Reboot Willpower Through Yoga and Aromatherapy

Any time we make a decision, there are 3 levels we can process from: 1. The mind, 2. The heart, 3. Personal inspiration / intuition. This is quite a profound concept. We can actually process the same situation and come up with 3 distinct outcomes, depending on the avenue of approach.

When we stay "in our heads" while thinking about challenges or goals, we tend to make decisions that are fear- based. We might worry about offending someone, try to anticipate worst case scenarios that we feel emotionally connected to, try to avoid some type of pain or run any other options through our filter of trying to be safe. When we make decisions from this space, they may not be for our best good, and we may continue to feel uneasy about the situation.

When we make decisions "from the heart, " we are much more emotionally connected to the intricacies of the situation we are processing. We tend to be more aware of what we really want, and make decisions focused on intent. Decisions made from this space tend to be much more satisfying because we are headed 'towards' something rather than merely 'away' from something.

Sometimes we are able to make decisions from the next level, the place of intuition. Some people might call this listening to your 'inner voice' or your 'Higher Power.' The synergistic benefit of this decision- making process comes from starting with the heart (you know your intention and where you want to go), and then take time to become still, meditate, listen, and surrender. Decisions made from this space allow us to manifest (being to fruition) the most marvelous things because we simply allow the best to unfold rather than try to force an outcome. This is the essence of faith and trust, the opposite of fear.

So the next time you find yourself facing a decision, be aware of your body’s sensations and inherent reactions and especially be aware of your feelings. What space are you in - mind, heart or intuition? And if you'd like to get into intuition, to that space of mindfulness and surrender, your first tip is: Breathe. Slowly inhaling and exhaling while focusing on your breath is one of the most powerful things you can do to quiet your mind and own self-mastery. Add a pure calming (Roman chamomile, Marjoram and Lavender) or grounding essential oil blend (try Cedarwood, Wild Orange and Pettigrain) or a respiratory blend (Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Cardamom) to instantaneously deepen your ability to process on the 3rd level of intuition. You can place a drop in your palms, cup your hands, rub along the sides of the sides/back of the neck, or at pulse points, and breathe deeply. You can add Warrior poses to anticipate your steps and bring on feelings of readiness, or any heart opening pose for that matter, to draw you into a more open-minded place of compassion and acceptance (like Salabhasana/Locust pose, Supta Buddha Konasana/Reclined Bound Angle pose, or Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana/Revolved Head to Knee pose) for even more benefits! We'll have more tips next week to learn some AMAZING strategies for combining yoga with essential oils so you can exercise more mindfulness in every facet of your life. Join us for the Essential Yoga Sangha, our two week online course which starts Oct 7! Note there are two variations of the course, one is for yoga and essential oil enthusiasts (novice or seasoned) and the other will provide 10 CECs for Yoga Alliance yoga teachers. Hope to see you in our EYP Sangha!