5 Essential Oils for Coping with Mass Tragedy

My heart is broken.

This weekend my hometown has been host to multiple shootings which have killed or injured so many people. We lost a great talent, Christina Grimmie, on Friday and countless others when a night club was attacked on Saturday. The worst shooting in US history. My heart is breaking for the victims, their families and my city.

Although I know that there are more good people and more love in this world than hate, violence and psychopaths-- it can be a scary place. There are no clear answer on how to stop this trend of violence, but one things is clear: we have a duty to be persevere. We have a duty to honor those lost.

Thankfully there are some natural ways to help strengthen ourselves and our resolve while allowing us to grieve the great loss and honor the victims of these horrible attacks.

Unfortunately we are no stranger to violence anymore. We hear about mass shootings, bombs, terrorist attacks, school shootings and other horrible events much more often than we have in past years. Even if we are not directly impacted, it can take quite the toll on us, our children, and the people we love.

If you have been directly impacted, my heart goes out to you and I grieve with you. It is not easy supporting or losing someone who has been through a tragic event or being witness to such violence. As a survivor of assault, I hope that my perspective can help you.

I am writing this today because nothing has helped me through my own personal attack and through watching the violence in our country like essential oils. It may sound crazy, but it is the truth.

There are people who will say that I am posting this too soon or they will assume I am looking to profit off of a tragedy, but I know that I needed help years ago after a horrible event. It makes no sense to me to wait to help anyone just for the sake of appearances because if this helps you overcome this hardship-- then this was the right thing to do.

And for all the haters, stop hating and go love on someone.

Valor

Gary Young created Valor at a time when he needed courage. I don't know about how you use Valor, but I have used it when I need courage and it has always helped me to feel more secure and able to take on things which I may be apprehensive about.

For example, I've had a major fear of flying since the terror attacks on 9/11. Valor is my go to for any air travel and it helps me feel like I will be okay. It has seriously changed my life!

Valor is one of Young Living's most popular essential oils so it is often out of stock. After all, you can't expect a company that makes products based on plants that are impacted by weather, soil, pests and other conditions to have an endless supply, can you? But there is also Valor II which is a great substitute and I found works just as well as the original.

Cypress

Ah! My newest love! Cypress essential oil is a great oil to help cope with loss and grief, but to also find stability and comfort. It can help with emotional trauma and any feelings of anger towards the perpetrator, situation or lack of control that anyone can feel after a tragedy.

And, yes, we have the right to be angry but is our anger helping the situation? Is anger giving comfort to the victims and their family? Is it punishing the assailant or shooter? Or is it hurting us? Letting go of anger can be a critical part of letting go of our fear and allowing ourselves to heal so that we can ultimately win the battle.

Cypress also is a great overall essential oil to diffuse because it has a very crisp, clean scent and it can positively impact any environment.

Acceptance

When something horrible happens in our world, like a mass shooting or the death of someone you care about, many people push down those feelings into the inner part of our souls. We want to protect ourselves and hide the sadness there until we are stronger to deal with it. But do we ever revisit the pain and deal with it?

We know that the more feelings that we hold inside, the more damage it can do to our minds, bodies and spirit. Acceptance essential oil helps us to open up and accept the things which have happened in a gentler manner. It gives us the power to overcome obstacles and accept what has happened.

One of my favorite ways to use this is in a bath.

Acceptance Bath Salts

• 2-4 drops Acceptance
• 1/4 cup of epsom salt 

Add to hot bath water and soak for 10-15 minutes.

Sacred Mountain

How do you feel when you look at a mountain? I don't know about you, but I tend to think of strength and protection. I feel secure in the mountains and there is peace about me that I never knew existed. That is exactly why I'm moving to the mountains next month!

Sacred Mountain essential oil invokes many of the feelings that we have about mountains like strength, empowerment, grounding, and protection, but it adds a spiritual aspect that keeps our hearts open to love and opportunity. In my opinion, it's a very optimistic essential oil and it's a much needed essential oil during a tragic time.

My favorite way to use Sacred Mountain for emotions is to diffuse it or to put it on the back of my neck. A lot of people also make room sprays or perfumes because of it's beautiful scent.

Grounding

One of my favorite essential oil blends in the entire world is Grounding. Often, when we are hurting-- we retreat. I don't know about you, but part of me wants to lock myself in my house when I hear about a mass shooting or terrorist attack. It is easy to seek escape because we are afraid of the unknown. Grounding helps to anchor us in reality and to release fear that may be holding us back.

To find out more about essential oils, click here

Other Ways To Cope With A Mass Tragedy

• Meditation or Prayer
• Therapy
• Support Groups
• Natural therapies like Reiki or Acupuncture
• Help others or charity
• Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils
• Honor your feelings
• Avoid overexposure from media
• Calming exercise like yoga or pilates
• Remove negativity from your home, office or personal space

If You Have Been Directly Impacted By Tragedy

When we are witnesses or survivors of an event, it can have a lasting impact on our lives. I was a victim of sexual assault which has haunted me for over a decade. Essential oils have been a great help to me to overcome many of the feelings I had as a survivor. I hope they can help you too.

These essential oils are very powerful and can cause huge emotional release. Some people will start to cry, have an outburst or another reaction simply by smelling the bottle. Others may feel relaxed, calm, or more centered. Start using them slowly and work your way up to see how you respond! If anything becomes too much, then slow down or take a break! 

SARA 
This is a great essential oil for survivors of traumatic experiences. It can help unlock them so that we can past those events. I highly recommend this to be used in conjunction with therapy because of how powerful it can be. For me, working with a therapist while using essential oils has been one of the best things I have ever done.

SARA is a blend of  Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Lavender, Orange, Blue Tansy, Cedarwood, White Lotus, and Rose. It does contain Almond Oil so if you're allergic to nuts, you may have to avoid this one.

Trauma Life
The emotional consequences of being part of a trauma can be devastating. It implants deep into the hidden recesses of our mind and can impact every part of our lives. Being able to release those dark parts of ourselves can help us to regain our lives and control over our future.

Trauma Life is a powerful blend of sandalwood, frankincense, valerian, spruce, davana, lavender, geranium, helichrysum, citrus, and rose that helps to combat stress, improve sleep, and release anger. It is absolutely amazing to use in conjunction with therapy and I recommend it to everyone.

Closing Words
Mass tragedies like the shootings this weekend in Orlando are horrible events, but they are not what define us. Our reaction to them is what defines us and what will drive the world towards healing or fear. Please remember that you can be a symbol of resilience and strength in your community by choosing hope and love over hurt and anger.

We can make the world better, but we have to do it together. #chooselove

If you or someone you know is thinking of hurting themselves or others, please contact National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK or emergency services 911. 

If it is non-emergent situation, you can email and you have a question about using the laws in your state to get someone you know into court-ordered treatment, email info@treatmentadvocacycenter or visit this website.