The winter holidays are often stressful for folks, and this year, with the pandemic and all the political unrest, a lot of us are finding the season especially hard. (Stop here and take a mindful breath, slow down, ground, check in with your body and your heart center.)

There's a lot we can't control, but there's also a lot we can. One way to control your home environment is through aroma. I'm a big advocate of using essential oils to reduce stress, clear your field, and raise your energy.

Like homeopathy, essential oils are a form of vibrational medicine. That means that their effect goes beyond the physical realm, into the energetic/vibrational realm. Here are some easy ideas for soothing and uplifting your energy through aromatherapy.

Essential Oils for the Winter Season
If you've got essential oils, I encourage you to get them out and have some fun playing with combinations in your diffuser (or in a pan of water kept on very low heat on the stove).

Oils such as lavender, chamomile, geranium, yang yang, sandalwood, cedarwood or patchouli are great for calming and smoothing your energy. (I love a cedar wood lavender combination to support sleep.)
Clary sage, melissa, orange, lemon verbena, bergamot, and lemongrass are good to lift your spirits.
Cinnamon, clove, ginger, allspice, citrus and evergreen scents help to conjure up the positive energetics of "winter holidays."

Other Aromatherapy Ideas to Scent Your Holidays
But even if you don't have essential oils--they can be expensive--there are ways to lift your spirits and your energy with scent. Here are some ideas. I can almost guarantee they'll make you smile.

Bring branches of evergreen trees into the house for decoration. Don't have any in your yard? Wait for a storm and go out collecting.
Mull apple cider with traditional spices: a cinnamon stick, a few buds of clove, a few allspice berries, and a bit of orange zest.
Peel an orange, saving the peel. Eat the orange and take pieces of the peel into the room(s) you wish to scent. Bend the peel, pointing it away from you, so that the oil sprays out into the room.
Bake cookies, which spreads the lovely, calming odor of vanilla throughout the house.
Burn a pure beeswax candle. It exudes a subtle aroma of honey. (Thank you, bees.)
Take a walk outdoors in the fresh air, focusing on the scent.

You can learn more about using aromatherapy and essential oils here.

I wish you an energetically nurturing and beautifully scented winter season.