For years my friend, Maya Naik, has been living and working on behalf of others in the fields of energy healing, nutrition and holistic health. After her own father passed away from the steady progression of Parkinson’s disease, she turned to FLOWERS & FRAGRANCE (specifically Essential Oils) as one tool to assist in her own healing. She is now working toward her credential as a certified Aromatherapist.
The following blog on the healing benefits of FLOWERS & FRAGRANCE comes to A2Z courtesy of Maya.
“Flowers and Fragrance: Allowing Mother Nature to Support You”
by Maya Naik
The span of time from Thanksgiving through December 2014 is a period of life I will always remember. It was one of those pivotal times in life, where your whole world gets turned upside down. And there is a before. And there is an after. And life is never quite the same again. This is the period of time when Thanksgiving meant my father went to the hospital. Somehow, we all instinctively knew that it would be the end of his bodily journey here with us. My father had Parkinson’s disease and had been battling it’s progression for 8 years.
To witness my father transform from a charismatic, intelligent, dynamic and vibrantly engaged-in-life successful man, to a man who was just a shell of who he used to be was so difficult to comprehend and accept. My father had suffered a stroke in the Fall of 2013, which compounded his illness with Parkinson’s and had left him bedridden and no longer able to care for his most basic needs without assistance. For the past year, we had all been in a sense of hopeful denial, believing he would regain his ability to walk and to remain a part of our lives for at least a few more years. There was still some hope, even now that he was in the hospital. But, 11 days after he was admitted to the hospital, he suddenly, without warning, went into a critical state and hours later he passed.
Picture of my dad and I – India, 1998
And in a blink of an eye, it was now the life after. Life without my father. He would no longer be there to share in any other experience of my life. All the past experiences and memories flashed before my eyes and the deep sorrow set in of all that would be missed in the future, without his presence. It was all so surreal. I just felt numb. I was in a state of shock for a long time. How was I going to find a healthy way to process the grief, loss, numbness and deep sadness from missing my dad?
In the following months, there were many tools that I used to take care of myself and support my process of grieving. One of the best and most effective tools I used was provided by Mother Nature’s flowers and plants! Aromatherapy, through the use of Essential Oils, helped me to support a more positive mood, reduced my anxious feelings and supported a more restful sleep. It was amazing to me how quickly the oils I was using helped to take the edge off of the severity of my feelings. The plant and flower based oils provided a healthy coping method for me to move forward and start to heal.
Essential Oils have helped me in so many areas of my wellbeing, providing me emotional support during one of the most difficult times in my life. In fact, I am so passionate about them, that I have now decided to pursue becoming a certified Aromatherapist to share Essential Oil knowledge and guidance for others!
I have learned that Essential oils (EO’s) are the fragrant essences obtained from plants, usually through distillation. Since our sense of smell is one of the most primal, basic and first senses we experience, scent connects us in a millisecond to memories and experiences in our past that we no longer consciously remember. Scent can be stored as feelings and internal experiences and can shift our state of mind and well-being in an instant. Through my research I also learned that EO’s have a long history of medicinal use, have been proven to pass the blood-brain barrier and are quick to enter the blood stream. They can be inhaled, used topically (some need to be diluted) and some can even be ingested (only the highest quality oils that have a “safe for internal use,” label). EO’s can have a supportive effect on our energy, emotions, hormones, immune system, stress levels and more! (See resources and references below for more information:)
Resources and References:
aromatherapyelixirs.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=ptsd+essential+oils
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24802524
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0032645/
Here is an additional guide to some oils that can be supportive to emotional wellbeing.
Since FLOWERS & FRAGRANCE (specifically Essential Oils) have helped me so much on my own healing journey, I would be happy to help A2Z Healing Toolbox community members select the best oils to support YOUR OWN wellbeing. If you would like a complimentary consultation to determine the most suitable oils for you and your unique situation, please feel free to contact me!
Maya Naik
858.869.3440
mayanaik@gmail.com
AromatherapyElixirs.com
Young Living Essential Oils Distributor #3522537