After running a successful yoga studio in London for years, yoga teacher Rebecca Poyurs made the leap and followed her dream of raising her young daughter in bucolic Devon. There she unbottled her inner entrepreneur and joined her two or her passions, yoga and aromatherapy to create Revkah Aromatherapy which we proudly offer at The Hot Spot Yoga to enhance your practice and life on and off the mat.
Q: How has aromatherapy impacted your yoga practice?
A: Using aromatherapy has added an incredibility supportive and healing layer to my yoga and meditation practice. Since infusing these two holistic practices together, I have been able to amplify my overall approach to my self care and healing that is deeply rooted with the intention to balance and restore my physical, mental and emotional health.
Q: Yoga applies focus, balance, serenity and openness. Can you recommend any specific essential oils that complement a regular yoga practice?
A: When choosing essential oils to use in your yoga practice, you may want to consider whether you are looking to calm, ground, uplift or balance your energy, as well as the style of practice you will be enjoying. In restorative and yin classes I would recommend using essentials oils that have a grounding and calming effect on the nervous and emotional system such as lavender, chamomile, cedar wood, frankincense and bergamot. My SLEEP and BALANCE blends are a wonderful complement for this. In more active classes, you can use the invigorating scents of rosemary, spearmint, juniper berry and peppermint essential oils. My AWAKEN blend is a wonderful support for this style of class. When leaning toward a more grounding class or meditation practice, frankincense, eucalyptus and patchouli are wonderful oils to use. These can be found in my CLARITY blend, which has been designed and blended specifically to support yoga and meditation.
Q: Aromatherapy as a CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is being recognized by mainstream health practitioners, why do you think this is happening?
A: Aromatherapy as a Complementary Therapy is used in addition to mainstream medical treatment to try to treat conditions in a way that involves your body, mind and spirit. This approach means treating an individual as whole, unique person during intensive medical treatments and procedures (eg. cancer, surgery) and provides natural and alternative ways to manage the physical, mental and emotional stress that can be experienced during these more challenging times.
We are navigating a time where there is a particularly strong drive to return back to the use of natural ingredients and more gentle approaches to treat our overall health and wellbeing. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years across many cultures. We are just scratching the surface of their potential. In clinical settings, researchers have focused on aromatherapy for anxiety, depression, pain relief, nausea, and insomnia. In a 2017 study, for example, aromatherapy with lavender was found to promote sleep and reduce anxiety for patients with heart disease. Scientific research of essential oils has increased exponentially and in the last decade - with some incredible findings and results.
Q: Are there any aromatherapy pitfalls to avoid?
A: When purchasing your essential oils, it is best to ensure you are selecting a pure grade therapeutic essential oil to receive the true benefits and not a synthetic fragrance. It is helpful to know that the shorter period of time you can smell the scent of an oil for, the purer it is. Scents that last a long time after spray or application are likely to be synthetic.
Some essential oils are sold in dilution already (ie in a carrier oil) This can sometimes be the case with more expensive oils such a Rose and Jasmine, so just be mindful if you are actually intending to buy the purest form of the oil.
Essential oils are potent in their purest form so always ensure they are used in dilution (ie. in a carrier oil) when applied topically and less is always more when it comes to usage. Those with sensitive skin should use mindfully and perform a small skin test before full usage. Certain essentials oils should be avoided during pregnancy and if you have a medical condition, are taking any medication or undergoing any type of medical treatment, please check with your doctor to ensure that it is safe to use aromatherapy in conjunction with your prescribed treatment programme.
Q: What is your go-to scent today?
A: Today my go-to scent is AWAKEN to help keep me uplifted and alert. I am having a full-blown admin day! The refreshing and invigorating essential oils of peppermint and rosemary are mindfully added to this blend. They are both incredibly supportive for sharper concentration and focus and to help bring a clearer state of mind.
Follow Rebecca and Revkah on www.instagram.com/revkayaromatherapy.
You can enjoy Revkah Aromatherapy oils on Thursday evenings at The Hot Spot Yoga during our 8pm Yin + Tonic class. Feel free to add aromatherapy to any class to enhance your personal space. Revkah Aromatherapy oils are available to purchase on studio reception.