Get Your “Essence in Balance”

Have you ever caught the whiff of a scent (either glorious or stinky or somewhere in-between) and suddenly felt transported to another place and time?  Recently I had the great pleasure of relaxing at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, California, and there, in this beautiful and serene oasis surrounded by the inspiring Topa Topa Mountains and acres of sweet-smelling lavender and rosemary, I had an olfactory experience that evoked deep-rooted memories and transported me to places I hadn’t thought of in decades.

Beginning in Spa Ojai’s Apothecary, a good friend and I embarked on the “Essence in Balance” journey that began with a science experiment and ended, in the spa, with a stress-busting, full-body massage. Dr. Holly Adams, a homeopathy and aromatherapy expert, introduced our noses to over twenty five pure essential oils and flower essences, one at a time, while we closed our eyes and decided whether we liked or disliked a scent by rating it 1-5 (5=loved it, 1=hated it). 

Dr. Holly told us not to judge a fragrance by specific memories or feelings we had, but to go with our gut instinct.  We were to rely on our unconscious mind to recognize our immediate needs and in doing so, create our own signature fragrance to be used in the ultimate massage experience.  Ideally, we were supposed to be naturally drawn to aromas that would help balance our present state of being.

Our noses inhaled everything from rose geranium and neroli (aahhhh!) to frankincense and myrhh (ick!).  While some scents were easily given a quick thumbs-up (lavender) or thumbs-down (sage), others immediately evoked clear images in my mind and emotions that I had long forgotten.  For example, the very first scent reminded me of a Sri Chinmoy store in Queens, New York, that I used to walk to when I was ten years old.  I was always kind of freaked out yet fascinated by the young devotees in white robes and sneakers. Smelling this strange scent after so many years brought me right back to standing in that store and looking around in awe and slight fear.  Strange feeling – so I gave the scent a thumbs-down.

When we had finally chosen our favorite scents, we blended drops of them together in a tiny blue glass bottle.  Dr. Holly then offered us a bag of gleaming crystals, asked us to choose one, and dropped it into our bottles for extra healing properties. While we walked over to the spa for our massages, she concocted our customized massage oils using the essential oil blend that we had just created.  The soothing massage at the end of this intimate treatment was like icing on the cake.  Muscles relaxed, minds calm, we left the spa feeling like we had truly achieved “Essence in Balance.”

We learned the Spa Ojai’s Apothecary has recently launched a brand new online platform using a advanced CRM to bring their beautiful aromas to an online, millennial market! They are running an excellent sales promotion on their rose geranium which I would highly recommend!

How can you do this at home?  Try this:

1. Go to your local natural foods store (Whole Foods, Rainbow Bridge) and check for loca.
2. In the health/beauty section, find the racks of essential oils and, working from A-Z, smell each one. (Close your eyes and take a big whiff.)
3. Don’t think about the scent too much, just decide whether you like it or not. Instinct works best.
4. Choose 3-5 scents that you really like.
5. Purchase a small glass bottle for mixing the essential oils, a larger glass bottle if you want to make massage oil, and an un-scented carrier oil such as jojoba, almond or grapeseed oil.
6. Go home and experiment.  Start with one drop each and tweak the formula until you come up with a scent that you love.  Finally, add a few drops of your blended oil to 4 oz. of the carrier oil.
7. You’re done!  Massage this oil on your body, face, and hair. Enjoy. Relax….