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Essential Oils for the Navel

By Jodi Cohen

A close-up of a tanned person's bare stomach, showcasing a flat abdomen with a visible navel. The skin tone is even, and the image has a soft lighting effect. The person appears to be lying down, as indicated by the relaxed positioning and partial view of a white towel.

Your navel – or belly button – is located in a central point in your body, connected to all of your fascia and major blood, lymph, and nerve flow.

Topically applying essential oils in this area is known to help stimulate blood and lymph flow, reduce fascial adhesions and tension throughout the abdominal area and the body, promote healing, relieve pain, and boost immunity.


Your navel is a scar tissue resulting from the detachment of the umbilical cord after birth. 

In vitro, your belly button connects you to life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients delivered from your mother’s body via the placenta. It therefore makes sense that your belly button is connected to arteries and veins that extend to different organs within the body – so the oxygen and nutrients provided by your mother could be easily carried throughout your body. The belly button is connected to every organ of the body through 72,000 veins, which help you absorb and distribute nutrients and minerals throughout the body.

What’s more, all of the fascia in the body connects to a central point in the navel and branches out like a starburst pattern to the entire body. Tightness and tension in the navel can influence blood, lymph, and nerve flow in the abdomen impacting the arms and legs. 

The Ayurvedic tradition of topically applying essential oils on or near the belly button is known as the “Pechoti method”. Essential oils are thought to be absorbed through the belly button and connect to the “Pechoti gland” – a small gland located behind the navel that is thought to be a central point for nerves and veins connected to the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems, as well as the nervous system. It is believed that the Pechoti gland allows you to absorb healing substances into your body and balance, heal or correct your nervous system, circulatory, and lymphatic systems.

According to Ayurveda, your navel represents the origin of life, acting as a hub to allow the transfer of nutrients from mother to child during nine months of pregnancy. The first place of nourishment is thus considered to be the powerful energy center. It is believed to remain an energetic center of balance in adulthood as well, as both a reservoir of life force energy and a storage hub for emotional energy. 

Once the umbilical cord is cut, the physical connection to veins and arteries is believed to close up. The topical application of essential oils to the navel is believed to stimulate the pechoti gland and reawaken the physical and energetic pathways from your belly button into your body and restore healthy blood flow, lymph flow, fascia communication, and nervous system signaling by activating the vital nexus of lymph, blood, fascia and nerves behind the navel.

Essential oils can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream, allowing active ingredients of healing substances to be delivered across the skin.  

As all large vessels – the venous ligament and arterial flow – are located immediately behind the navel. This topical application point is believed to help improve circulation and lymph flow, release fascial adhesions, and improve nerve signaling.

It is believed that stimulating the navel with essential oils increases the circulation of blood energy in the vessels helping your heart better distribute oxygen and nutrients throughout the body which may help:

  • Reduce stress and anxiety: Your belly button is connected to your vagus nerve, which regulates the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for controlling relaxation and calmness. 
  • Relieve abdominal pain: Massaging essential oil near the belly button can help improve digestion and relieve abdominal pain, including bloating, indigestion, menstrual cramps, and constipation. 
  • Boost immunity: The belly button is home to several important veins and arteries, and massaging oils onto this area can help improve circulation and boost the immune system. 
  • Improve digestion: Applying essential oil near the center of the body on the belly button can help stimulate your digestive system, reduce bloating, and relieve constipation.
  • Enhance Energy: Stimulating the navel with essential oils may help harmonize the subtle energy channels in your body, promoting a balanced and unobstructed flow of energy throughout the body.  
  • Relieve menstrual cramps: Your belly button is connected to the uterus through the umbilical cord. Massaging essential oils on the belly button can help increase blood flow to the uterus and reduce pain and menstrual discomfort.
  • Enhances fertility: Massaging oils onto the belly button can also help improve fertility as the belly button is connected to the reproductive organs through the umbilical cord, and essential oils topically applied to the navel can help increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, leading to improved fertility.
  • Alleviates insomnia: Massaging the belly button stimulates the production of hormones that promote relaxation and improve sleep.
  • Supports Respiratory Health: The belly button is connected to the lungs, and massaging oil on this area helps promote the release of mucus and reduces inflammation in the respiratory system. 
  • Relieves joint pain: Applying oil near the belly button can help improve circulation and reduce joint pain and inflammation as your belly button is connected to several important veins and arteries that supply blood to the joints. 

The following essential oil blends can be applied to the belly button to promote physical and mental well-being.  

By applying essential oils to the navel, the pechoti gland is thought to be stimulated, and the benefits of the oil are said to be absorbed by the entire body.

Simply apply to the palm of one hand and heat the oil by circulating the fingertips of your other hand to warm the oils before application.  Then gently massage the warmed oil in a clockwise motion around the belly button area for a few minutes until the oil is absorbed.  I like to apply oils to the belly button before bed so the oil can work its magic during sleep.

Fascia Release™ blend helps you release the tension around the navel. Remember that all of the fascia in your body connects to a central point in the navel and branches out like a starburst pattern from there to the entire body. Tightness and tension in the fascia of your navel can influence blood, lymph, and nerve flow in the abdomen impacting the arms and legs (the endpoints of blood flow and nerves). The belly button is a critical fascial point on the body that can be massaged with essential oils to unravel deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages that can calm the nervous system and move blood and lymph to change the perception of pain. 

Your belly button physically lies close to your digestive organs and applying essential oils, like those contained in Digest™ blend in the belly button can help stimulate your digestive system and alleviate digestive discomfort.

Digest™ contains Ginger Root which is known for anti-inflammatory properties that may help alleviate abdominal discomfort supporting digestion, Peppermint which acts as a natural antispasmodic, relaxing the gastrointestinal tract muscles and promoting healthy digestion and Frankincense.

Your belly button is connected to several important veins and arteries that supply fluids – like blood and lymph – to the body which contributes to inflammation. Anti-Inflammatory™ contains essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties like Frankincense and Ginger that can help you reduce inflammation and encourage regeneration of damaged or stressed connective tissues when applied to the naval.

Increasing blood and lymph flow can help boost your immune system. Immune Support™ contains several essential oils, including Thyme, Ginger Root, Frankincense, Clove Buds,  Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary that are known to boost immunity. For example, Ginger essential oil also has a stimulating effect on the body, promoting circulation and boosting energy levels to help support your immune system.

Thyme essential oil is known for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which can help support healthy immune function.

Jodi Cohen

Jodi Sternoff Cohen is the founder of Vibrant Blue Oils. An author, speaker, nutritional therapist, and a leading international authority on essential oils, Jodi has helped over 50,000 individuals support their health with essential oils.