Essential Oils offer endless possibilities to support a natural lifestyle. In America, they have been "state of the art" for quite some time, but here, too, they are finally becoming more and more popular. 
What Essential Oils actually are, how to use them and what you should pay attention to, you will find out in this article.

1. three exciting facts about Essential Oils
2. three ways to use Essential Oils
3. the 10 most popular oils

Have you ever been in a good mood when you smelled a freshly sliced lemon, or were you completely bewitched by the scent of a rose? Then you have already experienced the effect of Essential Oils up close!
Although plants have been used for thousands of years to improve health, it is only now that many are discovering the benefits of pure and natural oils over synthetic substances.
Essential oils are basically the plant's immune system. With the help of distillation processes, these small, light molecules can be dissolved or pressed from the plant. The location of these aromatic molecules varies from plant to plant. In some plants they are found in leaves, flowers, shells, roots or bark.
As different as the plants and their ingredients are, as different are the properties and effects on body and mind.

Three exciting facts about Essential Oils

1. they are 100% natural and safe for all ages
If you use Essential Oils in natural and pure, high quality, then no more substances are added, there are no side effects and you don't get addicted (well, a little bit, but actually only because you get addicted to do something good for yourself and others). For infants, toddlers and older people, you should only take care to dilute the oils sufficiently. Certain oils should also not be used during pregnancy.
Essential oils are really incredibly potent: for a drop of peppermint oil you would have to drink 28 cups of peppermint tea. So the oils are about 50-70 times more powerful than the actual plant!

2. they are more effective than many medicines from the pharmacy
Most pharmaceuticals are water-soluble and only act on bacteria - not on viruses. Essential oils are oil-soluble, which is why they act on bacteria as well as viruses and fungal infections.
For example, tea tree oil (Melaleuca) or oregano can be a great alternative to antibiotics.

3. they are cost-effective
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with a sore throat. You can take the OnGuard blend for protection, tea tree oil for viruses and bacteria, lemon for the immune system and lavender for relief and pain. The whole thing only costs you a few cents. You are independent of chemical/synthetic options and have a natural alternative that works super fast and cheap on the single drops. Except for citrus oils, which should be used within three years, the oils have no expiration date. Hard to believe, but in Egyptian burial chambers even oils were found, which could still have been used!

Three ways to use Essential Oils

1. aromatic
Do you know that when you sniff out the smell of cinnamon and immediately think of Christmas? This is because the olfactory bulb is directly linked to the limbic system of the brain. These include the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions, and the hippocampus, which stores our memories. Recent research has found interesting evidence that the ingredients of various oils have the ability to act directly on certain emotions, making them an interesting tool for balancing emotions in the human body. My favorite book is "Emotions and Essential Oils - A reference guide for emotional Healing". It is currently only available in English, but will soon be available in German as well.

2. topical (external)
Depending on where you need it, you can apply Essential Oils to the spot. For general support and especially for children, it is also great to massage the oils under your feet, as the pores are quite receptive. As already mentioned, Essential Oil should be applied with a carrier oil (e.g. fractionated coconut oil) especially to children, elderly people or sensitive skin. This not only makes the application more gentle but also more productive and can be absorbed better by the skin.
Only citrus oils (such as bergamot, orange and lemon) need to be used more carefully as they can make the skin more sensitive to UV light.

3. inwardly
Not every oil is safe for internal use, nor does every manufacturer offer high enough quality to allow you to use oils in this way.
I can recommend the company doTERRA, whose Essential Oils are hard to beat in purity and quality. Each bottle is tested eight times by an independent laboratory. On the independent website www.sourcetoyou.com you can check the supply chain unaltered and completely transparent.
A great way to use Essential Oils internally is to add lemon to the water. Not only does it taste super delicious, it also detoxifies your body and regulates the acid-base balance, as the oil is extracted from the lemon peel, which is different from the juice in that it is alkaline.
Of course you can also use oils like oregano, basil, thyme or cinnamon for cooking and baking. Master tip from me: Dip a toothpick into the oil and season with this small amount instead of a full drop. Unfortunately I speak here from experience, when I say that one misjudges oneself fast times...
The oils that don't taste so good can be dripped into a veggie capsule and swallowed easily.

The 10 most popular oils

It is rumored that with the help of these oils one can already replace a large part of the medicine chest...

Lavender
The Swiss Army Knife among oils! Wherever you think you need some rest and relief, Lavender is your friend. Skin redness, itching and burning spots, sunburn, insect bites or even insomnia and stress. And besides it smells simply heavenly!

Lemon
Whether as a flavour boost in the water, to detoxify, to lift your mood or as a help for a better focus and more motivation at your desk - lemon controls.

Peppermint
A true miracle weapon against the afternoon low. Try smelling the peppermint oil instead of caffeine in the form of coffee. Also with headaches it can create relief applied on temples and neck. If the food was too heavy or too greasy, it miraculously calms the stomach when taken internally.

Frankincense
"When it doubt, frank it out!" An absolute all-rounder among oils. Not only does it increase the effect of all other oils, no, it is also one of the few oils that has an effect on any body system. Nervous system, airways, bones and muscles or the immune system - if you're not sure, try this. Frankincense is also called "the oil of truth", which is why it can be sprayed during meditation and brings you more peace and clarity.

Melaleuca (Tea Tree Oil)
Tea tree oil or Melaleuca is a real cleaner. For impure skin, in cleaning products or as a booster for the immune system, this oil cleans everything that gets in his way.

Oregano
Oregano can do a lot more than lie around on a pizza. In the bacteria and virus time it protects optimally and fends off thus the one or other cold. Since it is, however, a particularly potent, so-called "hot" oil, it should be diluted with a carrier oil when applied externally or taken internally in a veggie capsule.

OnGuard
OnGuard is a protective oil blend whose main ingredient is carnation, which in turn has an extremely high content of antioxidants. Together with orange, eucalyptus, cinnamon and rosemary it is a great protection for the immune system.

DeepBlue
This oil mixture calms especially muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. After sport, injury or overuse, it is an absolute boon for the body.

DigestZen
DigestZen is responsible for everything to do with digestion. No matter why the stomach causes trouble, this mixture tries to bring things back into balance.

Breathe
The Breathe mixture not only smells wonderfully fresh, it also cleans the air and helps wherever breathing is more difficult. Stuffy nose, cough or asthma, Breathe is worth a natural try.

If you have further questions about Essential Oils or doTERRA, feel free to write me via my Instagram Account @janneschmidtzenwitzen or visit me on my website www.moon-yoga.de 

Photocredit: Malte Dibbern 
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The article was written by Janneke Hellmund-Schmidt. We have to mark it with advertising, because brands are named and affiliate links are set. 

"All beginnings are hard!" they always say.
But how hard it is to start running when you have absolutely no ambitions, some of us know only too well.
Before the first running session you might even be relatively motivated, but 10 meters later the world looks completely different again. Mostly because LANGWEILIG.
But "Where there is a will, there is a way", right?
I, Alex, took this saying to heart last year and designed a running plan that actually worked.
However, when I broke my leg at the end of last year, I couldn't go running for almost half a year and felt the effects of regular jogging on myself and my metabolism.

And here we come to the actual question of this blog post:
Why should you start running?

1. Fresh air floods your body with oxygen, stimulates your circulation and therefore your metabolism. 
2. your digestion & appetite will improve with regular running sessions.
3. your mental health will be strengthened. It makes you happier, so to speak.