It's that time of the year again!

If your kids are in public school like mine, and/or you are a school teacher, like both my husband and I, you are acutely aware of the petri-dish of particulates that infiltrate the halls, clinging to desks and handrails, just waiting to bring down the next classroom and eventually households of victims with high temps, sniffles, and hacking coughs. 

As we know well, when we miss school, we miss out, but the physical acclimation of returning in the fall is rough! And, it's not just physical illness that bring students and teachers down. For young developing emotions, the social stigmas, friendships, pressure to do well, and testing stress can wreak havoc on behavior, creating a less than desirable classroom environment that can require more tools than we teachers or parents may be packing in our belt on any given day. 

And then there's Mother Nature with more tools!

My inherent nature as both mother and teacher is to nurture and provide protection for the children in my care. Our basic needs include oxygen, water, food, shelter, and sleep. I would add love and health care. In regards specifically to family health, mothers each have their own system of practice and philosophy, possibly dependent upon means available, tradition, and/or religion to meet these needs. In the last few years, I have put my trust in natural medicine to be used for powerful overall wellness support.

Essential oils have supplemented and supported my family’s health in a number of situations. From seasonal and environmental threats, coughs, and head tension, to high body temperatures, chills, nausea, and tummy bugs, as well as scrapes, cuts, burns, and bruises, and even stress and sadness, essential oils provide powerful alternatives, allowing our health needs to be met and then some.
​
Of course our attention to health goes beyond the walls of our homes. It's hard not to spread the love and powerful properties of essential oils everywhere. Why not in my classroom? So, through the school year, in addition to the anti-sick rollerbottle blends on each bedside table at home, cool-mist aromatic diffusers running in every room to soothe the mind or the rattly chest, I also keep a diffuser going (upon parent consent), in my 5th grade classroom with a collection of essential oils ready to purify and aromify, naturally enhancing our days at our desks. 

In two school years so far, do you know what I have found? Between my family and students, there have been significantly less sick days and a more positive atmosphere overall. Nail that A to the wall!

Essential Oils 101: The Basics

What IS an essential oil?

Essential oils are naturally occurring compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, and flowers of plants. They assist in a plant’s growth, reproduction, regeneration, and protection. An oil is "essential" in that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance. 

For humans, the minuscule molecular size of essential oils makes them readily available through the nasal cavity's olfactory system for both psychological and physiological healing. While they are commonly "diffused" into the air for aromatic protocols, many pure therapeutic grade essential oils are safe enough to be ingested and are also highly absorbent through the skin for effective topical applications. 

Most essential oils are high in antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties and have, for thousands of years, been used for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits as natural alternatives in holistic self-care practices. They can be used a single oil at a time or in complex blends depending on user experience and desired benefit. 

Curriculum for Classroom Aromatherapy - 
Potential Protocols for Teachers, Students, and Parents:

I don't have a strict regimen, but I do have a little rhyme and reason for "aromatically influencing" students. ;)

Diffused In the Classroom or on a Diffusing Necklace 

• Memory & Recall: Peppermint, Rosemary, Frankincense
• Alert & Focus/Concentration: Peppermint, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense,  Lavender, Cedarwood, Vetiver
• Cleansing/Germs-Be-Gone: Wild Orange, Lemon, Lime, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Siberian Fir, White Fir, Pine, Citronella, Melaleuca, Cilantro
• Coughs & Congestion: Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Cardamom, 

Additionally helpful at home:

• Calming & Restful Sleep: Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Spruce, Ho Wood, Blue Tansy, Frankincense
• Wake Up: Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Bergamot , Peppermint

Topical Applications:
All of the above can be applied topically as well. *Use Fractionated Coconut or other carrier oil to dilute at a 1:2 ratio for children.* Apply to bottoms of feet, pulse points on wrists and neck, along the spine, and over the heart.

• Head Tension: Wintergreen, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Cilantro, Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Basil, Rosemary
• Rollerbottle Blend: (see recipe below) - a must-have through the seasons!
• Hand Sanitizer: (see recipe below)

If you have even an ounce of skepticism about the powerful connections of women, let me anonymously quote a series of texts that buzzed my phone the day after returning from last weekend's girls' trip. "Down River Divas" is the come-to-life concept dreamed up by one of my first fast Colorado friends - a sage river spirit, who shines with the essence of diva. In her womanly wisdom and intentional energy, she tested the waters of this vision on her wide circle of friends. What she planned and executed was a compelling millieu for women lost in life-induced disconnectedness, to resurrect the dying rituals of sisterhood.

Allow the conversation to tell the story of a trip that began with four loaded rafts, which embarked on the seasonally swift current of the Colorado River, carrying 15 beautifully strong yet slightly broken women. From the pace we run through life, heads tangled in the web between our frenetic waking hours and restless few hours of sleep, our souls reach for the naked wild among our like. In spite of our schedules - because of our schedules, when we each received the invite, without hesitation, we threw our bikinis, costumes, journals, lotions, potions, disco ball, and hungry hearts into our dry bags for a three day/two night evolution of stripping layers and reviving. A divine diva intervention!

"I was going to bed last night missing all of you and the sounds of the river, giggles, and beautiful tunes. ... thank you again for creating space to gather, be ourselves and realize how much we are all connected and navigating similar tributaries in life and that we are not alone..."

"I woke up in my house in the city this morning wondering 'what happened to my beautiful desert?!' and 'these children aren't nearly as affirming or helpful as my river women!' It was so lovely while it lasted. Thank you (...) for organizing and thank you everyone for making it so amazing!"

"Big smile, heartfelt sigh and LOVES... Thank you everyone for filling us all up!"

"Lovelies, what a glorious opportunity to form lasting Goddess connections!...These (texts) have blanketed me with gratitude all day. Thank you!... Sending big hugs all around the circle."

"Hello my River Sisters! I'm boarding my flight back (home) now. I'm feeling amazing, strong, refreshed, and beaming with happiness thanks to all of you!"

"Best. Trip. Ever."

"I am counting down the days until next year! Love you all."

"The river don't talk, the river don't care
where you've been, what you've done,
why it is you're standin' there.
It just (flows) on by, whispering to your soul
it's gonna be alright,
the river just knows."
~Rodney Atkin

The first morning after a restless night in my tent, acclimating to vacation mode after an intense end of the school year, I pulled up a camp chair to the circle and dreamily drank in female conversation and coffee. As we de-fogged, we migrated with our paco pads to a cool sandy wash, still slightly damp from the flow of a desert storm only two nights before. Shaded by a cottonwood tree, we were led in a beautiful practice of yoga. The essential oil of Clary Sage seemed the perfect contribution - a drop applied to our Third Eye Chakra to help facilitate opening and clarity with specific attention to the baggage we carry as females.

Grief is a multifaceted response to the loss of something or someone with which or whom we had a significant connection with.
Grief sends us through a labyrinth of very emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, spiritual, philosophical, and visceral dimensions. We spend varying lengths of time working through the notable five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, regret, and depression. While we express each stage with different levels of intensity, and not necessarily in any specific order, it seems the common consensus is that only after having moved between all of the stages, do we achieve a more peaceful acceptance of loss.  

No matter how many times we have experienced the very hardest losses in life, which for me include the death of my mom at the ugly hand of cancer, and the unfathomable mental anguish that took my niece's life, our game is thrown; our defense is blown. Though we expect to greive, grief and its phases are unpredictably circumstantial.  The process ebbs and flows like a river, or it can be as manic as spring weather in the mountains. And sometimes spring can drag on and on before the warmth of summer's acceptance. 

But with grief, comes resilience. 

While bliss and tragedy swirl around us, we are indispensably born to grieve, and hardwired to reset.

Yesterday, our community simultaneously grieved and celebrated the loss of an incredibly dedicated and passionate teacher, wife, mother, daughter, and colleague. I was honored to stand with my remaining 5th grade team to speak to this dedication, along with her strength, passion, integrity, grit, enthusiasm, spirit, and endless endurance, even through ten years of cancer and treatments that would otherwise break most. She never complained or felt sorry for herself - it was more important for her to continue motivating, coaching, and making those around her feel important, than it was to show her own pain. She more than touched the lives of countless students with her big hugs and even bigger smile over her 22 years of teaching. She had a profound impact on each, which was illustrated by her 5th graders, high schoolers, and graduates who stood to attest her impact. She leaves us with a legacy to carry on.

This is being chalked up as one of my toughest losses and I haven't quite put my finger on why I've grieved in such a profound way. I did not really "know" her well. Never did she share her biggest fears or greatest accomplishments. We never indulged in "girl talk", and we never had time together away from kids. However, we were both working mothers - teaching mothers, and as such, I was always in awe of her energy and high expectations of accountability for her students and her own children. I looked to her for inspiration to step up from simply moving through my days with mediocrity. 

It's been a rough couple of months here at the end of the school year for our team and our school of colleagues, but we have had some opportunity to grieve together, support each other, and celebrate what has been left for us because of her. Today we played in our annual Teachers vs. 8th Grade basketball game. In honor of our number one coach, her daughter stepped in to lead our win, while we sported our new jerseys in memory of her Super Fan spirit of teamwork. Here's what it's all about.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. S.

Essential oils have been a great support to me in many ways. During this period of grieving, I have been incorporating mood-specific blends into my own processing and moving through the stages.

The dōTERRA Mood Matrix illustrates the complex interplay of the emotional and physical components of moods. Our emotional state can be anywhere between No Peace to No Passion, while our physical state can be anywhere between Stressed and Fatigued.

When the two diagrams are overlayed, we have a matrix with our moods categorized into zones.

dōTERRA Essential Oil Blends are designed carefully and specifically for each zone.  

Zone I: The Serenity Calming Blend contains Lavender Flower, Sweet Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Ylang Ylang Flower, Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oils and Vanilla Bean Absolute. This blend is used to calm the mind, relax the body, and soothe the soul. 

Zone II: The Citrus Bliss Invigorating Blend contains Wild Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Grapefruit Peel, Mandarin Peel, Bergamot Peel, Tangerine Peel, Clementine Peel essential oils and Vanilla Bean Absolute. This blend is energizing and refreshing, uplifting mood.

Zone III: The Elevation Joyful Blend contains Lavandin Flower, Lavender Flower, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Tangerine Peel, Melissa Flower, Ylang Ylang Flower, Elemi Resin, Osmanthus Flower, and Lemon Myrtle Leaf essential oils. This special blend is great for inspiring, encouraging and cheering.

Zone IV: The Balance Grounding Blend contains Spruce Needle/Leaf, Ho Wood, Frankincense Resin, Blue Tansy Flower, and Blue Chamomile Flower essential oils in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil. This unique blend evokes feelings of tranquility and balance, and is grounding and reassuring.

How To Use The Oils In The Mood Matrix

Order of application and dosage:  While each of these oil blends can be used specifically and independently of each other as needed, it is recommended to layer the oils when experiencing the dynamic stages of grief or stress. Two to three drops of each oil is suggested, in the following order: Serenity, Citrus Bliss, Elevation, and Balance.

Location of application: Apply over the area of concern. If you have lower back pain, apply the oils to the lumbar vertebrae. Feeling tightness in your chest? Apply the oils over your heart. Experiencing a headache above your eyebrows? Apply to your forehead. If in doubt, apply the mood matrix oils to the bottoms of your feet or the back of your neck.

Number of applications: How often you apply these oils varies with each individual circumstance. You may only need to perform the mood matrix once or twice a week, or you might require it once or twice a day. It is all relative to individual stress levels.

Aroma of essential oils: Take time when applying each oil blend to inhale them deeply through your nose and exhale through the mouth. Emotions are stored in the limbic system of our brain, which is readily accessible through the olfactory nerve. The only way we can access and release emotions, is through our sense of smell.

Find these invaluable essential oil blends at www.mydoterra.com/mountaingaia

School teachers don't need an excuse for happy hour on a Friday afternoon. Our internal GPS are pretty honed in on gathering spots offering discounted refreshments when the last bell rings after another week confined in classrooms and absorbed in curriculum.  

This week, we did have an excuse, and the gathering spot was at my place, decked-out to celebrate not one, but TWO of our staff members getting hitched this summer. Girls-only happy hour, elevated and extended!

With my offer to host, of course, I became obsessed with that special touch, as if simply catching up over apps and cocktails isn't enough. I wanted something interactive, but bridal shower games weren't in the cards with this crowd. And due to HoneyFund travel registries set up for online contributions, the brides would be without a pile of presents to open and awkwardly model for a gaggle of giddy guests. 

Leave it to my husband to think up in-house gift-making that would send brides AND guests home with gifts to unwrap and even USE. I jumped on the idea and paired it with the passion to share my love of essential oils. Baskets-O-Bliss, Spa Fun! 

The beauty of crafting these days is our limitless access to resources and recipes on the world wide web. From Pinterest to Amazon, Etsy, and the bombardment of blogs (yes, I am now guilty of taking up space and contributing to the infinite info-net), I narrowed the plethora of DIY ideas and modified them to assemble four creation-stations. Guests could get crafty, each assembling one spa gift for the bridal basket, and one to take home for themselves. 

Despite the cool and drizzly evening, ladies found their way to the porch after mingling, munching, and marg-blending, to mix and mold like mad scientists, taking in the aromatic awesomeness of doTERRA essential oils. When finished, they deposited jars and bottles into the collective bridal spa basket, and tucked one goody away for their own indulgence. Mission accomplished.

Below is the post-champagne toast n' roast shake-down on Bridal Shower & Bath goodies.

Relax & Recover Spritz
Makes one 2oz bottle
We made several in no time!

Supplies needed:
Desired amount of glass 2oz spray bottles*
2oz funnel
One pipette if needed (the viscosity of Cedarwood EO can increase with a drop in temperature. Remove the plastic drop regulator to access oils with pipette.)
Labels if desired**

*I ordered one dozen 2oz amber glass bottles from Amazon.com. Find them here:
Glass spritzer bottles
**Gift Tags

Ingredients:
2-24 ounces of Distilled Water, depending on how many bottles you make
doTERRA Lavender Essential Oil
doTERRA Cedarwood Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Remove spray nozzle and carefully fill bottle with distilled water via the funnel. (Note that funnels can be tricky, as you can easily overflow the bottle if a seal is created at the neck.)
2. Add 5 drops Lavender EO + 5 drops Cedarwood EO.
3. Replace spray nozzle and add label as desired.
4. Spray on bed linens for relaxation, into air for healthy breathing, as well as on skin for healing.