How To Incorporate Essential Oils Into Your Spiritual Practice

Scientific research has revealed that essential oils possess myriad health benefits, but their ability to influence human potential isn't limited to psychophysiological effects.

Spirituality is a universal human experience that connects us to or brings us into greater harmony with the present moment, the self, nature, or the divine.

Many find that spirituality is intricately associated with religion while others consider it a separate and broader concept associated with behavior, emotions, and philosophies that involve the search for transcendent meaning.

Aromatic essences and incense (aromatic resins and gums, such as frankincense and balsam) have been used in spiritual pursuits for as long as we have a record of them.

In ancient Egypt, large quantities of incense were burned every day in temples as an offering to the gods.

The Bible contains many references to the burning of incense as an integral part of sacred ceremonies, and the precious aromatic botanicals frankincense and myrrh were offered to the Christ child by wise men.

More than a dozen aromatic botanicals are referenced in the Old and New Testament books of the Bible, many of which are distilled into the essential oils we still use today: aloeswood, calamus, cassia, cinnamon, cistus, cypress, fir, frankincense, galbanum, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, myrtle, onycha, pine, saffron, sandalwood, and spikenard.

Nowadays, some people use essential oils to open the mind, enhance spiritual connections, and invite inspiration.

They do so by inhaling an essential oil while meditating or through the application of diluted essential oils to the body (i.e., the crown of the head, base of the skull, or over the heart).

In another way, essential oils may indirectly improve spirituality by removing obstructions that hinder its full potential.

For example, negative emotions have the potential to harm spirituality. Essential oils release molecules into the air that interact with the nervous and endocrine systems and can affect hormones1 and neurotransmitters2 involved in mood, memory, emotions, and cognition.

Physical pain and discomfort can quickly lead to an overwhelming sensory and emotional experience that dulls the spirit. Indeed, spiritual pain—pain and distress caused by an inability to find sources of hope, meaning, love, and peace during life circumstances that conflict with deeply held beliefs—can be an incredibly disruptive pain in and of itself.

For cleansing and purifying:

Angelica, anise, balsam fir, cedarwood, cypress, eucalyptus, juniper, lemon, lemon tea tree, myrrh, opoponax, peppermint, spearmint, and white sage.

For grounding, a sense of calm, and inner focus:

Balsam fir, cedarwood, cinnamon, cypress, gurjun balsam, mastic, palo santo, pine, sandalwood, spruce, and vetiver.

For enlightenment and meditation:

Agarwood, balsam fir, cypress, elemi, frankincense, guaiacwood, guggul, myrrh, palo santo, sandalwood, spikenard, and Western red cedar.

For reconnecting to a sense of spirituality in any situation: