging to your digestive tract. If you are on an assisted journey the oils may interact with your medication.
Leora Leboff offers one to one sessions for Fertility Massage with Aromatherapy, or offers consultations on Skype.
Thank you Leora for this fabulous and informative blog. Are you hungry to find out more? You can connect with Leora right here:
https://www.facebook.com/Auraholistictherapies/