The best essential oils for meditation depend on the intention and style of your meditation practice. The appropriate choice of oil can enhance the benefits of mediation.
Still, most meditation practices, whether self-directed or guided meditations, are similar in several ways.
Most meditative methods aim to:
- reduce stress,
- calm the mind and body,
- balance the mind and body, and
- encourage the meditator to listen to the inner voice or deeper self
Of course, methods can bring about more diverse changes. These changes depend on the specific meditative practice.
These four common characteristics are important but not sufficient for practices that aim to go beyond simple relaxation and inner awareness (toning the nervous system or chakras). These characteristics are typically necessary for such practices. However, they’re not the only factors that are needed. Each more advanced meditative practice has its specialized methods and elemental components.
Essential Oils and Meditation
Subtle aromatherapy (vibrational attributes of aromatic plants) and essential oils that facilitate stress release, calm the mind and body, and open your perspective are typically appropriate for meditators who like meditating with essential oils.
Beyond this, it’s a matter of setting an intention. Then select the best type of practice, and add essential oils that support the specific intention and practice.
For example, a clearing energy meditation can be paired with specific essential oils. Two good choices would be white sage (Salvia apiana) and/or juniper berry (Juniperus virginana). Both of these oils possess significant energetic clearing properties. If your meditative practice also raises your vibration (Joshin Kokyu Ho Reiki meditation), you might want to add some frankincense (Boswellia cateri).
Examples of Best Essential Oils for Particular Intentions
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most well-known essential oils for releasing stress and calming the mind and body. However, many other essential oils could be used including Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), bergamot (Citrus bergamoia), and clary sage (Salvia sclarea) just to mention a few.
Both clary sage and patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) quiet an overactive mind. They also improve the circulation of life force energy or chi (also known as prana and ki).
Many meditators aim to raise their vibration and expand their auric field. This is common for spiritual practices, as is making a connection to a higher source or universal energy. Some good essential oil choices are frankincense, sandalwood (Santalum album), galbanum (Ferula galbaniflua or Ferula gummosa) and mastic (Pastacia lenistcus).
To raise the vibration or expand the auric field and/or take oneself out of the body, it’s a good idea to add an essential oil that grounds such as patchouli, vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides), tarragon (Artemisia dracunculas), cedar (Cedrus altantica) and petitgrain (Citrus aurantium) are some of the essentials that ground.
Application of Essential Oils for Meditation
The best way to incorporate subtle aromatherapy and essential oils into your meditative practice is to diffuse supportive essential oils in your meditation space. You can use a diffuser or add some essential oils to a candle, that is if you use one when you meditate. To add scent to a candle, light it, let the wax melt, blow out the flame, and add just a few drops to the melted wax. Then relight it. Take extra care with the candle because essential oils are volatile.
Aromatherapy personal inhalers can ground, center, and instill relaxation, putting you in the right state of mind for your form of meditation practice.
Nearly all aromatherapy blends used in the form of a roll-on and applied to the skin, need to be diluted in a carrier oil, butter, or balm. Essential oils are extremely concentrated and cause skin irritation if not diluted. Pay attention to recommendations on appropriate concentrations and uses.
Smudging (energetically clearing) removes negative energy from the meditation space and creates a clean and supportive environment for meditation. Smoldering herbs, liquid smudge, or diffuser oils derived from appropriate plant species can all provide energetic clearing. (For more, see my Essential Oils for the Chakras.)
Updated August 26, 2023
