Like avocado and toast or acai and granola, yoga and essential oils are a match made in heaven. Whether you’ve been doing yoga for years or don’t know your asana from your pranayama, you can benefit from adding these power-packed aromas to your practice.
Need help to feel grounded during your vinyasa? There’s an oil for that. Want to transform your room into a serene yoga studio? There’s a diffuser blend for that. Can’t seem to get the stinky-feet smell out of your yoga mat? You’re not alone! And guess what? Essential oils can help there too.
Ready to discover the benefits essential oils can bring to your yoga class or at-home routine? Check out some of the best essential oils for yoga, plus ways to perfect your practice with aromatherapy.
Essential oils enhance your yoga practice in many ways, from setting the scene to keeping your mat smelling fresh and clean. Wherever you are in your yoga journey, get more out of your flow with these tips.
1. Namaslay with a room spray. Before you start your sun salutations, mix a few of your favorite oils from the list above in a spray bottle with water. Then spritz into the air to surround yourself with the soothing scents of nature.
YL tip: For 3 ounces of water, add 15–20 drops of oil.
2. Mind your mantra. As you set an intention for your yoga practice, put a drop of Sacred Sandalwood on your heart center.
3. Bring it ommm. Dilute a drop of Patchouli or Clary Sage and rub onto your wrists. Breathe in the scent during difficult poses like crow and wheel.
4. Sink into stillness. One of the best ways to use essential oils in savasana is by rubbing a drop of Lavender or Frankincense into your forehead and massaging it toward your temples.
5. Make a mat mist. Combine 4 ounces water, 4 ounces witch hazel, and 3 drops Orange essential oil in a spray bottle; spritz onto your mat and wipe clean. Roll the mat up when it’s dry.
6. Treat yourself to a spa-like reward. Before you hit the mat, dampen a washcloth with cold water and a drop each of Eucalyptus Radiata and Sacred Sandalwood. Then pop it in the freezer, so it’s nice and frosty for your cooldown.
7. Amp up the ambiance. Set the scene for another successful yoga practice with these studio-worthy diffuser blends.
Transport yourself to a serene mountainside retreat with a rich, earthy blend of Patchouli, Frankincense, and Clary Sage warmed by a pop of sunny Orange.
Importance of Staying Hydrated and How Much Water You Should Be Drinking
Staying hydrated means taking in fluids. Drinking fluids especially water is important for your body. Your body needs water mainly because water makes up about 60% of your body. However, apart from maintaining that balance, there are numerous benefits to staying hydrated:
Improve Physical Performance
During physical activities especially those that are intense, our bodies use up a lot of water. These situations include during workouts, running or carrying heavy weights. Therefore, it is important to stay hydrated before, during and after such intense exercises. Proper hydration increases endurance, reduces fatigue as well as lowers your heart rate.
Cools Down the Body
As a person who is active in exercises, you should know that your body emits heat by increasing the size ofblood vessels close to your skin’s surface. This is why your face and other parts of your body becomes red when you are exercising. This results in more blood flow as well as more heat being released into the air. If you are poorly hydrated, then it takes more effort for environmental temperatures to trigger blood vessels to widen hence you stay hotter.
Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Water is essential to blood formation meaning that with fewer water levels in your body, your blood volume will also be low. This prompts the heart to work twice as hard to pump blood to get oxygen to your cells. In turn, this will make it more difficult for you to walk or walk up a normal flight of stairs.
Better Performance in Muscles and Joints
This is especially important for people who exercise. If well hydrated, then the water inside and outside contracting and expanding muscles facilitates movement of nutrients and oxygen into the muscles and movement of toxins and wastes out of them. This makes them perform better. Water also plays an integral part in lubricating joints.
It is recommended that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water which amounts to about 2 liters of water.
Bioavailability refers to the amount of a given nutrient found in supplements, food or medication that is absorbed and actively used for the biological activity of your cells and tissues. Despite this, bioavailability is often overlooked when it comes to comparing supplement brands.
The determinants of the absorption of supplements into your bloodstream include: nutrition form, time of the day taken, the body’s nutritional needs and the level of absorption of the uterine wall. All these influence the level of bioavailability.
Absorption of Nutrients
Not all the nutrients that you consume will be absorbed and enter your bloodstream. The body can only use a portion that it takes in. Vitamins and minerals have varying bioavailability this can be due to its source, as well as other foods you ate during the meal or how the food is cooked.
After absorption, the number of nutrients retained depend on the needs of your body. This is determined by sex, age, health and the number of nutrients already in your body. The nutritional needs of a young boy and an old man are very different.
Keeping track of your nutrients and minerals
You don’t have to stress about how you are going to keep track of your vitamins with a calculator because you don’t have to. First, make sure to eat a balanced diet. Introduce variety to all your meals including dairy foods, fruits, and vegetables.
Second, avoid popular diet trends because this deprives the body of nutrients that it may need. Eliminating some beneficial interactions among nutrients can amplify negative ones.
Lastly, first try to get your nutrients from whole foods instead of relying only on supplements. Although supplements help with dietary gaps, the nutrients from food are the most important.
There is a huge difference between supplement brands. Regular store-bought supplements tend to yield a much lower absorption rate than premium supplements (another you get what you pay for example). Young Living supplements have an 80% absorption rate compared to conventional supplements, which only have a 30% absorption rate! That is a whopping 50% increase! This tells me you get way more bang for your buck and the supplements will be that much more effective! ⠀ ⠀ The difference in these supplements is in their bioavailability and their essential oil content. Dr. Gary Young was the first to formulate nutritional supplements with essential oils. Essential oils infused into a supplement make the nutrients and vitamins more bioavailable in the body. This means the body can absorb them and use them as nutrients.⠀ ⠀ Are you wondering how it works? Essential oils help increase the assimilation (absorption) of other nutrients on a cellular level and they help remove waste from the cells, which helps detoxify them, in turn causing the cells to function at a higher level!⠀ ⠀ So… The bottom line is that you should 100% be taking Young Living’s supplements over your store bought ones! Start making the switch with an easy one like your Probiotic and get that into your Essential Rewards cart stat!⠀
There’s a million and a half reasons to work out at home: global pandemics, budgets, little ones, time constraints. Or maybe you just prefer your makeshift gym and personal playlist! Even if you’re not a weekend warrior, you can still get into beast mode at home.
Tips for a successful at-home workout
Just because your gym session is under your own roof doesn’t mean you have to give up on gains! Here are some essential oils for your workout and some trade secrets on how to maximize your exercise.
Look forward to it
Instead of viewing your workouts as a chore, treat them like the opportunity of a lifetime. We’ve got these miraculous bodies—let’s get excited to move them! To turn your fitness regimen from to-do list to bucket list:
Find a podcast or TV show that you reserve for working out.
Diffuse a motivational diffuser blends during your reps.
Make it a habit! The more you do it, the more you’ll love it and hate to go without it.
Pencil it in
Designate 30 minutes to an hour that’s reserved for you and your health! Whether you start small with 1–2 days a week or go for the big time with daily reminders, make sure your calendar is set with notifications and alarms to get you going.
Rely on a support system
When that calendar ping isn’t motivation enough to throw on some leggings and start moving, have your friends and family jump in as cheerleaders. Gym buddies aren’t reserved for the gym. That’s why we call them fitness friends!
Find a pal you can text or call right before your workout starts.
Recruit someone in your household to join you! If adults aren’t available and the music is boppin’ enough, kids will love to run around with you.
Count on furry friends too! We promise—if your dog gets in the habit of a daily walk, he’ll never let you forget it!
Add pep to your step with pre-workout
At least 30 minutes before each workout, it is important to increase the amount of water you consume. Supplement this with your choice of NingXia Red® for added nutrition, NingXia Nitro™ and Slique™ Tea to increase alertness, and a clear capsule with 4-6 drops of Lemongrass essential oil to get ready for your workout. These products work together to help improve energy and endurance and increase thermogenics in the body.
Immediately following this preparation, it is important to warm up the body to prepare your muscles for the workout. If your muscles are sore, gently rub a few drops of Peppermint essential oil onto the affected area to help soothe the minor discomfort. As with any workout regimen, a healthy diet and proper technique will help you achieve your fitness goals.
Recommended Pre-Workout Products:
NingXia Red: NingXia Red’s cascading energy and nutrient-rich formula is a perfect way to prepare for any workout.
NingXia Nitro: NingXia Nitro is an all-natural way to enhance physical performance. Not only does it deliver a unique combination of B vitamins, essential oils, and green tea extract, but it also contains Bioenergy Riobose®, a premium ingredient clinically proven to increase energy, accelerate recovery, and reduce fatigue and muscle pain.
Slique Tea: By providing a rare blend of jade oolong leaves, ocotea, and frankincense powder, Slique Tea is a delicious beverage that provides a natural energy boost.
Slique Essence Essential Oil Blend: Young Living’s Slique Essence essential oil blend contains a unique combination of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, spearmint, and ocotea essential oils that uplifts and energizes.
Lemongrass Essential Oil: Lemongrass essential oil contains high levels of citral, a compound that may support thermogenic activity in the body when consumed.
Peppermint Essential Oil: When ingested, Peppermint essential oil supports digestion and may improve concentration and mental acuity. When used topically, it soothes sore muscles.
Mix it up
If you find yourself bored to tears by the same arm and leg workout, try something new! What about yoga? Online videos? A new video instructor? HIIT? Functional fitness or any of the other dozens of trending workouts? Hey, maybe even those old 80s videos hidden in the basement could be fun. If all else fails to grab your attention, turn on some jams and dance around the kitchen!
Give yourself some space
If you can, create a designated area you work out in each day. No extra room? Make do with that you have!
Push furniture aside to make room for yoga mats or floor workouts.
Use a kitchen chair for tricep dips, lunges, or step ups.
Use backpacks with books in them to add resistance or weight.
Anything goes! A kid’s old jump rope is your new cardio. A gallon of milk is your new 8-pound weight. Your kitchen timer is your new interval trainer.
Keep it fresh
With your weekday workout out of the way, you deserve a pick-me-up! Enjoy a spritz of fresh water and a revitalizing scent on your neck, chest, and arms. In a glass spray bottle, combine:
PRO tip: Store the bottle in the fridge for water that is extra cool!
See how far you’ve come
When you hit the gym, you keep track of your PB (personal bests). Why not do the same at home? Every time you go an extra mile, do a few more reps with a heavier weight, or conquer that headstand, celebrate! Jot it down in your journal, share it on social media, call your mom. The important thing is to compete against yourself, not other people, and recognize every win!
End on the right note
If you do anything on this list, make it this one. The second you finish your at-home workout, it can be tempting to rush to the next thing. Treat your body right by recovering right!
Now that you are all warmed up with the pre-workout suggestions, it’s time to begin your workout! When working out it is important to remember three things: technique, hydration, and recovery.
Technique Proper technique and form help you avoid injury and maximize results. A vital part of proper technique is how you breathe. During aerobic exercises, get your breathing into a pattern; when training with weights, exhale when exerting.
Keep Breathe Again™ close by to help open nasal passages. Know your limitations and don’t overdo it. If you are new to this type of exercise, start out with a basic workout.
Hydration The importance of staying hydrated cannot be understated. Keeping your body properly hydrated helps flush out the toxins that are released when working out. Adding a few drops of Peppermint essential oil to your water keeps you alert during your workout.
Recovery Once you’ve finished your workout, be sure to cool down and stretch the worked muscle groups to avoid injury. Drinking Pure Protein Complete™ after a workout delivers much-needed, essential oil-infused amino acids to muscles that have been broken down and worked. Protein also helps build enzymes that help your body adapt to sports that require endurance, such as running or biking.
When your muscles are fatigued, the use of Deep Relief™ Roll-on and PanAway®is encouraged. These essential oil blends should be a must-have in your gym bag and work to help soothe sore and tight muscles. Apply these as desired when you feel discomfort.
Lastly, don’t forget to supplement. Finish off your workout with a 2-oz. shot of NingXia Red® along with Master Formula, an essential oil-infused multivitamin packed with nutrient-dense superfruits, plants, and vegetables that will deliver a full-spectrum of bioactive vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your body. Follow that up with a Slique Bar to minimize hunger cravings between meals and you have the endings of a perfect workout.
Finally, don’t forget your Thieves® Wipes to wipe down your equipment and to keep yourself and family safe from germs.
We hope this series has helped you discover the myriad ways to infuse your workouts with the benefits of Young Living products. Please visit the comments section and share other Young Living products you like to use when working out!
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