( an ode to oils )

by jennifer hetrick
     

after having a more rushed and stressful life for years and meaning well but still seeing a lot of frustration, leslie sacks of douglassville began to glimpse the shape of her days changing once she started delving into a more natural type of energy through her efforts.
     

sacks now works daily with young living essential oils, or yleo, which is based out of lehi, utah. as a massage therapist today, aiming toward certification to use her expertise with wholesome essential oils in the field of oncology through the american holistic nurses’ association, she plans to do what she can to help cancer patients with her growing skill-set.
     

she has learned the continual blossoming benefits of using yleo versus ones sometimes found even in organic or natural food stores, as national regulations with wording and content of what must be on labels is not strict enough that the most pure and non-diluted or minimally chemically-altered ingredients are required with those who bottle the liquids. and yet they can appear as though they’re organic or completely pure, with how the bottles’ labels are handled. but a call to the companies to clarify this would likely lead to an only so clear answer.
     

“after a crippling injury in his early adult years that nearly cost him his life, [d.] gary young dedicated his life to researching essential oils and natural ways to combat disease, preserve health, and promote natural and healthy lifestyles,” reads his website, mentioning that he grew up on a farm in idaho but moved to canada and worked in logging and ranching, suffering a nearly devastating logging accident. “he has since earned a degree in nutrition, a doctorate in naturopathy, and has gone on to become one of the foremost authorities on essential oils and their therapeutic value in the world.”
     

originally hearing that he wouldn’t walk again after the logging accident, “young had tried to commit suicide three times but failed. in time, he began to research old societies and ones where people lived into old age,” sacks says to explain more about the founder’s circumstances that inspired him to lead the life he now calls his own and shares with so many others.
     

young understood the importance of having the most far from adulterated essential oils around for their impeccable healing uses, and unlike many distributors, ensures that he sees the curious liquids pressed from plants raised from seed-start to flourishing-finish on his own farms. with other suppliers of essential oils, those managing the bottling are unlikely to be able to say they know where the original plants were raised and how they were tended to in the growing process.
     

on top of that, sometimes lesser reputably bottled oils can have negative reactions on skin, while pure and potent oils are a lot safer and not nearly as problematic for health.
     

the caringly raised plants that lead to young’s final essential oils stem literally from farms in st. maries, idaho; mona, utah; and naples, idaho, inside the u.s.
     

for plants that grow more fittingly in other climates outside of his home country, young has farms in simiane-la-rotonde, france; guayaquil, ecuador; and salalah, oman.
     

“i believe very strongly in the oils,” sacks admits. “it’s all about helping others.”
     

while yleo has many straight essential oils, it also has a few blends to bring out the best characteristics in combination for when the light lure hits epidermis.
     

“essential oils are a very complex molecule,” sacks notes. “when you mix two oils together, you change the molecular composition and how it affects the body.”
     

she points out that oils stay in the body for about 24 hours.
     

“cancer does not grow in certain environments,” she adds, with oils and their naturally healing properties as a curious and historical proponent of a good life sometimes forgotten and less known about nowadays because of the advent of prescription drugs and modern medicinal methods.
     

“you have 20 percent more pores in your feet than in other parts of your body,” sacks says. this means it can help better with absorption happening faster when specific healing characteristics are called for as some kind of illness strikes.
     

a blend of oils called valor, which incorporates spruce, blue tansy, rosewood, and frankincense, is one sacks highly advocates.
     

“valor is huge for self-esteem and depression,” she says. “it also helps with alignment. essential oils are really tools for the body—we were designed to heal ourselves.”
     

assisting in emotional strength, valor works with the body’s electrical system, she says.
     

back and joint pain, injuries related to those problems, jaw pain and disorders, sciatica, anxiety, sleep apnea, stiff neck, and spinal adjustment are just a few examples of how valor can ease difficult bodily anguish and struggles.
     

“peppermint for headaches is fabulous, but every once in a while, it doesn’t work for someone,” she elaborates. it can help to drop body temperature, too, so sacks gives her children peppermint oil instead of aspirin. dilating capillaries, the oil increases circulation and is worth attention with bruises, sore muscles, and even broken bones.
     

but applying it to the belly during an upset stomach is one of its great perks, too. plus, it’s good to sniff periodically to keep awake well away from coffee when sleepy moments sweep into the picture, as it aids with alertness.
     

you can inhale oils, apply them directly to a spot of skin, or mingle them into spritzers or lemonade, she says.
     

spraying lavender on sunburn is helpful, too, especially because it calms whatever it touches and has a natural sedative effect. it’s good for alleviating high cholesterol, sacks says, and it reinforces cell regeneration. it’s also great for cuts.
 

( lavender essential oil applied to the temples can help to calm & also soothe headaches

photos courtesy of  leslie sacks )

     

lavender oil mixed with a high-quality vegetable can actually act as a natural sunblock for skin, too, as a preventative measure. but fortunately, in general, lavender oil is very good for stressed skin, sacks adds.
     

in oncology units in children’s hospitals outside of pennsylvania, sacks notes that small cups of essential oils like lavender are given to kids for them to smell in small whiffs when they feel nauseous or nervous, sacks says. unfortunately, our state is not usually as progressive in these natural approaches.
     

“frankincense is probably one of the most powerful oils you’ll ever experience,” she says. it stimulates the limbic system and is excellent for nudging injuries to heal.
     

concentration, immune system, blisters, insect bites, depression, brittle nails, stretch marks, cysts, skin health, warts, breast health, and general health maintenance are just a few areas where frankincense can offer a natural assistance in repairing and improving the body.
     

sacks is laboring to introduce educational workshops around the region with regard to the healing benefits and uses of essential oils in addressing different crucial topics of today. one location of her workshops is at beaufort’s run sanctuary in upper pottsgrove. to find out more, visit www.beaufortsrun.com or reach her directly at 610.207.1919 or leslie@healingthyme.com.