Juniper & New Year resolutions
January 2017
January is the time for making life-transforming resolutions, and all too often breaking them before the month is out. Regardless of how much we’d like to try new things or break certain habits, we humans tend to be scared of change. Like most people, I break far more new year’s resolutions than I keep.
For us Northern hemisphere dwellers January falls in the grip of winter. In Traditional Chinese Medicine this is when the Water Element is dominant, with fear as its root emotion. Although an unavoidable and useful emotion at times, fear can hamper change (and therefore make keeping new year’s resolutions tricky), so essential oils with psychological actions of encouraging will-power, confidence and motivation – all great fear-fighting tools – can be very useful at this time of year.
So its time to break out Juniper Berry essential oil! On an energetic level Juniper (Juniperus communis) can help us over-come fear of failure and give flagging confidence levels a boost. It’s a warming and invigorating essential oil, both useful qualities to help sustain our motivation through this dark, chilly month. Also relevant to new year is Juniper Berry’s excellent reputation as a detoxification aid - particularly as a diuretic and lymphatic decongestant - detox being something many of us resolve to treat our bodies to in January.
To help keep motivation for your new year’s resolutions high, try this simple recipe:
- 20mls sunflower, sweet almond or your favourite vegetable base oil.
- 4 drops Juniper Berry essential oil – to support willpower
- 3 drops Grapefruit essential oil – for a touch of sweetness
- 2 drops Black Pepper essential oil – to boost motivation
- 1 drop Spikenard essential oil – to keep you grounded
Thoroughly mix the essential oils with your chosen base oil and carefully pour into two 10ml rollette bottles, making sure the roller ball tops are fully pressed in. Then simply apply to your temples or pulse points as needed. Keep one bottle for yourself and give one to a friend, to help them keep their resolutions too! If it turns out that keeping resolutions still isn’t happening for you this year then give yourself permission not to feel guilty and instead just enjoy your rollette bottle perfume. Happy new year!
Emma Charlton
References
- Battaglia S (1995) The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (2nd edition), Brisbane Australia: The International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy
- Davis P (1988) Aromatherapy an A-Z, Saffron Weldon: Daniel
- Mojay G (1996) Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit, London: Gaia Books Limited
- Mojay G (2015) Aromatherapy & Oriental Medicine Reference Notes (ITHMA course text, unpublished).
- Reichstein G (1998) wood becomes water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, New York & Tokyo: Kodansha