I’ve always engaged in alternative or complimentary health practices, including chiropractic care, massage therapy, Reiki, and acupuncture while practicing nursing in very Western medicine-based hospitals, clinics and schools. 

One day, when I was receiving acupuncture treatment, the practioner asked if I would like to try essential oils rather than needles on acupuncture points. The idea intrigued me but I questioned whether the use of these oils would have the same effect. And boy was I right! The effect was clearly different.

We began by discussing my symptoms. I then settled on the table. She started music and gently placed a drop of oil on her little fingers and placed them at a point in my upper ears, instructing me to breathe deeply and relax. Within a couple of minutes, I was awake but in a near meditative state. I could hear her opening bottles and placing oil on different points but I was so comfortable that the noises in the room had little to no effect.

The music carried me away on a canoe down a river gently bobbing with the waves, sunlight dappling through the trees overhead. The temperature was just right, and the boat rocked my stress and anxiety right down that river, allowing my mind to float up, up, up to the beautiful blue sky. I could smell flowers growing along the edges of the river and pines that reminded me of camping and Christmas. I lost all sense of time and just wanted to stay there, basking in this glorious state of relaxation. 

The practitioner gently touched my shoulder and explained that she would step out while I got up and she would return when I opened the door.  

We talked about the treatment afterwards. My body and mind were so relaxed. Any tension, anxiety or restlessness were gone. The tightness I had been holding onto in my body, melted away. I felt lighter in spirit, as if I had just been reset. Less stress allows for greater physical healing. The joint pain I had was gone.

I was encouraged to drink water and rest when I got home. After a few sessions I was purchasing oils myself because they smelled so great, returning for treatments every week for a while. The healing went beyond what I felt in acupuncture treatments. The layers that needed healing were ever more beautifully lifted each time. Eventually, I decided I wanted to be able to provide this experience for others. 

My love of the oils led me to an in-depth course on the essential oils. Eventually, this quest took me out to Seattle to learn more under the tutelage of Tiffany Carole who, with Peter Holmes, developed this technique. I opened my practice. Something this wonderful needed to be shared with others. I’m happy I remained open to a new modality. The results have been life changing.

Melinda