10 Seconds to Zen (post 3)

Have you heard of Forest Bathing?  Nope?  Neither had I until recently.  It’s a Japanese thing that is becoming a phenomenon in the states (probably urban areas).  It is basically what it sounds like.  Walking through a forest and letting it bathe you in sensations.  Humans are a part of the world, and we need a connection to nature. Living in a dense metropolis, we can find ourselves metalled out in a digital world that gives us no sense of being.  So it is little wonder that  the LA Arboretum forest bathing tours are sold out through May.

However, never fear, with the right planning and practice, you can have a moment of this peace if you cannot get to a forest today.  In this 10 Seconds to Zen, I want to share the wonder of essential oils and what they can do for your emotional well-being.  There are physical health benefits as well (see this study), but today, I will share about the mood boosting benefits of breathing in the aroma of an essential oil, that only takes seconds to put a few drops in the corner of your shower in the morning.

I put three-four drops of tangerine, one of my favorite aromas, in the corner of my morning shower, and in ten seconds, voila– peace, calm, and a sense of joy come over me, and I can greet the day with a positive mindset.  If tangerine is not your power aroma, it is easy to play around and find one that is.  I have a friend who loves to put peppermint in her shower in the mornings– she has noted that her mood change is palpable.  Find your Zen.  It only takes ten seconds. 🙂