5 Chinese Elements & Essential Oils

• Autumn - Lung & Large Intestine: Metal
• Oils that assist us in moving through a sense of heaviness and loss are frankincense, neroli, rose otto, melissa, rose Maroc, and geranium. Often depression can arise when mourning an endogenous energy; there is a sense of worthlessness, failure, or despondency that can accompany the deep pain of loss. Essential oils that help ease us when exploring these emotions are basil, bergamot, geranium, jasmine, neroli, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang. Oils that help expel phlegm and congestion are tea tree, eucalyptus, cajuput, sandalwood, peppermint and rosemary. Essential oils that help heal and soothe dry chapped skin are chamomile, geranium, frankincense, lavender, myrrh, patchouli, rose and sandalwood. A few drops of some of these oils can be added skin cream, or lotion. Drops of lemon, tea tree, grapefruit, rosemary, jasmine or lavender can be added to a shampoo to encourage a healthy scalp and hair.   Essential oils that can aid constipation are basil, fennel, lavender, marjoram, cumin, rose and chamomile. Oils that calm the discomfort of diarrhea are black pepper, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, ginger myrrh, neroli, peppermint and sandalwood.  Oils that break up stagnant thoughts are basil, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and thyme.

• Winter - Kidney & Urinary Bladder: Water
• Warming essential oils, massaged on the body or put in hot bath water (add mineral/sea salt for diuretic effect) can alleviate the inner chill and achiness. Some of these oils include cinnamon, juniper, ginger, black pepper, peppermint, camphor, tea tree or rosemary. Essential oils to stimulate mental acuity and help with mental fatigue are basil, cardamom, peppermint, rosemary, lemon and lemongrass.  Essential oils that help to divert stress into pleasure are patchouli, ylang ylang, jasmine, neroli, rose and sandalwood.  Essential oils that promote a state of self-acceptance, courage and moral fiber are frankincense, geranium, jasmine, melissa, rose and ylang ylang. Oils that assist in relieving fear and are chamomile, clary, marjoram, lavender, geranium, marjoram, bergamot, frankincense, neroli, and sandalwood.  Essential oils to fight depression and strengthen energy are basil, bergamot, clary sage, geranium, lavender, melissa, neroli, lemon verbena and ylang ylang. These used in an aroma lamp during meditation or exercise can help build Qi. At night, oils such as marjoram, lavender, neroli, orange, chamomile, sandalwood and rose can alleviate fearfulness, insomnia, and prepare the body for a good sleep.  Essential oils on their own will not take these symptoms away, but they can help to balance and diminish some of the physical and emotional angst associated with hormone imbalance. These essentials include clary sage, fennel, geranium, melissa, chamomile, sage, cypress, ginger, jasmine, marjoram and rosemary. Inhaled, rubbed on, bathed in, any method will assist in delivering the oils to the liver and begin the balancing and reorganization. Essential oils that help relieve tension headaches are chamomile, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rose, and rosemary. Oils that assist migraines are anise, basil, eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, lemon, melissa and rosemary.  Essential oils that can be added to the massage oil are anise, basil, bergamot, cardamom, fennel, juniper, lemon verbena, marjoram, black pepper, peppermint and rose oil.

• Spring - Liver & Gall Bladder: Wood
• Essential oils to fight depression and strengthen energy are basil, bergamot, clary sage, geranium, lavender, melissa, neroli, lemon verbena and ylang ylang. These used in an aroma lamp during meditation or exercise can help build Qi. At night, oils such as marjoram, lavender, neroli, orange, chamomile, sandalwood and rose can alleviate fearfulness, insomnia, and prepare the body for a good sleep. Essential oils on their own will not take these symptoms away, but they can help to balance and diminish some of the physical and emotional angst associated with hormone imbalance. These essentials include clary sage, fennel, geranium, melissa, chamomile, sage, cypress, ginger, jasmine, marjoram and rosemary. Inhaled, rubbed on, bathed in, any method will assist in delivering the oils to the liver and begin the balancing and reorganization.  Essential oils that help relieve tension headaches are chamomile, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rose, and rosemary. Oils that assist migraines are anise, basil, eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, lemon, melissa and rosemary.  Essential oils that can be added to the massage oil are anise, basil, bergamot, cardamom, fennel, juniper, lemon verbena, marjoram, black pepper, peppermint and rose oil.
• Summer - Heart/Small Intestine & Pericardium/Triple Warmer: Fire
• Heart stimulating essential oils are angelica, anise and rosemary. For palpitations or fluttering of the heart the essential oils to use are lavender, melissa, neroli, chamomile, peppermint, rose and ylang ylang. Irritable bowel syndrome can be soothed with lavender, tea tree, chamomile, eucalyptus or peppermint. Constipation can be eased with black pepper, fennel, ginger, rosemary, thyme or rose. Diarrhea can be alleviated with black pepper, clove, ginger, geranium, lavender, neroli, rosemary or peppermint, as can indigestion.  Essential oils that can do a similar support to the digestive tract would be anise, basil, black pepper, cardamom, fennel, marjoram, melissa and rosemary.  Other physical imbalanced symptoms of the fire element might include light headedness (oils to assist would include bergamot, lavender, peppermint, melissa, and rosemary); shoulder discomfort or poor muscle tone (chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, and black pepper); and dry hair and skin (chamomile, frankincense, geranium, lavender and tea tree); mouth ulcers (fennel, clove, lemon, myrrh and tea tree), or pimples (tea tree, rose, peppermint, lavender, helichrysum, geranium and cedarwood). Oils that can help rebalance us back into joy are basil, clary sage, lavender, melissa, patchouli, neroli, rose, ylang ylang, jasmine and geranium. Fire is also associated with providing heat and warmth, but when it is in excess we can feel burnt out and exhausted. Oils that bring back vitality and strength are basil, cardamom, rosemary, peppermint, and black pepper. Enthusiasm and creativity are also positive fire attributes, but when out of balance can bring about aggression, impatience and impulsive behavior. Oils to restore the natural sense of harmony and ease are neroli, rose, ylang ylang, lavender, melissa, grapefruit, frankincense, sandalwood, elemi, angelica and vetiver.

• Late Summer - Stomach & Spleen: Earth
• Oils that calm and soothe an upset stomach are basil, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, lavender, melissa and peppermint. A combination of these oils, in a carrier oil, can be massaged onto the belly in a clockwise direction around the navel. Likewise for indigestion, bloating, flatulence, and nausea oils that can be added to a carrier oil include the above and also anise, bergamot, chamomile, eucalyptus, juniper, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. On a mental level, when the Stomach meridian is out of balance we feel disoriented, ungrounded, tired, confused and impaired in our thinking. Essential oils that can focus the mind and aid in concentration are basil, cardamom, rosemary, peppermint, melissa, tea tree, black pepper and elemi. Worry and anxiety are also key words in Stomach imbalance and oils that can assist in the release of negative emotions are chamomile, cypress, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, patchouli, rose and vetiver.  Essential oils that bring back clarity of thought and ease an over active mind are lavender, lemon, grapefruit, vetiver, rosewood, elemi, chamomile, marjoram and hyssop. Essential oils that reduce depression and encourage joy are basil, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, lavender, patchouli, neroli, rose, melissa, ylang ylang, and elemi.