Back-to-School Essentials 101

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.
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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!

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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. 

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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)

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Must-Have School-Year Blends

Winter Elixir Rollerbottle Blend:
In a 10ml glass rollerball bottle, mix:

18 drops Lemon
14 drops Protective Blend (Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary)
14 drops Melaleuca
10 drops Oregano
Enough Fractionated Coconut Oil to fill the remaining space

Gently shake to mix and apply to bottoms of feet at bedtime, and or to lymph nodes on neck, as well as pulse points on wrist. Gentle enough for kids - my family uses it several times each week for prevention and support more often throughout the winter.

Hand Sanitizer-on-the-Go
5 Tablespoons aloe vera gel
4 Tablespoons water
½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
10 drops Protective Blend essential oils
5 drops Wild Orange essential oil

Combine in a squeezable 4oz container - this is our family size - we recycle doTERRA's Fractionated Coconut Oil bottle. Half the recipe for a more commonly used 2oz portable pocket size. Shake well and you’re ready to throw in a backpack or desk to clean hands on-the-go between classes.

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Internal Support:

• Tummy Aches: Digestive Blend (Ginger, Peppermint, Tarragon, Fennel, Caraway, Coriander, Anise) Softgels, also in oil form to dilute topically on little tummies
• Environmental Protection: Protective Blend Softgels, also in oil form - dilute on little feet.

       
​More supplements found at www.mydoterra.com/mountaingaia

Make it your brainiest year yet and stay healthy with powerfully natural solutions!

*As a Wellness Advocate, I don't claim essential oils to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I can offer educated suggestions and answer any questions - you don't even have to raise your hand! Use the email below. Do your homework and research the benefits of essential oils for yourself.

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For more information, visit www.mountaingaia.com
or contact Annie at mountainkidsmama@gmail.com

For ordering at retail, go to www.mydoterra.com/mountaingaia

Wholesale membership - a 25% savings available! You do the math. ;)