Essential oils for grief
First of all, I would like to talk about the meaning of grief. Grief is the intense sorrow we experience when we lose something important to us, felt especially so by someone's death.
Through time, we can see humanity's suffering of grief. It’s a painful moment and, no matter how much you prepare for loss, nobody can ever say that they are ready to feel it.
What are the physical symptoms of grief?
It’s usually regarded as tearfulness, often with physical feelings of emptiness in the pit of the stomach, weak knees, shortness of breath, a tendency to sigh deeply, a sense of unreality, and overall emotional distress.
Anxiety and longing may alternate with depression and despair. Insomnia and loss of appetite are also common.
If we look at grief related to an unbalanced physical condition, such as sinusitis (sinus infection), and using a metaphysics point of view, we can say that sinusitis is a repressed form of grief. Unshed tears, intense pain and a high temperature are some of the physical manifestations of grief.
The pain associated with sinusitis (all around your face, often extending to your facial bones and sinus cavity) is your body's way of expressing the inner anguish, and the unexpressed grief accumulating inside. The temperature shows the intensity of feeling, the heat of emotion.
The pain can travel further in your body, causing muscle pain, creating tension regarding your unconscious, speaking loud and clear: “I am in shock! Please, somebody, help me!”
Which essential oils can help with symptoms of grief?
You may wonder how essential oils can help you when you’re lost in grief. They can uplift your mood with their calming aromas, taking your mind temporarily away from the emotional pain you're experiencing.
Frankincense
To help someone suffering from grief, frankincense is one of the best choices. Also called olibanum, frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae.
Frankincense is a well-known essential oil and it is one of the oils/resins that is often used in times of grief. It has been burned for more than 2000 years, mainly used during times of worship, to help us feel closer to our faith.
It has many positive attributes such as comfort, healing, emotional stability, enlightenment, protection, courage, resolution, fortitude, acceptance and inspiration.
Many people have been burning incense around the dying in the belief that the aroma will take the soul as it rises to heaven.
- Worwood, 1997
Frankincense has a character in a way to elevate our mood, taking us to another level, a high level, a place where we can meditate, bringing down our ego. Our spiritual part can take place and wisdom will show us the path to balance our mind, our emotion, and our poor physical body that it is suffering so much in moments of grief.
Frankincense essential oil can be placed on room diffuser or in a therapeutic necklace/pendant diffuser, giving to the atmosphere around us all the benefits that it has.
To find out more about essential oils, visit our aromatherapy page.