Episode 205: Yoga and Essential Oils

doTERRA: The practice of yoga can be traced throughout history for over 5,000 years. It's an important part of many people's lives and has been shown to have many great benefits. Today we'll be looking at some of those benefits and how you can get them in your life.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA the podcast, where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

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Today we're excited to talk to Renee Gauthier all about yoga and essential oils.

Renee, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Renee Gauthier: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

The Purpose and Origin of Yoga

doTERRA: This is a topic that I am so excited to talk about. And I want to start with a very basic question, which is what is the main purpose of yoga?

Renee Gauthier: Well, that's a great question. And after practicing for a very long time, I have to remind myself of the main purpose every single day, which is to come to a place of connection.

The word yoga means union or yoke. So often we move throughout our day feeling a little disconnected mentally, emotionally, physically, even. And so, through this practice, it's an ancient practice meant to bring a sense of union to the body, the mind, the heart, the spirit, all things.

doTERRA: I think that is so beautiful. And you mentioned it's an ancient practice. Do we know where yoga comes from originally?

Renee Gauthier: Yes. The origins are from ancient India and about 5000 years ago. It's been around for a long time. There are many different schools of yoga and different disciplines within it, but yeah, it's been evolving for many years.

doTERRA: That is so incredible and something that has such staying power throughout history is definitely something that I would like to know more about.

Renee Gauthier: Right? Yes, and every day that I practice, it's always a new beginning, which keeps it always interesting.

Using Essential Oils in Yoga Practice

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, you mentioned you've been practicing yoga for a long time. How do you use essential oils to enhance your yoga practice?

Renee Gauthier: Well, essential oils can be used in so many ways. I love to incorporate them at the beginning of a practice as a way to quickly feel centered and connected to the present moment.

We can use our five senses, our sense of smell and taste and sound and even feeling to feel more present. So, I always incorporate an essential oil at the beginning of my practice to quickly shift out of whatever I was doing before and come into the awareness of now.

doTERRA: I think that is amazing and essential oils are so great with that, to create the perfect atmosphere that you're looking for, even if maybe the rest of your day hasn't matched that.

Renee Gauthier: Exactly. And then throughout the practice, I might start out with sitting and breathing and meditation and then move into what we call asana, which is the physical practice of moving in and out of postures.

And so, I will use my essential oil again at different moments in my practice when I'm shifting gears from one energy, maybe a slower pace or seated meditation, into an active practice. And then again at the end, when I'm preparing to rest, I'll use my essential oil as another tool to quickly shift into the present moment and prepare to move into the next moment.

So, it's really a very helpful transitional tool as a ritual and also a quick sensory meditation.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Do have some favorites that you like to use throughout your practice?

Renee Gauthier: You know, there are so many, and I love them all. So, I tend to focus on one per week or one for a season to just feel more connected to not only the essential oil itself, but the energy that I feel from that.

So, some of my favorites are Breathe, Peppermint because those are very awakening and opening and just feeling more connected to my breath. And then the others that I always loved to incorporate are Lavender and Serenity for creating an atmosphere of calm and peacefulness.

And then, of course, there's the Yoga Collection, which I adore, and I use in all my classes, and those are Anchor and Arise and Align. And they have different components that help with stabilizing, uplifting and just feeling more more centered all around in my in my environment, in my space.

doTERRA: I love all of those. And I think, like you said, sometimes that might change depending on the season or the mood or the time that you're in. And that is the beauty of having so many different oils to choose from.

Renee Gauthier: Right. Right. You can never get bored because if you need a different oil there's always something else that that can be helpful.

Starting Yoga as a Beginner

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, Renee, from the outside to someone who hasn't done yoga before or is really inflexible and worried about it, it can seem very intimidating to start doing yoga. So, what advice do you have for someone who's never done yoga before and wants to start?

Renee Gauthier: You know, I can understand being intimidated to start anything new. It's really not an easy thing to be a beginner, especially the older that we get. But actually, beginner's mind is a perfect place to start from a place of not having all the answers, not knowing where to begin. Because in that beginner's mind, we have more awareness. We can pay more attention.

So, a great place to start would be to find a great teacher that you connect with, that you resonate with, that you just enjoy and like, and that can be everything.

So, whether it's an online teacher or an in-person teacher, having the right guidance can help you move forward and move through some of those challenges, like feeling intimidated or unsure.

doTERRA: I love that. And I think you hit such a key point there that you don't have to try it alone. You can have someone help you and guide you and make sure that you can feel confident as you move forward.

Renee Gauthier: Absolutely. And the community, if you're in a class setting, whether it's an in-person class or an online class, there's a connection going back to that meaning of yoga and union and coming together.

When we practice with other people, there's a feeling that we're not alone and that we're on this journey together. So, that can be really powerful as well. And then, of course, we want to be able to access that same feeling even when we're doing yoga on our own.

Yoga and Essential Oils

doTERRA: Yes, I love that. I think that's so incredible. Now, before we end, Renee, I want to ask you, what is your favorite thing about taking these essential oils and combining them with your yoga practice?

Renee Gauthier: Well, I, I love that they are simple tools that I can bring with me anywhere. So, whether I'm teaching in person or I'm at my home or I'm practicing on the go, or actually if I just need a moment to connect with my breath and feel the energy of yoga inside of myself, I can use an essential oil to help me shift into the present moment and also just set a tone or a feeling for the space in the environment that I'm in.

And so, I can do that anywhere, any time. And that's my favorite thing about using essential oils. They're just a very simple, accessible tool that I can incorporate with me and bring my yoga into daily life.

doTERRA: I love that. And I think, like you said, they are so accessible. Even if you're a beginner starting yoga, you can also start your yoga with essential oils. It doesn't have to be you do one and then the other separately, and then together you can start them at the same time and bring the power of both of them together.

Renee Gauthier: Absolutely. I highly recommend that.

doTERRA: Well, Renee, it has been fantastic to talk to you today to learn a little bit more about yoga and incorporating our essential oils into your practice. Thank you so much for being here.

Renee Gauthier: Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to be here as well.

doTERRA: Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today. And remember, if you liked what you heard today, great review and subscribe wherever you listen.