Every year when my kids go to camp, I take my own nature vacation in the Olympic National Park, about 2 hours outside of Seattle. The scenic combination of mountains, trees, crystal clear lakes, waterfalls, flowing streams, sandy beaches, roaming deer and wildflowers help me reset my entire nervous system.
There is a lot of research that connecting with nature helps you return your body to balance. Your human nervous system is both part of nature and attuned to it, so connecting to nature helps to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost your immune system, and improve overall feelings of well-being. More HERE.
3 Essential Oils for Hiking
Essential oils for hiking help to provide this balance. Trees, plants and some fruit emit fragrance to protect themselves from predators, like germs and insects. Inhaling this forest air seems to actually improve your immune system function.
To further enhance the benefits of nature, I have taken to bringing my own essential oils for hiking on the trail, to help me better ground and balance both on the hiking trail and in life.
1. Adrenal®
The muscles supporting much of your lower back are related to the adrenal glands and provide major support to the pelvis and lower back. When your adrenal glands are under more stress than they can handle, these muscles will directly be affected and the support to the lower back will be lost, leading to low back pain and even downstream issues, like knee pain. A fun fact, when the adrenals are off, they can throw off leg length, with one leg presenting as longer than the order as a result of a twisted pelvis. It is this disparity in leg length that often contributes to knee and hip problems, especially during long hikes or runs. To help balance the adrenals and with them, the muscles supporting the low back, apply Adrenal® on the lower mid-back over the adrenal glands (one fist above the 12th rib on each side).
With oils such as Thyme, Rosemary, Manuka, Galbanum, and Frankincense comprised from bushes, herbs flowers and resins from trees, Adrenal® helps you ground and balance on your hike. The formulation also includes key oils for pain such as Rosemary which is good for relieving back, muscle and joint pain and Thyme which is also an antispasmodic, good for joint, muscle and back pain.
Finally, Adrenal® can help boost your energy levels during vigorous exercise, like a hike. Your adrenals help regulate your energy levels by secreting the hormones that regulate your energy production and storage. Your adrenal hormones are primarily designed to provide back-up energy in stressful situations. All too often, pushing your body too hard or too fast during exercise can register as a stressful experience. When your adrenals are taxed, either from mental, physical or emotional stress, it can trickle down to poor support of the muscles supporting your pelvis and lower back.
Applying Adrenal® blend over the adrenal glands (low back, one fist length up from the 12th rib) can help to balance and support energy and reduce or avoid low back pain during workouts. Read More about oils to enhance your workout HERE.
2. Parasympathetic®
Hiking or interacting with nature calms the nervous system. This is due in part to the grounding effect of nature which is known to calm your sympathetic nervous system. Supporting the Parasympathetic State can also help your body ground which further benefits your vagus nerve and helps balance your system. Further, the Lime oil in the Parasympathetic® blend can help promote emotional grounding, encouraging a balance between the heart and mind, the connection of which helps you ground. Apply Parasympathetic® over the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone).
3. Circulation™
Optimal circulation is important for any exercise, including hiking, where your legs and feet need a little boost to fight the effects of gravity. Essential oils can help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the health of the blood vessels. This helps more blood circulate through them, improving circulation in the process. Essential oils can also be used to help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow. Read More about Essential Oils for Circulation HERE.
Circulation™ is formulated with several oils known to be high in sesquiterpenes, including Black Pepper, Ginger and Frankincense that deliver oxygen to the cells. Apply 2- 3 drops of Circulation™ on the sides or back of the neck, over the left clavicle, on the wrists or ankles to support energy, brain endurance and warmth of the distal extremities, like the fingers and toes.
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