Essential Oils and Chinese Medicine

We use a lot of essential oils (EO) at EAWB, including eucalyptus and lavender in the treatment rooms.  Essential oils are another way that you can get the remedy you need from the natural world around you.  Essential oils are really special and unique because they are considered the essence, and the potential of the plant. All EO therefore resonate with our own essence, and our own great potential.  In this connection, we can use EO to facilitate the full manifestation of self-expression. A cool thing to note is that EO are so concentrated that just one drop acquired off the tip of a toothpick can be an effective dose when using for intentional application. There is a direct connection to the brain through the olfactory nerve, so EO can deliver messages via the sense of smell in an efficient way! All EO affect the defensive Qi, which is the Qi that you can imagine as a force field surrounding you helping to keep the unwanted things (like colds and viruses) out.  The use of EO brings the message of the plant directly to you as opposed to a technique like needling, which brings the message of the practitioner in addition to the message of the needles.  

The Chinese Medicine approach to EO mirrors CM herbal practice. In prescription remedies, very rarely is there use of a single oil- they are almost always used in formulations. The goal of EO formulas is to restore or bring balance, just like herbal formulas. 

There are several methods of delivery for EO and how they are delivered will depend on why they are needed and the person that they are for. You might use an inhaler. Inhalers are very good for people who are using the oil for something in the moment like panic attacks. Steam inhalation is especially effective for exterior wind invasions (colds & flus). You might apply the EO topically, either “neat” on an acupuncture point with a toothpick, or diluted on an area of the body with a dropper or a roller to resonate with your deep level constitutional Qi.  You might use the EO’s in a rub (like a chest rub or a muscle rub) via a roller or salve to help open the orifices or to relieve pain.  You might diffuse the EO in a diffuser to permeate the entire space you are in for warding off illness or encouraging calm and relaxation. Or, perhaps, you might use EO’s in the bath with an emulsifier like salt, aloe, or baking soda for luxurious (and medicinal!) self-care. Occasionally, EO’s will be taken internally with honey, vinegar, or warm water OR as a gargle for issues with the mouth or abdominal spasms. 

EO can be used for so many things, if you have questions about EO, please reach out!