Quick Hit: Freshen Up With A Sniff

Just like a whiff of sun tan lotion can instantly inspire feelings of relaxing on a beach, certain essential oils can instantly rejuvenate you. I love this mix:

Mix 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of grapefruit and 2 drops of eucalyptus (or peppermint) in an unscented base such as jojoba oil. Lavender is calming, grapefruit is a mood elevator and stimulates digestion, and eucalyptus is excellent for opening the respiratory system. Try a few drops on your temples before you go to sleep, use it in the bath, or try it at the office.

Give Me 10

The next time you find yourself wanting to 'start again', take a 10-breath elevator ride down to start all over again on the ground floor. Here is how:

Pause and sit in a comfortable position.

Bring to mind the image of an elevator that lowers very slowly down 10 flights. It stops on every floor, opens the door - light and fresh air fill its space. Doors close, and it slowly slides down to the next floor.

Like the elevator lowers in space, we will travel down through the body from head to floor over the next ten breaths.

Bring your awareness to the crown of your head. On your next exhale, mentally note the number 10, as you slide your mind down one flight in you (somewhere around your roof of mouth or jaw line). Pause there, imagine your inhale filling that area between your crown and the roof of your mouth. Freshening and relaxing the entire space of that 'floor' of you.

On the next exhale mentally note '9' as you lower your awareness from the roof of our mouth to your base of your skull, pause and feel the fresh inhale fill that whole 'floor'.

On the next exhale mentally note '8' as you lower your awareness down from the base of your skull to the top of the shoulders... pause and feel the inhale spread, relax, freshen that whole area in you.

Relax more.

Continue down the body in this way until you mentally note '1' and your awareness is in the base of your seat, on the ground floor.