“Self Exploration/ Discovery” The 21st Century Age of Enlightenment

Man has contemplated his place on this miraculous planet since the beginning of time. We seek deeper meaning to our daily existence through various religious practices and philosophical expressions.

When Rene’ Descartes, the French philosopher, mathematician and writer of the 16th century, coined the phrase “I think, therefore I am”, he was amongst a group of philosophers of that time that initiated the reasoning and concepts behind The Age of Enlightenment. These new ideas of self-discovery and exploration challenged organized institutions of that era.

Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher of the 18th Century, helped us realize that what we experience is subject to everyone’s own unique sensory lenses, which has been affected by one’s own personal experience of reason and how the mind interprets these experiences.

While these concepts seem obvious to us today, these philosophers were ridiculed and criticized for their innate wisdom. Today, especially in the United States, we are a melting pot of cultures and belief systems from all corners of the globe. It is no wonder that we find ourselves confused and bombarded with numerous philosophies and conflicting ideologies. Technological advances map the body and mind, but they still cannot explain the soul that drives us inward to that piece of ourselves that is connected to all things by our mere existence.

The one constant that goes beyond culture and time is Mother Nature.

It is coevolution with plants and animals that is the source of our sustenance and support. We are interdependent from our core. When we review spiritual practices throughout time, there is always reference to using plants as spiritual tools to open our minds and hearts.  It’s not surprising that our limbic system, the seat of our emotional state, is tied directly to the olfactory sense. When we smell flowers like rose, jasmine and neroli, they lift our spirits! When we walk through forests of pine, spruce and fir, the earthly smells ground us to our truest roots. The ability to enhance our life’s experiences through our sense of smell has reached new heights with the creation of easily accessible essential oils from all over the globe. This merging of historical references and modern science has heightened the discovery that inhaling certain essential oils can affect parts of our brain, which in turn affect our emotional state. This enhancement allows us to take control of how we want to feel, bringing us deeper into ourselves for an enlightened disposition and perspective.

Opening the Heart:

Rose and Jasmine essential oils are floral scents that open our hearts to self-love.

Opening the Mind:

Sandalwood, Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils affect our mental state by quieting our analytical minds to contemplate universal truths.

Building Inner Strength:

Cedarwood, Spruce and Laurel essential oils contribute to inner strength by instilling confidence and boosting inner support.

Lifting the Spirit:

Sweet Orange, Bergamot and  Neroli essential oils have uplifting and refreshing qualities that help to lift the spirit.

Grounding the Body:

Vetiver and Spikenard essential oils help with feeling rooted and secure.

Balancing the Emotions:

Helichrysum, Palmarosa and Lavender essential oils have wonderful balancing qualities due to their ability to settle the nerves and bring harmony to many systems of the body.

In the end, it’s about striving to be our best self! This new Age of Enlightenment reveals that our individual choices can impact the entire planet. The notion that everything in our world is connected has never been more obvious than it is today. This awareness of creating meaningful choices in our life and how they can impact our collective world is self-discovery of a huge magnitude. Our positive thoughts and actions can make a difference; this is a huge statement. By using essential oils, we can reach even deeper into our souls to find our own unique purpose in this amazing scheme of reality. It all begins with each and every one of us!