Have you ever had a moment in life when you thought something was one thing & then suddenly & surprisingly realized is was not in the slightest what you thought it to be? In Sommelier-land, we all have a story about our Epiphany Wine. Basically, that “Aha!” moment when you realize just how exquisite wine can be. My first was when I was 22 & a bartender put a glass of 1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel in front of me. I told him I had thought I hated wine because everything other bartenders had given me was sweet. At the time, most industry people apparently thought that all young ladies liked Lambrusco & White Zinfandel. Bluck!
About a decade later, in a wine class with Masters Ira Harmon & Ron Mumford, we tasted a Puligny-Montrachet & I about leaped out of my chair with exclamations of pure joy! To this day, it is hands down my favorite wine region on the planet.
Anywho, over here in the world of essential oils, I have an revelatory Epiphany Oil story as well.
That “Aha!” Moment
I realized that they weren’t just pretty smells, but can be used as medicine.
Being in the hospitality industry for so long, I acquired an addiction to mints to cover the espresso breath we all seem to develop. 😂
Always seeking to up level my health game, I was on a desperate search to find mints that had no real or fake sugar, but also actually tasted good too. A friend of mine offered me a mint ball, this beadlet thing that contained just one drop of doTerra’s Peppermint oil. It was strong, but refreshing & I thought “Voila! This is it! I gotta get my hands on some of these!” I had used store bought EO’s for years, even tried some from Young Living that a family member sent me. But my first experience with doTerra was different. You could literally smell & taste the difference. I had no idea you could use pure essential oils internally because the ones I was using from the Health Food Store all said “for external use only."
About a month later, I was sick. Like really, really sick. You see, I used to get Bronchitis twice a year, like clockwork, in the spring & in the fall, & then was down for about 2 weeks every single time. Allergies would turn into a sinus infection which inevitably would drip into my lungs & cause bronchitis. Even though I was living what I thought at the time was an all-natural lifestyle, I still got sick. A lot. I guess I had grown used to that.
Growing up we were sick a whole heap. Now I know it had much to do with our diet, which was loaded with sugar, dairy & processed carbs. And the fact that we did whatever the doctor said at even the hint of sickness, cuz that’s just what you did back then. Have a little headache? Pop a Tylenol. Got a minor cold? Take some antibiotics. Even after I started Running & discovered Natural Hygiene, my diet was better & my fitness was on point, but I still got hella sick. Being sick on the regular wasn’t unusual for me.
This time around a friend of mine told me about the FLOOM protocol & to put Breathe- doTerra’s Respiratory Blend- on my chest three times a day. I have to admit, because I was unfamiliar with using EO’s internally, I didn’t really take the FLOOM, it was too complicated. But I used the Breathe diligently because it just smelled so good & I could feel that it really opened up my airways. Then after a few days of using it, I started hacking up these disgusting chucks of hard green goop from my lungs. It was kinda really gross & I thought, wow that’s never happened before. These doTerra oils must be different.
As I learned more about Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade {CPTG} Essential Oils, I discovered that my diet & exercise regimen wasn’t enough to keep my lungs healthy. The lotions, potions, skincare products, cleaning products, air fresheners, candles & perfumes I was using all contributed to a toxic buildup within my body & within my home. What I thought were natural products, upon further review were actually filled with chemicals under the guise of being “all-natural.” My body’s detoxifying organs {which include the lungs} were constantly under assault & they just couldn’t keep up.
Once you know better, you do better.
Immediately I started overhauling everything. I threw out all my lotions & potions & simply used unscented, free & clear everything. I tossed all my cleaning products & started making my own from a few simple ingredients. I switched out the air fresheners & sprays for diffusers in every room.
And the next time I started feeling like another round of bronchitis was looming, I started rubbing Breathe all over my chest & chugging that FLOOM protocol twice a day! I only got a little bit sick & it never turned into bronchitis. In fact, I’ve never gotten seriously sick since discovering doTerra over a decade ago. {2014}
With one exception. COVID in March 2020. It was strange to me that I got so sick + had Long-Haul being the health nut that I am. What I know now is that PCOS is considered a comorbidity. In all honesty, if I had not changed my lifestyle when I did years previous, as well as had the Breathe by my side, I don’t know if my lungs or my body would’ve supported me through it.
For those of you reading this who are still skeptical about using essential oils as medicine, I encourage you to give them a try. Of course, they don’t work for every situation, there is absolutely a time & a place for pharmaceuticals. They can be life saving. But for the everyday struggles, big & small: headaches, sleep, pain management, common colds, seasonal viruses, ear infections, digestive troubles, even things like stress, depression, anxiety, hormone balance, ADHD…. The list of what EO’s can do is endless. In the long run, they’re simpler, cheaper, & more effective. And they do it without any negative side effects. Your body is always trying to get you back to Homeostasis. It understands plants a whole lot better than synthetics because plants naturally work with your body to know how to get you back to even.
Curious? All you have to do is reach out. It would be my pleasure to help you get started living a Super Natural Lifestyle.