7 Strategies to Support Our Mind, Body, Heart and Soul through a Spiritual Shift

As human beings on a spiritual journey, we are constantly going to experience ups and downs. In recent years, I started viewing it as if we are going through continuous expansion – going up, up, up but occasionally we hit an upper limit, and this is where you want to smash through that upper limit. The smashing through can be painful at the time, and can leave us questioning what it’s all about, what are we doing here, is what we have been focusing on truly worth it, and on and on.

 

For some of us, it is a big crisis when you are new to having your spiritual awakening and shifting from Unconscious to Conscious. It is a huge wake-up call, and it shakes you up. For some of us who have been on the journey longer, the shake-up is not as big. Nevertheless, it is a shakeup and it can leave us questioning ourselves.

 

So, these are the seven things I come back to whenever I feel myself hitting another upper limit – these strategies help me stay sane! They help me move thought the shifts as smoothly as I can, with ease and joy. I’m not saying it is easy. Sometimes it is really hard, because I still have a family to care for, our farm and businesses to run, and that is OKAY – acknowledging that we are finding things challenging, helps us let go of control and back into Flow. Do what you need to support yourself through the shifts, and I hope these strategies give you an idea of how you can craft your own support plan too.

 

Number 1: Look after your body.

Look at putting in nourishing foods into your body, foods that are

high vibration if you can – fresh vegetables and fruits, home-grown, home-cooked, etc. Or if you are feeling really scattered and absorbing people’s energies left, right, and centre and knocking you off your high vibe, then take in some foods th

at are grounding like potatoes, carrots, beetroot or other tubers, something that is from under the ground, as those foods can help ground you. Magnesium is a mineral I highly recommend – you can find this in dark chocolate (there is a basis to those cravings!), dark leafy greens and nuts and seeds – as our bodies use up magnesium when we are stressed. Fermented foods may help as well, as research now shows how our guts can influence our moods, and vice versa.

 

You may find that your sleep patterns are scattered whenever you are going through a shift – from middle-of-the-night wake-ups (3.30am, anyone??) to needing naps at random times of the day. Listen to your body and sleep when you can.

 

Movement and exercise helps too, to keep the energies flowing in your

body. If you are finding it hard to move, a massage or any other body-work treatment, a bath or shower, can help.

 

 

Number 2: Drink water.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate as much as you can. Besides nourishing our bodies, when we drink water, we come back into our body, we ground back into our body. This can help shift that scattered-ness, and keeps energies flowing. Drinking water also supports the cellular shifts that are going on within our body as we go through a Consciousness shift.

 

Remember that water can carry high vibrations, if we set the intention to it. Adding crystals, flower essences, solar or lunar energies, vegetable or fruit slices, and most importantly, our Intentions, can help “charge” the water with higher vibrations to support our bodies.

 

Number three: Ask for help.

This is a big one, and it can be a challenging one. Reach out. Ask for help from your friends, your family, people you trust, people you know are having high vibrations, or people you know who are going through the same thing that you’re going through. Ask them for help. Check in with them. Being very careful not to go down into negativity. It helps to check in and to know that you are not the only one going through a shift. Other people are going through a shift too. Other people are struggling at certain times. You are not the only one and you are not crazy so it helps to check in with someone else, to ask for help with those around you. Ask for help from your unseen supporters – your spirit guides, your angels, the Ascended Masters, your unseen Lightworkers who are there helping you, supporting you through this shift. Ask them for help. Remember that they cannot help you unless you ask for it.

 

Number four: Do things that you love

These can be rituals, or they can be extra spiritual practices, or your hobbies, or anything that will lift up your vibration. Engage in things that you love because they remind you of YOU. When it is something that you have always loved to do, but haven’t had time for it lately, now is a good time to come back to it.

 

Number 5: Honouring your journey.

Honouring your journey as a human being. Honouring your journey as a spiritual being in a human body. Honouring how far you have come. Honouring those dark times that you have gone through but you survived anyway. Honouring your strengths and how you still here. You are still here, there is a reason you are still here. You are strong enough. Honour your journey, honour your strengths, honour yourself. It helps. It helps to remember you are an awesome person who has got this far.

Number six: Check in with your spiritual practices.

It helps when we surrender, or we acknowledge, that there is a power greater than us. There is a power that has our back, that is looking out for us, that is cheering us on, wanting us to move through this and be here and be Lightworkers. Holding your light, holding your love. Acknowledging it helps us know that we are not alone, that we have never been alone.

 

Number seven: Remembering your divinity.

Remember that you are a soul that came from a Greater Divine, that the spark in you is the same spark that is in the Greater Divine that is in the same spark as everyone else here. Remember that you are divine beautiful, limitless soul, living in a human body. You are more than your human body, and you are more amazing than you ever think that you are. Remembering your divinity helps you know that this too shall pass, and that you are going to come through like a butterfly out of a chrysalis. A big, beautiful soul with a higher consciousness, and then you get to do it again later on.

 

I hope you have found inspiration in these seven ways that can support you through a spiritual shift, a breaking through of an upper limit. If you have found value in this article, I would love to hear from you. I would love to hear how this has helped you, or if you don’t agree with it, feel free to express your opinion. What I do ask is to share it with love and kindness, and above all be kind to yourself too.

Sustainability of Frankincense – Using Frankincense to clean is simply as a shocking waste of a finite resource

On my own Facebook page, Rae of Light, I have spoken and shared information about the sustainability of frankincense for several years now, even before I watched this YouTube video, Tears of the Frankincense Forests:

What you can see in the video is the crisis the trees are experiencing due to over-harvesting, and not allowing the trees to rest and recover between harvests. Essentially, cuts are made to the bark of the trees, which the trees respond by excreting resinous tears to help wound-healing. So the very properties that heal the wounds on the trees and protect them from further harm – antiviral, antibacterial, cicatrisant, to name a few, are what we value in the resin and the essential oil.

Traditional practices of harvesting frankincense resin allows the trees to heal between cuts. With greater demand for frankincense, the trees are cut more than 2-3 times a year, and trees are not left to rest between cuts (traditionally, trees are left to rest after a few years of harvesting), and trees are incorrectly tapped (cuts are made deep to the heartwood which impacts the trees). So essentially, you have trees under chronic stress, meaning you have trees that are more susceptible to natural pests in their environment, and seed germination in tapped trees versus untapped trees is 81% versus 18%.

Sort of like humans – when you are under chronic stress, you are more susceptible to illness,
and aren’t your best selves.

So why do we do this to our plant allies?

When I did a search for frankincense uses, several points struck me, which, in the face of sustainability, was just downright frustrating :

1. Frankincense essential oil has anti-cancer properties
NO. Frankincense essential oil does not have any more anti-cancer properties than other essential oils. Frankincense RESIN contains the Boswelliac Acid that has been shown in-vitro to have anti-cancer properties, but Boswelliac Acid has too heavy a molecular weight to transfer across in the steam distillation process. If you want to read more about this, I suggest Robert Tisserand and Dan Riegler‘s work. So basically, if you are looking for cancer support, opt for the resin and extracts of the resin, NOT the essential oil

2. “When in doubt, use Frankincense”
This approach reminds me of when, as a teenager in Malaysia, one year our peninsula experienced the aftershock of a sea-quake. Mild tremor – enough for a friend of my mum’s to reach immediately for Panadol because she thought she had a dizzy spell coming on. Reaching for the Frankincense essential oil for whatever ails you, without understanding the symptomatic presentation, factors underlying the symptoms, the person’s holistic presentation, and the therapeutic actions of different essential oils, herbs, spices, foods, minerals, and so on, is simply sloppy medicine. And using Frankincense as the never-ending supply of Panadol, is simply ignorant privilege.

3. Frankincense in Cleaning
These were the following recipe titles that had frankincense in the recipe when I googled, “Frankincense in cleaning”:
– “Cleansing Spray for Surfaces”
-“Frankincense Toilet Spray Cleaner”
– “Frankincense All-Purpose Cleaner”

On the first page of results, only ONE bloggist stated they now opt not to use frankincense to clean, due to sustainability issues. And when you see titles like, “frankincense is a powerful astringent and a fantastic addition to your household cleaning supplies

Of all the recipes recommended, very few suggested proper dispersants to safely disperse the essential oils. The basic recipes were vinegar, water, and essential oils, and no warnings on shelf-life for the sprays. So potentially, you are spraying your surfaces with contaminated water plus droplets of essential oils, because oil and water do not mix, and the essential oil does not extend its antibacterial properties into water. This post has an excellent infographic demonstrating how essential oils do not disperse in water or vinegar, you are best to use isopropyl alcohol or high-proof vodka. This post is a long one, showing experiments conducted by a scientist on the efficacy of essential oils and their germ-killing abilities in the home. At topic 15 towards the end of the article, she shows how oil-and-water combinations do not do a good job at all in terms of cleaning . So basically, in terms of cleaning, isopropyl alcohol or high-proof vodka is sufficient on its own for cleaning anyway, without essential oils, least of all a precious resource like frankincense eo.

One thing we can all agree – Frankincense is a sacred, powerful, magical, healer.

Let’s treat it with the respect it deserves, and learn to use with sustainably – not just the essential oil, but the whole resin too, as the medicine it is, not a cleaning agent.

Classroom Diffusion – the Concerns, FAQs, and Safe Ways to Use Essential Oils

Classroom diffusion is an increasingly important safety topic to address. While teachers aim to diffuse to reduce the incidence of illness and spread of germs in their classroom, or diffuse “calming” or “focus” blends to mediate classroom teaching, active diffusion during class has myriad safety concerns.

 

Here are the 5 main concerns:

  1. Are the oils used appropriate for age?

According to the latest safety recommendation from Tisserand and Young (2014), certain essential oils known for their high antimicrobial and antiviral activity may increase the risk of adverse reactions. These oils tend to be marketed as germ-fighters. A common list of such oils and their contraindications include:

  • Cinnamon – contains the constituent eugenol, which is hepatotoxic, meaning it may cause damage to the liver. Overdose is possible, particularly around young children with immature livers, causing a wide range of symptoms from blood in the patient’s urine, to convulsions, diarrhoea, nausea, unconsciousness, dizziness, or rapid heartbeat. In general, irritation, over-stimulation and physical discomfort is possible from over-exposure via inhalation.
  • Clove – contains high levels of eugenol, approximately 80-90%. In general, irritation, over-stimulation and physical discomfort is possible from over-exposure via inhalation.
  • Eucalyptus species and 1,8-cineole-rich oils – eucalyptus oils generally contain high levels of 1,8-cineole, a constituent known for triggering respiratory distress especially in those with compromised respiratory systems. Tisserand and Young (2014) recommends to avoid use on or near the faces of children 6 years and under.
  • Peppermint, cornmint, and other menthol-rich essential oil – menthol is known to stimulate cold receptors in the lungs, and this triggers a reflex in young children which slows down breathing significantly, and sometimes dangerously.
  • Rosemary and camphor-rich oils – rosemary also contains 1,8-cineole, as well as camphor. Camphor is known to trigger seizures in those suffering from epilepsy.

 

  1. Has health assessments and contraindications been checked for each student in the class?
    As per above, essential oils do pose safety hazards for those with medical issues. Diffusing without parental informed consent – “informed” meaning parents are fully aware of contraindications of essential oils selected – may cause harm, and is also akin to providing medication without permission from parents and the appropriate health professional. Other health considerations include: asthma, ADD/ADHD/autism, chemical sensitivities, immune-compromised, and medications. Different essential oils are known to trigger different reactions in asthmatics, so caution must be taken for all oil-use. Oils such as lavender and chamomile, while generally calming/sedating, has been documented to have the opposite effect on children and adults with ADD/ADHD/autism. Any fragranced oils including essential oils can be highly-irritating to those with sensory processing difficulties and chemical sensitivities. Certain essential oils have also been documented to interact with medication.

 

  1. Are the oils being diffused constantly?
    According to research, constant diffusion is ineffective at best (habituation effect) and increases risks to sensitisation at worse. Over-exposure to fragrances including essential oils can cause headaches, nausea and light-headedness. Safety recommendations are 30 minutes on and 60 minutes off for best results with minimal risks, with open air-flow, for a water-type or ultrasonic diffuser. For nebulising diffusers that emit pure essential oil into the air, the recommended diffusion time is 10 minutes, 2-3 times a day for adults. For children, reduce the amount of time diffused.
    However, contraindications and at-risk populations must be noted – safe times for diffusing would be before and after school hours when no children are present. For amounts to diffuse, this depends on the type of diffuser used. Follow the instructions included with the diffuser, or the essential oil bottle.

 

  1. Are we causing more long-term harm by mediating developing immune reactions with strong antivirals and antimicrobials?

According to a recent article by Lauren Bridges (2017) published on Tisserand Institute, overuse of strong antimicrobials may inhibit immune system development in young children, as well as risking sensitisation, overexposure to stimulating oils and possibly contributing to bacterial resistance. Other effective aromatic options with better safety profiles, is recommended.

 

  1. Is diffusing in compliance with policies? Are there legal concerns?

Schools generally have policies on the use of fragrance, and this includes essential oils. There may also be legal concerns around causing harm through diffusing essential oils without informed consent from parents or consultations with a child’s medical practitioner.

 

FAQs:

  1. Aren’t essential oils natural and better than fragrance plug-ins or chemical sprays?

Although essential oils are derived from plants an are thus considered natural, versus synthetic fragrances, side effects such as nausea, light-headedness and headaches have been documented with overexposure. Contraindications with medical conditions and medications have also been documented. Essential oils have the potential to both help and harm, so risks and cautions must always be considered when using essential oils.

 

  1. What if I source essential oils from a trusted company?

While purity of essential oils is important, pure essential oils, regardless of company or marketing spiel, pose risks and adverse reactions, based on their chemical constituents. Cautions, contraindications and safe use must be considered for all essential oils.

 

  1. My child’s classroom is diffusing essential oils and I am concerned about reactions. What do I do?

Refer to your school’s policies on fragrances and medications – most schools prohibit the use of fragrances due to chemical sensitivities, and medications require prescriptions from medical practitioners. Refer to the school’s Complaints Policy as well for procedures to guide you in raising your concerns. Consult your medical practitioner if you have concerns about your child reacting to essential oil diffusion. Print off this information sheet to include in your case.

 

 

Recommendations:

  1. Personal inhalers – individual personal inhalers for teachers is a safer option if they wish to support their immune system.
  2. Diffuse before and after school hours, when children are not present. Follow dosage amounts on essential oil bottle and instructions for diffuser equipment.
  3. Reminders for Hygiene practices – handwashing, cough etiquette, wiping surfaces, enforce quarantine periods
  4. Consult a clinical aromatherapist or IAAMA (Australia’s International Aromatherapy and Aromatic Medicine Association) if you as a parent or a school has further concerns.

 

References:

  1. Bridges, 2017, “Risk vs. benefit: using potent antimicrobial essential oils with children”, Tisserand Institute, published 28 December 2017,
    accessed 12 February 2018, <http://tisserandinstitute.org/antimicrobial-essential-oils-children/>
  2. Tisserand & R. Young, 2014, “Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals”, 2nd edn, Elsevier Health Sciences, UK.