Love Your Lungs

If there’s one thing we can all appreciate, it’s a good deep breath.  It goes without saying that oxygen is a pretty critical component to life, and an unobstructed intake of fresh, clean air is vital to our health and happiness.  This time of year, especially here in the South, the temperatures are crisp and cold in the morning and late evening, and just about decent enough to shrug out of the jacket in the afternoon. Our lungs aren’t always happy about experiencing all four seasons in the same day! 

Here are a few tips to clear breathing all year:

• Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water. Coughs are a sign that your body is trying to expel or remove debris or foreign matter from the lungs. Keeping hydrated makes coughs more productive to get it OUT.
• Minerals!  We need minerals in our diet!
• Detox baths – Take a soak in about 3 cups each of Epsom salts, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. Keep a stockpile of these items in your home, and bathe in them regularly to help return the body to an alkaline state, as well as to rehydrate and replenish minerals.

And of course, there are essential oils that we love having on hand this time of year. 

Raven is a fun, refreshing blend of Ravintsara, Lemon, Wintergreen, Peppermint, and Eucalyptus Radiata, AND it comes in the Premium Starter Kit!

Three ways to use Raven:

1. It’s great to put in the diffuser overnight. It smells wonderful, and by morning, you can expect that your body will easily and productively get rid of any obstruction in the chest in order to breathe well, and you can move on with your day
2. You can also heavily dilute this blend with a carrier oil and rub it on your chest or the soles of your feet. Use this to help calm your breathing while you sleep, or to help catch your breath after vigorous exercise or exertion.
3. You can go on Pinterest and find a DIY shower disc recipe with baking soda and citric acid, and use this blend in those recipes. 

A DIY blend of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint is also very popular during seasonal changes, and is particularly a favorite in the spring.  

• Blend equal drops of each in your diffuser
• Add equal amounts of each to epsom salt and add to your bath water. 
• Order 10ml essential oil roll-on bottles online to make your own blend to apply to your neck and temples. Try this recipe: 
  • 20 drops Lavender
  • 20 drops Lemon
  • 10 drops Peppermint
  • Fill to volume with a carrier oil of your choice. My preference is Young Living’s V-6 Vegetable Complex oil

Go beyond the Premium Starter Kit and explore with other combinations of Young Living Essential Oils to create an environment for your lungs to thrive, such as the Breathe Easy diffuser blend. If you like a chest rub, mix equal parts (up to 7 drops each) of the same oil combination into 1/2 a cup of coconut oil and store in glass jar at your bedside.

Please do take note that I am NOT recommending the “pure” essential oils in the grocery store, as those are made entirely in a lab with synthetic perfume grade oil and have no therapeutic value whatsoever. YL’s seed to seal guarantee makes a promise that our oils have the very highest level of natural compounds and constituents to provide a 100% therapeutic grade essential oil. 

Final note: I encourage you to do research on indoor pollution and things like candles and air fresheners in our homes that affect our ability to breathe as well. I highly recommend the documentary “Stink” on Netflix. It’s so easy switch to make with diffuser and YL oils so that you are only breathing in therapeutic grade essential oils and your house will still smell wonderful and clean – and its actually more cost effective!

The information presented is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, cure, prevent, or treat any health condition and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with a professional health care provider. This information applies solely to Young Living products and should not be used in conjunction with other brands of essential oils. The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Young Living.