Essential Oils for Grounding
Using essential oils for grounding is a simple, natural and cost-effective way to providing grounding for us as we go about our day.
All oils have an emotional component. So, essentially any oil could be used to help with emotional grounding. However, some oils are more specifically considered as nervine or neurotonic (strengthening and toning to the nerves and nervous system), calmative, or balancing so I have concentrated on those oils. However, this selection is by no means a list of all the oils I would consider using. Trust your intuition and if an oil calls to you, use it.
I have made particular use of two books here to help with this selection:
- Emotions & Essential Oils
- Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit – Gabriel Mojay
Dilution
All oils should be applied topically using carrier oil (such as fractionated coconut oil, almond oil etc.) in a ratio of 2:1.
For every 10ml of carrier oil, use 5 drops total of an essential oil (or combination of oils). Even higher dilutions should be used for children and babies, with some oils not recommended for them. Consider the following information for use with adults only.
You could also use the undiluted oils in an ultrasonic diffuser or when using them in a spritzer bottle with water.
Many of the grounding oils come from trees, barks and resins, which makes logical sense. We know that trees are intrinsically grounded through their root structure into the Earth. They help increase the oxygenation in our body.
However, we may also become ungrounded through illogical thought patterns, stress and anxiety so essential oils that help with such conditions should also be considered.
Some Essential Oils and Blend Suggestions for Grounding
Some of the grounding oils are very pungent so blending may be useful to help make them more palatable to our sense of smell. Because smells can evoke powerful responses in our limbic system in the brain (where we process emotion), it is VERY important to work with smells you like.
Anti-Aging Blend
A blend containing Frankincense, Sandalwood, Lavender, Myrrh, Helichrysum and Rose.
Frankincense can provide us with our connection to our spiritual path; Myrrh connects us to Mother Earth. Rose is a very high vibrational oil and powerful for heart connection. This very powerful blend may provide grounding on all levels by assisting our connection between the body and spirit to the heaven and earth.
Arborvitae
A very powerful grounding oil, Arborvitae, which comes from a tree, helps where there is distrust, fear and rigid thinking. It invites one to take a deep breath and allow one to trust and surrender.
Birch
If you feel unsupported by friends and family, or bend easily to the will of others, Birch offers support and strength to stand tall within one’s own energy and move forward. It can provide a connection to family and ancestors and provide endurance to weather life’s “Mack truck” experiences.
Clary Sage
Clary Sage may help with fatigue and shallow breathing by deepening the breath by opening the chest when it feels tight or constricted. Clary Sage is a neurotonic, so consider for mental fatigue and nervous debility. It provides a mental-emotional uplift, but not an ungrounded one.
Cypress
Consider using Cypress if you feel fear, perfectionism, rigidity and the need for control. Cypress can create an energetic flow, allowing you to let go of the past and move on with life. It helps to create flexibility to your life. Also consider Cypress if your breath is shallow. It can help you take a deep breath and bring more oxygen into the body.
Focus Blend
This is a blend of Amyris (West Indian Sandalwood), Patchouli, Frankincense, Lime, Ylang Ylang and Sandalwood.
The beauty of this blend lies in its ability to ground us mentally, calming the mind and bringing us back to the present moment – the “now”. Consider this blend if you find you are daydreaming, easily distracted and scattered, or lack physical presence or awareness.
Frankincense
If we feel disconnected and unprotected, especially from our truth or spiritual side, Frankincense helps us to connect back to this truth by revealing our deceptions, false truths and negativity. Frankincense is especially good for spiritual ungroundedness so consider it for use in meditation.
It is also good if you have become ungrounded from taking in the negative thoughts and energy of others. Frankincense’s most important sphere of action, according to Gabriel Mojay, is on the nervous system so consider it to help ceasing mental chatter and stilling and centering the mind. It is an important anti-depressant oil to consider.
It also helps deepen the breath.
Geranium
Consider this oil for treatment of anxiety states, especially for the workaholic perfectionist.
Grounding Blend
This blend containing Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense.
Consider if you feel, disconnected, scattered, ungrounded, unstable or unwilling to take responsibility for self or life.
It may help with calming hyperactive people, grounding and teaching perseverance by staying present with a specific plan until completed.
Lavender
According to Gabriel Mojay, lavender is an “aromatic Rescue Remedy” – by working to “calm any strong emotions that threaten to overwhelm the mind”, so consider this oil for emotional grounding.
Lavender has a lot to do with communication, whether that is communication with other people, or the communication you have with yourself. It may help release the mental energy that has become stuck in habitual thoughts.
Marjoram
Calming the nerves, Marjoram is innately balancing.
Myrrh
This oil provides a connection to our Mother Earth. When we feel unsafe in the world, have distrust of others and feel alienated, Myrrh can assist us through this mother energy to feel safe and secure. It can help re-unite the spiritual with the physical, building a bridge between Heaven and Earth and strengthening the link between the base and crown chakras (energy centres).
It may help instil a deep tranquility of the mind, soothing and grounding the intellect. It is one of the principal oils to consider for overthinking, worry and mental distraction.
Patchouli
When we feel disconnected from our physical body because of judgement, body shame or tension, Patchouli may bring us back to our body by helping us to appreciate our physicality and promote a healthy body image.
If you feel disconnected to your physical body, Patchouli can help one to feel at peace within their physical body. This sense of disconnection will leave you ungrounded because to be grounded means to be present in the here and now. It helps to connect the spirit with the body.
Sandalwood
When we feel disconnected from our spiritual self and become over materialistic, Sandalwood can invite us to regain our connection with spirit. A very good oil to consider if we feel spiritually ungrounded. It helps to integrate the spirit with the senses.
It is also good to consider for emotional grounding as it helps to cool hot and agitated emotional states (that can lead to head tension, sleeping difficulties and nervous exhaustion).
Thyme
Thyme may help stimulate the lungs (consider for shallow breathing). It is a traditional remedy for melancholy as it helps open the chest area.
It is considered one of the most energetically “hot” oils. As a neurotonic, it is indicated for nervous debility and chronic anxiety. Use with caution – this is a strong oil so always use with a carrier oil.
Vetiver
Vetiver is a very thick, earthy oil which is useful if we feel ungrounded, scattered, and despondent, with a need to escape. It may help bring us down into the physical world, out of the mind chatter. It is a very useful oil to consider for self-awareness work guiding one towards the root of their emotional issues.
Cassia
This oil should be considered for emotional grounding, where one may feel insecure and worthless and want to hide. Cassia helps to dispel this fear and replace it with a sense of self-assurance and restore your sense of value and potential.
Cedarwood
If we feel we need to do everything ourselves, with no support from family, friends or the community, feeling disconnected and separate from society, Cedarwood can help us to feel the connection to the human family. It addresses these feelings of disconnection and loneliness and inspires our sense of belonging.
Cinnamon Bark
This is another oil to consider for physical ungroundedness – were we may reject our physical body.
Essential Oils and Blends for Energetic Protection
The following oils may provide a protective sheath around us, giving us the strength, both emotionally and physically, to withstand the day-to-day onslaughts.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus helps to provide a protective shield against illness, especially if the individual has some deep connection to the pattern of illness. If we feel a sense of powerlessness to heal, imprisoned, and defeated, Eucalyptus may help us to take encouragement to take full responsibility for our own health.
Eucalyptus has a major effect on the respiratory system. It can enhance breathing, promoting the uptake of oxygen by the red blood cells. Consider this oil for shallow breathing.
Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
Melaleuca is an oil to consider for the protection of energetic boundaries; where you are in a parasitic or co-dependent relationship or feel weak willed. This empowering oil may help to establish one’s own energetic boundaries.
It is also useful to help with shallow breathing as it strengthens the energy of the lungs.
Melaleuca is also useful for mental fatigue as it helps boost blood flow to the brain.
Protective Blend
Protective Blend is a blend consisting of Wild Orange, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata and, Rosemary.
This blend is useful when you may feel unprotected and vulnerable and susceptible to peer pressure. Consider using this blend when you need to protect yourself from the negative energies of others. It provides a physical shield to viruses, bacteria and mould and an energetic shield from the unhealthy and dominating negative influences of other people. It grounds us by strengthening our energetic boundaries.
Outdoor Blend
Contains: Fractionated Coconut Oil, Ylang Ylang Flower, Tamanu Seed, Nootka Wood, Cedarwood Wood, Catnip Plant, Lemon Eucalyptus Leaf, Litsea Fruit, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Arborvitae Wood
Referred to as the “Oil of Shielding” in the Emotions & Essential Oils book, this blend is suggested for use when you feel unprotected, attacked, defenceless, or your boundaries are poor.
A great blend to spray around you (it comes in a handy spray for use outdoors to repel insects), or you can apply the essential oil directly to your body; place a few drops in your hands, rub them together, then rub over your body to create a “shield” to protect you from not only the bities, but also the energies of attack which can throw you off balance.
Great Blending Oils
Citrus oils make great blending options. Light, upbeat, fun, they help to add lightness to any blend.
Bergamot
If our thought patterns are negative and self-judging, they can produce anxiety and unknown fears. These conditions keep us disconnected and ungrounded in falsehood. Bergamot is a powerful cleanser, creating movement in our energy system to bring hope. Useful to release pent up feelings.
Lime
Lime cleanses the heart, encouraging a joy and cheer for life. If you are feeling grief, resignation and apathy, Lime can encourage emotional honesty and a balance between the heart and mind.
Wild Orange
When we feel a lack of creativity and joy in our lives, discouraged in our demeanour and rigid in our thinking, Wild Orange restores physical energy and creates a positive mood change. It brings the inner child out to play, adding joy and fun to life.
To learn more about essential oils click here.
Essential Oil Resources
Book: Modern Essentials
Book: Emotions & Essential Oils
Aromatherapy for Meditation & Contemplation – Judith White, Karen Downes and Leon Nacson
Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit – Gabriel Mojay
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