Aromatherapy and Masks: a little relief

How I remember that one shop back in March. Stop in the essential oil aisle and the lavender is already emptied off the shelf! Scan, scan, scan. Bergamot. Grab it and go. Since then, I've been placing essential oils at every twist and turn. Bedside, near the sofa, in my purses, in the office. I bought a few diffusers; the one for my car has served me well!

But wearing those masks? That's tough. Don't need to say much about it since everyone has been through it and knows the challenges of driving around town and wearing a mask, sometimes keeping it on because it's just hard to take it off, put it on, take it off.

Here's a few tips that have helped me wearing masks around town and in stores.

If you have a mask with a pocket, slip a couple sprigs of lavender inside. Instant scent of lavender. I even pinch the lavender so it emits more scent. I know you're not supposed to touch your mask, but I'm washing my hands after leaving every store, so I feel safe. If that makes you nervous, just keep the lavender handy in your car and scrunch it up as you drive around. Keep the one in the pocket in tact. It does give off a scent. I sometimes put the lavender in a sachet, sometimes not.

Another mask pocket tip is to just put a few drops of essential oil on a wet paper towel and slip that into the pocket. (Haven't tried that one, but a friend told me about it)

But my favorite one of all - my very own idea, combining essential oils and crystals - is to have a seamstress, preferably a relative, sew you up a quilted mask with a hexagon covering the nose. Leave a secret opening on one side of the hexagon and slip in a black tourmaline stone and a bit of lavender to boot! Tourmaline to counter negative energy; lavender to keep the deep breaths flowing. Whatever works, right?

The hexagons in the mask pictured here were the last quilt pieces made by my mother, so that makes this mask very special indeed.

If the idea of a quilted "hexie" mask with a little compartment over the nose interests you, do let me know. Just starting to put feelers out for this mask, with aim of having some ready for December. Custom orders may be possible and proceeds would be used to fund Native American tribes' PPE needs in South Dakota and New Mexico. I've got lots of relatives who sew and we've been busy with mask making. Well, they've been busy. I don't sew . . .yet. My niece sent me several bags of hexies that were my mothers. I'm feeling a call to learn.

What are your mask and aromatherapy tips for keeping calm and relaxed in these challenging times? Leave a comment and share with others! Let's support each other. What are your favorite essential oils? Mine? Bergamot, lavender, sweet orange, geranium, and peppermint.

I'm back to teaching, but I'm still offering Reiki sessions in late afternoons, early evenings and weekends. Please reach out if you'd benefit from a 30-minute session. With the change of season, election insanity, spikes in COVID, civil unrest, not to mention our individual stressors, it's a bit much. Stay steady with Reiki! Book a Reiki session today

Thanks again for taking time to read this blog post. Be well!