Happy Solstice friends !
I am grateful for every year, each season passing brings a a familiar energy, colour and quality and yet it seems that regardless how deep my commitment is to staying grounded and calm during the lead-up to Christmas, by the time November/December roles around, I am feeling somewhat blown away.
Tis’ the northern season of the elements air and space and as much as I adore the creativity carried to me by the very same winds that sweep the leaves off the trees, the cold rough and dry qualities predominant in nature, aggravate an already hectic pace and I find myself drawing on all my tools to keep myself and my family healthy; on all levels of spirit, mind and body.
Enter Essential Oils, the beloved plant allies and little bottles of goodness that quietly alight beautiful healing aromas into our spaces, tastes and touch.
For the purpose of this article I wish to speak to one oil in particular that has provided me and my family with profound support during the emerging Winter time in Switzerland, all the way onto an Aeroplane to arrive safely down under Australia in time for Christmas.
Before we dive in, my preference for Essential Oils is made by head and heart. I choose doTERRA brand above all others and offer the possibility for you to purchase your own, with ongoing education and support from yours truly. To read more about my journey to choosing these beautiful botanicals and deciding to create a business from sharing them for the empowerment of all, please go here and here.
Now onto the On Guard !
Bubonic plague mask as worn by some doctors during the 17th 18th & 19th centuries. Filled with similar fresh botanicals found in todays On Guard blend. Photo - Obidos, Leiria, Portugal - May 2018
Once upon a time in a era of limited medical knowledge, doctors treated patients of the deadly airborne disease known as ‘the black plague’ whilst wearing beak like masks, stuffed with aromatic herbs. The protective properties of the fresh botanicals filling each beak, safeguarded the doctors from contracting the deadly disease.
These days, we have advanced exponentially in hygiene and medical knowledge AND we have On Guard; a combination of orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils, which comprises a powerful blend that I notice supports my own immune response when I am feeling a little run down - the effects are immediate. Each potent drop has an aromatic, composition effect that protects air, surfaces as well as our precious living and breathing spaces from seasonal threats !
On Guard is so prised that doTERRA actually has a whole line dedicated to infusing the Essential Oil into. To follow are 4 of the many On Guard products that we have swapped out in our home and can recommend highly. I’ll write a little more about the blend itself and how else I use it to follow -
doTERRA On Guard Cleaner Concentrate - we use this as our dish washing liquid. I also keep one in the shower to squirt on the floor after Abhyanga to carry residual oil safely away. Smells SO good !
doTERRA On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste - it’s in a league of its own.
doTERRA On Guard Foaming Hand Wash - this one comes with a fun foaming pump that our little boys are always enthusiastic to use. As a wash off product, this one is totally kid friendly.
doTERRA On Guard Protecting throat drops - Both my husband and I were sucking on these during our flight to Australia. Not only does the sucking action help to unblock the ears, I feel that the effect of the natural ingredients coats the throat in a fashion that shields the airways from pathogens in the cabin; helpful during 18 hours of air travel.
Back to the Essential Oil !
Diffused
On Guard pairs beautifully with the Christmas season. The warm spicy aroma is uplifting and energising. 6 drops in your Petal diffuser for 20 minutes at a time throughout the day is a sure-fire way to keep the atmosphere clear and positively geared towards immune support.
Internally
(these are my own personal practices and are not for children)
A little smarts go a long way, especially in the consideration of ingesting Essential Oils. Keep in mind that each drop of these botanical extracts is potent and derived from a large amount of plant material. Over the past two months I have taken On Guard internally in the following ways;
At the first sign of a sore throat, honey is always your best friend. Warming and soothing, honey also acts as an emulsifier which means that it has the ability to disperse your antiviral On Guard Essential Oil within its sweet warming self for application. In this particular case - I have been known on occasion to take a teaspoon of raw honey and add one single drop of On Guard, then swizzle it into the honey with a toothpick until the honey was even more creamy and delicious looking. The next step is the easiest; licking it off the spoon !
One drop of On Guard in a little ghee, stirred into morning porridge is Yummy !
Another fabulous culinary and immune supportive delight I’ve acquired is the savvy of adding 1-2 drops of On Guard into a teaspoon of Ghee (or coconut oil) and stirring that into my warm morning porridge.
Lightly spiced, delicious and uplifting all at the same time, something seasonally special to try.
Topically
Winter foot rubs with warm sesame oil not only promote grounding and sound sleep, adding a 2% dilution of On Guard Essential Oil to the concoction, massaging into each foot and sealing with cozy socks helps the immune supporting properties of the oils to be absorbed into the blood stream. Sweet dreams !
Additional Support
The following is a favourite recipe I make as an inexpensive substitute to all our household surface cleaner sprays. This particular little bottle (pictured) was prepared for our flight to Australia to not only spritz as a purifier into the air, also to sanitise any necessary eating surfaces both on the plane and in the airport during wait times.
All Purpose Cleaner Sanitising Spritz
Home made, All Purpose Cleaner - nontoxic and effective.
What you will need;
Choose a spray bottle suitable for your task (pictured is a travel sized 30ml)
Fill the bottle almost to the top with equal parts of distilled water & white vinegar
add 1/2 a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent (I use the doTERRA on Guard Cleaner Concentrate)
plus 10 - 15 drops of On Guard (in the summer I switch it up and love to use a blend of Lemon, Melaleuca and Eucalyptus - it’s so lifting and fresh!)
Put the spritz lid on and shake well before each use
Keep in mind that this is a water based product, so use within a month and then make a fresh batch. So fun !
On Guard is one of the doTERRA top ten Essential Oils for good reason ! To add this bottle of amazing support to your home apothecary, please reach out with any questions you might have here or follow these instructions here to order your starter kit and get going right away. Once your purchase is clear, you’ll hear from me with more inspiring goodies ;)
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Comment with your tips on how you use On Guard, I love to read you and respond each time.
Love and sunshine,
Amber