August 16th 2017

Edit: Pls excuse the weird facial expression and lack of makeup lol 

A friend of mine asked me how i've been using essential oils to help with my grief and losing Willow. If you're interested, here's the short version and what I told her: 

My go-to's since having Willow have been Trauma Life, Release, Into the future, Joy, and lots of geranium and forgiveness. I KNOW they have made a difference in my overall perspective and happiness. I also wear jasmine every. single. day. I basically smell like a walking flower shop. lol I also diffuse Release and lavender all night because night is typically when I have the hardest time for some reason so those two help me get to sleep and stay asleep. Trauma life has helped me feel like I'm not carrying a backpack full of sorrow-bricks on my back and Into the future has helped me feel hopeful about what's to come. Mourning a whole lifetime of experiences lost can really suck but Joy helps a lot too. Coming back to Lebanon after being gone 8 weeks was rough and so I've needed all the help I can get and using oils has been a large part of how I get through the day. Also forgiveness, it's a great oil that just makes me feel good. I don't have to forgive anyone for losing Willow, but if I did i'm sure it'd be helpful for that too. And lastly, Geranium is what I call my "self-love" oil and I totally think it stinks but I'm trying to love it along with loving myself lol.

I of course attribute all my healing to my Father in Heaven who I know is probably loving on my sweet baby girl right this second 

* I love picturing that <3 * 

but He also gave us plants for our benefit and to keep us healthy and to heal. I truly believe plants can help us heal emotionally just like they can physically. I think grief is more than just a mental state of mind. In a book I'm reading by Dianna Edwards she says "Grief is our emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual response to loss." And I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Also as much as God can grant peace to our heart and souls without us trying, I believe He wants us to try. He wants us to try and do all that we can to heal ourselves on our own and then He will makeup the rest. He gathers up the slack AFTER we have done all that we possibly can. So my response to that regarding oils is to find and use all the oils I can that He has provided me with for my benefit. I'm definitely not saying I'm only using oils to heal, but I am saying they are a great tool we've been given and I have definitely reaped the benefits of using them. 

PS. Thanks for asking me that quesiton Audrey, I hadn't thought about it much before but it definitely brought more gratitude for God's creations into my heart. 

www.myyl.com/Ariel