I recently heard this statement and felt it was perfect for helping people understand how powerful and efficient essential oils can be for health and emotional balance. Working as an integrative bodywork therapist and energy healing arts educator for so many years, of course I knew this statement to be valid, but I had never heard it so succinctly.

I have found that combining a certain essential oil blend called Young Living’s Inner Child ™ with restorative yoga poses is an effective and simple way to help my clients and students overcome emotionally charged problems. This combination helps to ease the problems that have been so heavy and painful in the memory banks of our childhood. Inner Child ™ is a blend of orange (Citrus aurantium), mandarin (Citrus nobilis), jasmine (Jasminum officinale), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), fir (Picea mariana), sandalwood (Santalum album), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), and neroli (Citrus aurantium).

Here is a simple exercise you can practice with the Inner Child ™:

Be intent on your breath and this oil blend enters the part of your brain that stores all of your childhood memories – all good, bad, and neutral. Let the time you are taking to stop and visit your inner landscape help you to remove lingering childhood injuries or traumas. Remember: your intention is a powerful tool for doing anything.

Lie on your back, bending your knees, with your knees touching. Place a firm pillow or rolled blanket under your knees to relieve pressure on your lower back.

• Part One: Place a few drops of Inner Child ™ in the palm of your left hand and rub in gently three times. With a steady, even, focused breath, inhale Inner Child ™ and close your eyes. As you exhale, completely expel all the air from your lungs and pause for two counts before your next inhale. Keep inhaling Inner Child ™ in this manner for 10 to 15 breaths. You may want to use an eye pillow to cover your eyes; This can help you have a more internal experience.
• Part Two: Reapply Inner Child ™ to the palm of the left hand, gently rub the hands together, and this time rub the mixture into the lower abdomen. Place your left hand on your forehead and your right hand on your belly and continue breathing. Close your eyes and breathe in the same way as before.

From a mind / body perspective, the navel represented our old consciousness and, of course, it was our physical connection to our mother; the forehead represents a new consciousness. This simple hand placement is a self-healing polarity therapy technique that can be used to calm the mind.

When you’re done, roll onto your right side, bring your knees close to your chest, and pause in the fetal position for five to 10 breaths. Place your hands on the floor and push your upper body up into a sitting position, making sure your head is the last to rise.

When you reach a comfortable sitting position, inhale the Inner Child ™ from your palms once more. As you breathe out, release any lingering thoughts or emotions that are not currently serving you. On your next inhale, bring your arms out to the side and up over your head, palms touching, and as you exhale, place your hands in a prayer position with your thumbs touching your chest. Take a few moments to feel in your heart, smile and give gratitude for all the blessings in your life.

When we take the time to go within and make the decision to erase negative emotions and memories of our past, we can build our outer life from scratch. And in my experience, Inner Child ™ is the perfect combination to help you start your own journey.