Quick Answer: Best Essential Oils for Meditation
- Chamomile Essential Oil
- Clary Sage Essential Oil
- Frankincense Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Neroli Essential Oil
- Patchouli Essential Oil
- Sandalwood Essential Oil
- Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Meditation is defined as a self introspecting practice which helps us to train both mind and body.
It comprises of four stages which are preparing the body, being attentive and feeling the changes, active reception, and higher consciousness [1].
It helps to emotionally regulate the brain and develop capacities such as clarity and concentration. [2]
Meditation is therapeutic in focusing attention. [3] It can regulate internal mechanisms of the body like heart rate, digestion, and hormone production.
It reduces pain, stress, [4] blood pressure, cortisol (stress hormone). It uplifts mood, increases gray matter in the brain [5] and improves our immune system. [6]
A study reported left frontal lobe tends to have more electrical activity in optimistic people, this was observed in people trained for 8 weeks in meditation. [7]
Meditation provides inner peace [8]. It is inexpensive, simple and does not need any equipment; also there are no time or space constrictions.
It is of various types such as guided, mantra, mindfulness, Qi gong, Tai chi, transcendental, and yoga. [9]
Benefits include emotional stability, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills development, decreased reactivity (anger) and increased patience level. [10] [11] [12]
Medically it corrects allergies, asthma, binge eating, pain, and sleep problems. [13] [14]
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile constituents synthesized in the secretory structures of plants such as glands, secretary hair, duct, cavities or resin ducts. [15]
They are low molecular weight compounds extracted from gums, resin, seeds, needles, roots, leaves, flowers, stem, grass, bark, and twigs of a plant.
Essential oils are lipophilic and can be extracted using steam distillation or cold compression.
These oils are mixtures of volatile compounds containing hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ethers, ketones, phenols, and terpenes.
These oils are extensively used in therapeutic remedial, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and in spas.
Essential oils are administered using three techniques:
- Aromatherapy: used in a steam inhaler, room diffuser, bath blends
- Topical application: massage oils, lotions, creams
- Oral ingestion (comparatively lower preference ): capsules
Therapeutic Actions of Essential Oils During Meditation?
Essential oils have healing properties and work through their active ingredients matching hormonal structures in the body.
These oils are soothing and calming to the brain, body, and soul.
Volatile oils are effective in reducing anxiety, aggression, and tension from everyday professional commitments or personal tangles.
They bring the person to the level of tranquil and relax them. [16]
Essential oils such as clove, frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood have a strong and divine fragrance that helps in calming mind.
Amyris essential oil is exemplary for inner contemplation and meditation. [17]
Sweet basil essential oil calms and reduces stress. It improves mental clarity, encourages dreaming and is helpful during meditation. [18]
Lemon oil aids in quick thinking, eliminated confusion. It is highly potent in clearing negative thoughts before meditation. The aroma of oil created a warm and comfortable feeling for others.
Pine oil, Rosemary oil, Cedarwood oil clears physical space of stagnation, negative vibrations and provide a comfortable atmosphere for meditation.
Find out in the next section the best essential oils that will take you in the relaxing zone and help you meet yourself!
Best Essential Oils for Meditation
Here is the bucket full list of aroma oils that will ease you during meditation. They will synergize your focus on the most important thing and will heal you internally and externally.
Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile essential oil is steam distilled from flowers of strongly aromatic herb which has a beautiful deep blue color and has a warm, sweet, herbal fragrance.
Meditation allows relieving stress and tension and using chamomile oil in a blend enhances its quality.
It has soothing, calming properties balances mood swings and has restorative effects on the body.
The oil eases discomfort and controls temper tantrums in kids. It strengthens focus, induces calm and peace, and provides emotional stability. [19]
Best way to use: Can be used as a room diffuser, steam inhalation, bath oils.
Bath blend: 4 ounces sweet almond carrier oil, 20 drops Lavender essential oil, 12 drops Roman chamomile essential oil, 8 drops Sandalwood essential oil, 8 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil, 2 drops Neroli essential oil. [20]
Usage:
- Pour sweet almond oil in a bowl.
- Add the oils in mentioned amounts and stir to combine, keep it for synergizing.
- Pour the blend into a dark-colored glass bottle and close the cap tightly. Keep this refrigerated when not in use.
- Run a warm water bath. Add 5-10 ml of the blend in the running water of the bathtub.
- Soak in it for at least 15 minutes for the action to take place or unless you are less tense.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
The method of extraction for nutty and herbal scented Clary sage oil is from flowers and flowering tops. The plant is commonly known as salvia.
The oil is euphoric among all essential oil and is uplifting, intoxicating, and deeply relaxing.
This is a perfect fit to be used to calm you during meditation.
Best way to use: Body massages or room diffuser
To allay anxiety and fear this blend is promising, take 7 drops of bergamot FCF* essential oil, 3 drops of Geranium essential oil, 4 drops of Clary sage essential oil.
Use for massage on back, arms, feet, and hands. Take 2-3 drops and dilute in carrier oil 5 ml carrier oil
When using as a diffuser, take 4 drops of undiluted blend. [21]
*FCF is furanocoumarin free; it means chemical constituents such as Bergapten are removed from essential oil. They are known to cause skin sensitivity to sunlight. [22]
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil is rich scented which will make you fresh and warm. The oil is steam distilled from resin.
It is extracted from the leaves of the tree which have pinnate shape.
The oil promotes spiritual awakening and enhances meditation practice. [23]
It is powerful to ward off negative mental energy, emotional turbulence, fear, depression, sadness, and low self-esteem.
The oil has anti-depressant and calmative properties. The oil is extensively used in religious and spiritual settings.
The active ingredient ‘tetrahydrocannabinol’ is a ‘consciousness-expanding substance' present in the smoke of burnt resin of frankincense plant.
This resin is used to make the essential oil and its use in incense, meditation, and worship. [24]
Meditation is all about concentrating; this magical oil helps to calm, focus, and reduces stress, fear and anxiety.
Best way to use: Administered using Diffuser, spritzer, and massage blend.
- Blend for anointing oils (Anointing oil blend is applied one on the forehead, only 1 drop is used on the forehead or third eye)
Blend: take 5 ml of carrier oil. To this, add 2 drops of Sandalwood essential oil, 1 drop Frankincense essential oil, 1 drop Cedarwood essential oil, 1 drop of Myrrh essential oil.
Keep this oil for synergizing for 8 hours and use it as anointing oil on the forehead or to the wrists as a pulse-point perfume. [25]
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is steam distilled from flowering tops which are spiked blue-violet. It is from an aromatic green woody shrub and has a sweet, floral aroma.
The oil calms and regulates the mind and helps in recognizing a heightened state of the inner self.
It is believed to activate the pineal gland in the brain and balances and normalizes body functions.
Best way to use: bath blend, diffuser
- Footbath blend: 4 drops lavender essential oil, 3 drops Juniper essential oil, 3 drops sandalwood essential oil added to footbaths. This oil is great before meditation rituals and centers your energies. [26]
- Me-time blend: this blend helps you take out time for yourself and lets you concentrate on yourself.[27]
- You need 4 drops of all the oils that is Lavender, Clary sage and Frankincense essential oils. Blend all the oils in a dark-colored glass bottle.
- Use 4 drops for diffusing this when you are meditating using a diffuser or bowl of warm water will also do well.
- Use this blend within 9 months of its potency and always store them in a cool dry place.
Neroli Essential Oil
Neroli essential oil is extracted from fragrant white flowers of Seville orange. It is also known as orange blossom. It has a delicate, deeply aromatic and fresh fragrance.
It is associated with purity, pristine and innocence.
The oil and flowers mediate nervousness, anxiety and have a soothing effect. Its aroma is uplifting.
The oil enhances self-acceptance, courage, creativity, self-love, contentment, and positivity in person.
Best way to use: Diffuser blend
Blend: Lavender essential oil (10 drops), Roman chamomile essential oil (6 drops), Ylang Ylang essential oil (4 drops), Sandalwood essential oil (4 drops), Neroli essential oil (1 drop).
Usage: [28]
- Add the oil blend to the water in your diffuser.
- Turn it on and allow the aroma to diffuse for at least 15 minutes.
- For relaxing and meditation repeat this treatment 2 times a day.
Patchouli Essential Oil
Patchouli belongs to the mint family. It is a bushy herb with the sweet earthy aroma
Patchouli essential oil is extracted from dried leaves and dried flowering herb. The oil works well on stress-related emotional imbalances, treats confusion, depression.
In meditation, it alleviates negative thoughts. The oil balances the body and is remedial for people who excessively daydream or overthink.
Best way to use: Blend for a soothing bath before meditating, this blend is relaxing, centering and calming thus focusing the inner self to meditate.
Blend: 3 drops patchouli essential oil, 3 drops sandalwood essential oil, 4 drops lavender essential oil, and now add this blend in a bathtub and relax. [29]
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood essential oil has a deep, soft, and woody aroma.
It is one of the most expensive oils. One of the finest is made in India.
The oil is extracted from roots and heartwood of a small evergreen tree.
Sandalwood oil has been used primarily in prayer, incense burning, and meditation by Buddhist too. [30]
The oil has been used in Indian culture for its spiritual, ritual and medicinal purposes. It helps in preparing the mind for meditation.
The oil has a balancing and harmonizing effect on the psyche.
It cools down the pitta (fire or heat) both bodily and spiritually and relaxes you. It is one of the best oils to be used in meditation. [31]
Best way to use:
- Massage blend: The Blend has 2 ounces of sweet almond (carrier) oil.
- Now add 10 drops of Lavender essential oil, 6 drops of Roman chamomile essential oil, 4 drops of Sandalwood essential oil, 4 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil, and 1 drop of Neroli essential oil. [32]
Usage:
- Pour almond carrier oil in a glass bowl.
- Add all the oils to the blend and mix it well to combine.
- Pour the blend in a dark-colored glass bottle that is tightly closed and store in refrigerator when not in use.
- Using your fingertips, apply this blend wherever you are feeling tensed or having a tight weary feeling, massage it into the skin.
- The treat can be administered once a day before meditation to ease you out and bring you in a calm state.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang- Ylang essential oil is distilled from fresh pink flowers of a tall tropical tree.
The oil works magically on stressing situations and a few long deep breathes during meditation works wonders and fills in positivity. [33]
The freshness of oil attributes to its deep, soft, sweet and spicy aroma.
Best way to use:
- Inhalation: Use the oil in inhalation; take 1-2 drops of oil on a cotton pad, and inhale through your nose. Remember to keep your eyes closed during inhalation.
Spray method:
- Blend: take 2 ounces of distilled or filtered water.
- To it add following essential oils in the prescribed amounts,
Lavender essential oil -10 drops, Roman chamomile essential oil-6 drops, Sandalwood essential oil-4 drops, Ylang Ylang essential oil-4 drops, Neroli essential oil-1 drop. [34]
Usage:
- Pour water into a glass spray bottle.
- Add the oil blend in it and shake well.
- Now spritz this blend wherever you are meditating, home, office for a relaxing and meditation and peaceful contemplation.
Precautions When Using Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly potent and concentrated; in case ingested, drink a glass of whole milk to counter the reactions of oil.
Always perform a patch test on the inside of the arm before using the oil to test for photosensitivity and allergic reactions.
People with allergies, sensitive skin should cautiously use them; pregnant women and children below 5 years should avoid their use.
They are highly flammable; therefore they should be stored away from gas stoves or match sticks in dark and away from sunlight.
Avoid their contact from genitals, mucous membranes, inner ear, eyes. In case of contact irrigate eyes with milk or vegetable oil quickly or massage with it.
Summary
Meditation is a beautiful workout to do. It brings all your energies together and redistributes them according to needs.
Meditation allows your body to recover from emotional disturbance and physical tension. They ease stress and develop positivity.
These oils improve resilience against pain, increases cognitive skills and creative thinking.
Last but not least it is good for heart health and immunity building. These oils calm you inside out and revitalize your body.
Go ahead and try one of these blends to stay healthy and confident in life.