Do you feel sluggish, stressed and drained in the winter? If you do, you aren’t alone. Most Australians feel a shift in their energy when June rolls around. So many in fact, that you may come to expect and tolerate that low ‘Winter Blues’ feeling. You may, as many of us do, pass it off as an expected side effect of the mid-year months.

What you are actually feeling are symptoms of a weakened immune system. When our bodies get colder, it makes it harder for our bodies to fight off infections. We can actually harbour pseudo infections in our bodies all the way through winter, even if we never get a full-blown cold or flu. This puts constant stress and fatigue on the body, as you can imagine, which only weakens the immune system further.

Even though this is a common, somewhat expected, winter phenomenon, it is actually an indication that our bodies aren’t functioning as they should. Or more specifically, we aren’t adapting our practices to the weather so that our bodies can adapt as well.

Consider that the Aboriginals lived through centuries of winters without modern heating, modern shelter, or modern clothing, and still thrived in their nomadic lifestyle. To get through the winter they adapted their hunting practices, the types of food they were eating, and the plant medicine they used to support their immune system.

This preventative approach to getting through the winter was much more efficient and holistic. Generally, these days we take a corrective approach, heading to the pharmacy for cold and flu tablets when we already feel the sniffles. Corrective measures can make our immune system lazy and weak, meaning that we feel sluggish all winter long. Using preventative measures can allow us to keep the pep in our step all year long.

So how do we do that in 2019?

A good start is to keep your body moving in the yoga room to invigorate your lymphatic system. We should also change our diet to support the immune system – making sure you are eating lots of spices and herbs and upping your protein and good fat intake.

Now here comes the real game changers – supercharge your winter regime with essential oils. Essential oils aren’t just for making your living room smell enchanting, they also have deep healing and nourishing properties. Essential oils are the result of concentrating all of the healing properties of therapeutic flowers, leaves, wood, bark, roots, seeds and peels. The components that ancient cultures used to heal and protect themselves from the cold – ancient medicine.

Oils are the plant’s protection from environmental factors like harsh weather conditions and pests (used to repel insects, mould and parasites). They are also used for the plant’s fertility – helping them to pollinate. When we use the essential oils we are able to absorb the plants natural protective, healing, and vital properties into our system.

While all essential oils are useful, they aren’t all created equal. Some are designed for purely aromatic uses – like putting them into a diffuser, which is great and adds a beautiful layer of ambiance to your space. However, if you want to reap the healing benefits of essential oils, it’s important to get them from a company that puts importance on sourcing high-quality ingredients. The oils are only as good as their source, after all.

If you haven’t heard of doTERRA, it’s the leading brand for pure, high-quality essential oils. doTERRA oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® and are third-party tested. Sourced from natural raw products from where they grow natively, you can use these oils to support you through the winter in three ways – aromatically (breath in or diffuse), topically (massaged onto the body), or as a food additive (added to water or meal prep).

Keep your eye out for these three essential oil blends to support you through winter, and keep you feeling energised and engaged. Easy Air is their respiratory oil blend – a mix of Laurel, Eucalyptus and Peppermint. It’s equipped for all the seasonal threats, will help with disturbed sleep, and aids with respiratory problems.

On Guard is doTERRA’s resident immune blend and the smell is to die for. Blended with Wild Orange Peel, Clove, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus, On Guard evokes warm and spicy winter feelings. This one is a quadruple threat – supporting the immune and respiratory function, protecting against environmental threats, supporting the body’s natural antioxidant defences, and promoting healthy circulation.

At the top of every shopping list in flu season is lemon. That’s because it has powerful detoxifying and antioxidant agents. doTERRA’s Lemon essential oil will bring you a potent supply of this wonder citrus. Sourced from Italy, this essential oil can be used to cleanse and purify the air and surfaces, cleanse the body, aid in digestion, and promote a positive mood. Be gone winter blues!

If you’re intrigued about how essential oils can help you give your all this winter, stop by Myall and try them for yourself. We also have regular essential oil workshops, so stay tuned on our social media for the upcoming dates.

Blog lovingly written by Mikaela Moretti