You have likely heard it said that no man is an island, but we believe that when you are on your yoga mat, every woman, man and child certainly is your island, a safe and happy space to go with the yoga flow. It is, therefore, vitally important that you create the perfect environment for your island, as this will significantly enhance your yoga practice. With that in mind, we would like to introduce you to ‘aromayoga’, combining essential oils and the power of aromatherapy with yoga to create a winning combination. We know that yoga improves concentration and focus, and aromatherapy has been shown to help focus your attention, so together, they are unstoppable!
The Principles of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy works with our sense of smell and the inhalation process. Our sense of smell is considered to be the most primitive sense and has communication links with deep parts of the brain. If you walk into a room and smell a perfume that your grandmother wore years ago, your brain will instantly recognise it, and this will trigger responses; you may feel nostalgic, happy, sad and suddenly have a vivid picture of her in your mind. That is how powerful our olfactory senses are and one of the reasons why aromatherapy can be so effective. When we breathe in and smell essential oils, they travel along the nose to the top and meet the olfactory cells. If you could look at these cells under a microscope, you would see tiny hairs that trap the smell and allow it to be recognised. As it is identified, the nerves fire up and send impulses out to the limbic system, which is the area of the brain that deals with instinct, emotion and survival. When these impulses arrive at the brain, the chemistry is altered to create an appropriate response; if we smell burning, we immediately move and look for the danger; if we smell bacon sandwiches, we rush to the kitchen excitedly, you get the idea!
Focus
So, with this in mind, our new blend of yoga mat spray Focus is perfect for giving you a clear mind and solid focus for your daily session. We have blended lemon, rosemary, tea tree and peppermint to create the ideal combination. All of these oils have uplifting properties and stimulate your mind. By spraying your mat before practising, you will be inhaling a fantastic mood and energy boost every time you move. The tea tree has been added because it has exceptional antiviral and antibacterial properties, and these will help keep your yoga mat clean and healthy. Finally, we chose these particular essential oils because they can decrease fatigue alongside the increase in focus. Of course, you can take advantage of these remarkable properties at any other point by gently misting the air around you. Whether you have to take an exam or attend a challenging meeting via zoom, a quick spray of focus will help settle your brain and get you in the right state of concentration. Alongside our other yoga mat sprays, Relax and Energise, Focus is available in 100 ml and 50 ml sizes.
