Indigo Kids Find Balance With Essential Oils

By Victoria Anisman-Reiner, B.Sc.

I started using essential oils almost ten years ago, in high school, when I took a fall during gym class and broke my elbow. At thirteen, I was small in stature, big in spirit, and highly sensitive to the energies and emotions of the people around me.

Enjoying a dazzling ten fingernails in brand new, purple nail polish, I lost my balance and slipped, landing hard on my left elbow on the cold gym floor. I could only speculate at the time that the toxic nail polish - my one and only experiment with supermarket cosmetics - threw my system so much out of balance that it contributed to my fall.

A small bone in my left elbow was fractured and the doctors couldn’t do anything except advise me ineffectually not to use the arm until it healed. I had no flexibility in my elbow and it was painful! Arnica and other remedies had no impact, so I tried one of the oils which was supposed to help with injuries and pain, and whose smell seemed fairly innocuous to me: wintergreen essential oil.

I had avoided essential oils until then despite suggestions from my family’s naturopath. Like most indigo children, I was sensitive to a lot of the typical foods as well as outdoors allergens like dust and molds, but my worst sensitivities were to scents and perfumes. When I was introduced to essential oils, the last thing I wanted was to risk a reaction by trying some weird smelly things. That attitude changed when I broke my elbow and started learning about essential oils in the best way possible: by trying them for myself.

The wintergreen oil felt warm when I applied it on my elbow, and it took the pain away on contact!! Within a couple of days, I started regaining mobility in my arm. The next week, I was carrying luggage on a class trip to Ottawa. By then I was convinced, not only that I wouldn’t react to the potent smell of the oils, but that they worked and they felt great, even to my sensitive system.


How do Essential oils work?

Essential oils are liquids pressed and distilled from plants. They are not actually “oily,” but they do blend well with oil and separate from water. Like our blood, essential oils contain thousands of natural chemicals that fight infection, seal wounds, nourish cells, and destroy bacteria, pathogens, and toxins. The molecules of most essential oils are loaded with oxygen, which helps our bodies to release toxins and process emotional strain.

Essential oils have been used in medicine for over three thousand years. The oldest medical texts from China, India and Egypt are full of the uses of plant oils. There are over a thousand references to aromatic oils in the Bible, especially the holy anointing oils of frankincense, myrrh, cassia, aloes (sandalwood) and spikenard. Ancient civilizations honored human intuition and they knew the oils that were helpful in treating every illness. Oils were also used as sacred ingredients in rituals, to enhance the connection to the divine. They were traded for more than their weight in gold. Where thieves broke into the pyramid tombs of the pharaohs, the gold and jewels were left untouched while the precious healing oils were stolen.


The Science of Essential oils

When we use essential oils today, it is with a scientific understanding of why these natural tools work to enhance emotional and physical health – sometimes more effectively than the synthetic molecules that have been cooked up in the pharmacy.

The sense of smell is the most direct link to the subconscious and the emotions. A familiar smell will trigger memory faster than anything you see, hear, or touch, thanks to the connection between the nerves of the nose and the amygdala, the brain center where emotions are stored. There is a visceral, commonsense connection between the emotions and the sense of smell, so it makes sense that pure, organic essential oils have been used to treat depression, hyperactivity, anxiety, headaches, fatigue, and even addictions such as smoking.

Scientific testing has likewise shown that the capacity for healing is not true of all essential oils. Sensitive people can tell the difference between essential oils that are pure and essential oils that have been damaged by pesticides, pressed at high temperatures, or bulked up with cheap ingredients to lower costs – and clinical testing bears out our intuition. Only the real stuff, only the truly pure oils, will consistently yield the amazing results I’m about to share with you.

Truly high-quality oils can be very hard to find. Most of the oils you’ll find in health food stores, no matter what the labeling says, are not pure and aren’t safe for anyone. I lucked out - the essential oils I was introduced to when I broke my elbow (and that I continue to use today) are Young Living Essential Oils.

Young Living is the only North American company to have earned the AFNOR international seal for therapeutic-grade (organic, pure, safe) essential oils. Poor-quality oils are just not the same. You need to know the difference before using them, because the results you get have a direct correlation to the quality of your oils.

(Please pardon the digression, but I wanted to get a word in early about the hazards of toxic, poor-quality oils so you won’t be tempted to try the first oils you find at the health food store - and maybe get a bad reaction.)

More to the point, pure essential oils have been shown to improve learning ability in children diagnosed as ADD and ADHD – the most common problem diagnosis among young indigo kids.

Dr. Terry Friedman, in a 2001 study, administered Young Living essential oils to children diagnosed by their doctors as ADHD. He found that after inhalation of essential oils the children were calmer, more focused, and able to learn more easily. EEG brain wave measurements showed the same improvements.

Dr. Friedman’s results indicated that lavender essential oil effected a 60% improvement in focus and learning, cedarwood 83% improvement, and vetiver 100% improvement in ADHD kids.

Other studies have shown that oils such as orange, lemon, jasmine, and rose have a profound calming effect and increase feelings of well-being. Therapeutic oils have an amazing ability to improve mental and emotional patterns.


Indigo children and Essential oils

I use essential oils in my practice, in combination with energy psychology (EDxTM and EFT), meridian and chakra work, and Native healing techniques. In my experience, the uses for therapeutic essential oils are limitless, and children love them because they feel so energetically light and pure and are so easy to use.

In my work with clients and indigo kids, I draw on my own experiences with the oils as well as what I’ve learned from others about these living, vibrant healing tools.

The three oils I use the most often are lavender, peppermint and lemon. Lavender is soothing and calming. When I feel stressed or I need help sleeping, I apply a drop of lavender on the back of my neck and shoulders. Young Living’s lavender is very different from commercial lavender oil – since this is one of the oils that is easily damaged by heat and is the most often adulterated by other sellers.

Lavender is known as the “universal oil” – if you don’t know what oils to use, this one does it all! I even use it as deodorant, since commercial deodorants are filled with chemical toxins.

My favourite essential oil and the one I use most is peppermint. Peppermint oil is amazing for headaches, stomachaches and digestion, and any kind of allergic reaction. It is cooling and very potent (one drop of peppermint oil has the potency of over 70 cups of peppermint tea). When I feel an allergic reaction coming on, I turn first to peppermint.

I went through a couple of stressful school years when I was getting frequent stomachaches. Applying just one drop of peppermint over my stomach almost always helps. When I get headaches or respiratory allergic reactions, I’ve used peppermint oil, applied in my hands and cupped over my nose and mouth – I know that breathing in the oil supports my immune system and deactivates whatever allergens I’m reacting to. I sure went through a lot of this oil in dusty university lecture halls!

Over time, thanks to the oils, my allergy symptoms have virtually disappeared. These days, if I walk into a room that reeks of cigarette smoke or someone’s noxious perfume, I’ll discretely apply a drop of peppermint under my nose and on my chest and throat. This curtails any reaction before it begins!

I carry lemon oil and peppermint with me wherever I go. If I’m out at a restaurant or somebody’s house and they only have tap water, I add a drop of one of these oils to my glass (*only safe to do with therapeutic-quality oils! Don’t try drinking cheap oils which may be toxic). Lemon and peppermint oils break down chemicals and particulates in the water. Drinking a drop of lemon oil in water several times a day boosts the immune system and has been known to eliminate allergies altogether.

I’m fortunate enough not to have suffered from asthma, but in my work with other indigo kids I’ve discovered that lavender and a blend called ‘Harmony’ can be applied to the bottoms of the feet or to the kids’ breastbone to stop asthma attacks. ‘Harmony’ is amazing for grounding the body and calming systemic allergic reactions. This oil is a favorite with adult indigos who internalize stress.

Another relaxing blend is ‘Peace & Calming.’ Made of tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouly and blue tansy, this oil helped me sleep when I had insomnia at university. I’ve also seen it have an immediate calming effect on hyperactive kids. ‘Peace & Calming’ is a big favorite of parents who find that with a little help from this oil, applied on the feet at bedtime, their inexhaustible kids will finally sleep through the night!

One oil that I use a lot is the Young Living blend called ‘Valor.’ Spruce, rosewood, blue tansy and frankincense make this oil blend deeply tactile and grounding – thanks to the energy of those tall, rooted spruce trees. When I had trouble in school or felt uneasy and out of touch with my life, this oil always helped me feel safer and more rested.

‘Valor’ is one of the most amazing oils I’ve used… it’s known to realign and rebalance the body’s physical energy field when you apply it on the soles of the feet. Some people call this oil the “chiropractor in a bottle”!


Indigo kids, Essential oils, & Depression

Indigo kids are highly susceptible to moodiness and depression, and I’m no exception. When I got to university and everything in my life started to change, I fell into a pit of depression and it took me over two years to climb out. Helpmeets along the way came in the form of my healing studies and my exploration of the uses of essential oils.

At university, I started using essential oils such as ‘Joy,’ ‘Harmony,’ ‘Valor,’ and ‘White Angelica’ to strengthen my aura and my emotional space. The energy spectrum of pure, natural essential oils is immense. Wearing and inhaling the oils brought me a great deal of relief and hope when I felt bombarded and unsafe in the world.

Others oils that I used to help me out of my depression were vetiver, frankincense, and cedarwood. I applied thick, smoky vetiver oil on the back of my neck and cedarwood and frankincense on my shoulders and third eye (the pineal gland). Taking pure frankincense oil in capsules is another effective response to depression, bringing about healing by targeting the physiological and biochemical factors.

I am endlessly grateful that I was able to draw on the light and life in the essential oils during that difficult time in my life. It’s why I share them with others now. I believe there is no heal tool so effective in healing emotional wounds that is so accessible to professionals and laypersons alike.


Try it yourself!

Essential oils can be used spontaneously and intuitively. Because therapeutic-grade oils are so pure, they are safe to apply on the skin, inhale directly, and most can even be taken internally. You really can’t go wrong! Any way you do it, the oils will help sensitive kids to feel better, learn better, and stay calm. I know of no other healing tool that is so beloved by kids and adults.

Years after my first experience with the oils in high school, I learned that my fear about the smell of the oils triggering my sensitivities is fairly common. A lot of indigos and people pursuing healing are highly sensitive to aromas, especially to synthetic chemical ones. Despite these sensitivities, I’ve found that most people don’t have a negative reaction to therapeutic-quality oils. People who react negatively to these oils have either been exposed to poor-quality oils which “poisoned” them against the experience, or are flushing toxins which react with the oils. This reaction goes away once the toxins have been eliminated. Make sure to drink a lot of water when you use essential oils, because they will start your body cleansing!

Feel free to contact me if you’d like to know which essential oils to use for specific challenges and situations.

May you discover these oils in happiness and good health!
 

---

Victoria Anisman-Reiner, B.Sc. is a holistic practitioner in Toronto, Canada. She has trained extensively in Native healing techniques, Energy Medicine, Energy Diagnostics & Treatment Methods (energy psychology), and the practical use of essential oils. An indigo herself, she works with indigo kids and adults to help them find ways to bring their lives and their energy into balance. She is available for sessions in Toronto or by phone, or for free email consultation about the oils. Please contact oilsdragon@hotmail.com or visit oilsdragon.younglivingworld.com for more information.

---

Young Living Independent Distributor #399707

Resources:
Pert, C. PhD. (1997) Molecules of Emotion. New York, N.Y. Simon & Schuster
Stewart, D. PhD. (2002) Healing Oils of the Bible. Marble Hill, Missouri. Centre for Aromatherapy Research and Education
Young ,D.G. N.D. (2003) Essential Oils Integrated Medical Guide. U.S.A., Essential Science Publishing