Easing Anxious Minds: Finding Bright Spots in Dark Days
A guide to calming anxious moments, finding joy, and discovering neroli
Hello Friend!
Did you know the number 7 is considered highly spiritual and connected to reflection, exploration, and the search for truth? It’s fitting for this time of year. I invite you to use today (December 7th) to pause, take stock of where you’ve been, and set intentions for where you’re going. Whatever the future holds, one thing is certain—it’s bound to be full of surprises!
On a recent hike, I found myself thinking about these themes. The trail wound up the mountain, leading to a scenic view. I came upon a simple bench built just a few years ago in the middle of nowhere. The day was dreary, with clouds hanging low and everything feeling muted. But here’s the thing: days like this are often perfect for spotting details you’d otherwise miss. With the sunlight diffused above the clouds, bright pops of color emerge in surprising places…
In This Week’s Newsletter
This week, we’re exploring how to nurture emotional balance, calm anxiety, and invite more joy into our lives with the support of essential oils. Here’s what’s inside:
A Guide to Anxiety Relief with Essential Oils: Learn to use 6 of the top essential oils for balancing emotions, reducing anxious feelings, and opening pathways to joy, which are highlighted in our latest blog.
Spotlight on Neroli: Discover the beauty of this cherished oil, celebrated for its ability to uplift the spirit and bring peace to your day.
A Recipe for Emotional Ease: A thoughtful blend crafted to help you slow down, uncover hidden moments of joy, and navigate life’s adventures with emotional clarity and grace.
This time of year is ideal for finding the color in our lives. The short days invite us to investigate, to search for hidden joy and overlooked moments of meaning. The darkness allows the light to show up in ways we might otherwise miss, allowing us to shift our perspective. Why would we want to do that? Because we deserve peace and joy in every area of our lives. And sometimes, we’re the ones standing in our own way. A small change in how we see things can invite light and color into even the darkest times.
That day on the trail, I experienced this firsthand. Under a spattering of snow and amidst the deep green leaves of kinnikinnick, I spotted a flash of brilliant red—a tiny moment of beauty tucked into the landscape. Kinnikinnick, also known as bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), is an evergreen groundcover that is found across North America, from alpine forests to rocky coastal bluffs. Its name comes from the Algonquin language and translates to “smoking mixture,” as its dried leaves were often blended with tobacco for ceremonial use by Native Americans. Beyond its spiritual significance, the plant was valued for its medicinal properties, including treating urinary tract infections and making dyes from its berries.
The brightly colored berry drew my attention to this humble plant, which I might not have noticed otherwise. Looking for beauty can often reveal resources that offer healing and support.
This hike reminded me of an important lesson: sometimes, the most colorful moments of our lives are hidden in the least expected places. Whether it’s an orange berry under a snow-dusted leaf or a scenic bench waiting on a foggy trail, beauty, and purpose are always present if we take the time to notice. Even when the way forward feels dim or uncertain, those moments of light and color are there, waiting to remind us that growth, joy, and meaning are always within reach—we just have to pause long enough to notice them.
Join Karen and Jenny for a calming, restorative session filled with tips and natural remedies to support a peaceful mind and body! We shared tools from aromatherapy, herbal wellness, lifestyle practices, and more to help you manage anxiety and nurture a sense of calm.
While this time of year is rich in beauty, it’s also fraught with anxiety for many people. This month, we’ll be exploring a variety of ways to soothe anxiety with essential oils—starting this week with a comprehensive guide on the top 6 essential oils to use for anxiety and a bit of science showing why they work.
You’ll learn to make a collection of beautiful aromatherapy products:
Roll-On Blend
Diffuser Blend
Lotion
Bath Salt
Personal Inhaler
Body Butter
We’ll also discuss several different approaches to blending (including blending based on aroma, plant parts, and chemistry) and answer some frequently asked questions about using essential oils for mental health (such as “Can essential oils replace medication for anxiety?”).
Neroli, an essential oil derived from the delicate blossoms of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium var amara), is a treasure in aromatherapy. This exquisite oil, known for its rich, floral aroma with sweet and slightly citrusy undertones, is steam-distilled in regions renowned for their craftsmanship, including Egypt, Italy, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Neroli is beloved for:
Emotional Support: Neroli is celebrated for its ability to calm the mind and uplift the spirit. It’s a fantastic oil for easing anxious moments, soothing emotional slumps, and inviting a sense of balance and joy. A single drop can transform your blend, making neroli a perfect addition for moments when life feels overwhelming.
Physical Benefits: Beyond its emotional benefits, neroli offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic properties. It’s also a favorite in skin care, known for supporting healthy, glowing skin, and gently fading scars or dark spots.
Usage in Blends: A little neroli goes a long way. Its potent aroma blends beautifully with oils like lavender, bergamot, and sandalwood, enhancing relaxation and emotional well-being. Whether in a diffuser, a linen spray, or a personal blend, neroli brings elegance and therapeutic power to any creation.
Relief in a bottle, this blend weaves neroli’s tender floral embrace with the citrusy brightness of blood orange and the smoky, balsamic depth of cypress. Both anchoring and uplifting, its aroma offers a peaceful pause to steady the soul and ease the mind—an ideal companion for your daily adventures or moments of stillness.
Ingredients:
10 ml Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
2 drops Blood Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis)
2 drops Neroli Oil (Citrus aurantium var amara)
1 drop Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens)
Directions:
Add the essential oils to a 10 ml roller bottle.
Fill the rest of the bottle with jojoba oil.
Secure the roller cap and gently shake to combine.
Carry this blend as a personal reminder to pause and reconnect, helping you move through life’s moments with presence and intention, even when the path feels uncertain.
Looking for ingredients? Here they are!
From The Vine
The Bitter Orange Tree’s Triple Gift
Question: I’m confused—how can neroli, petitgrain, and blood orange oil come from the same tree?
Answer: Great question! The bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium var amara) is a remarkable plant that offers three distinct essential oils, each from a different part of the tree:
Neroli: Distilled from the blossoms, neroli has a sweet, floral, slightly citrusy aroma. It’s highly prized for emotional support, helping to inspire joy and calm the mind.
Petitgrain: Distilled from the leaves and twigs, petitgrain offers a fresh, green, woody aroma. It’s known for its grounding and balancing qualities, often used to soothe nervous tension and promote focus.
Bitter Orange: Cold-pressed from the fruit’s rind, blood orange oil boasts a bright, juicy, sweet aroma. It’s uplifting and energizing, perfect for creating a sense of warmth and happiness.
The difference lies in the plant part used. Each part of the tree—blossoms, leaves, and fruit—contains unique chemical compounds that influence the oil’s aroma and therapeutic properties.
Blending these oils from the same tree can create a multi-dimensional aromatic experience, combining the floral elegance of neroli, the earthy freshness of petitgrain, and the bright zest of bitter orange. Together, they offer the full spectrum of benefits the bitter orange tree has to give.
I love hearing from you! Share your thoughts in the comments on the online post—I’ll be sure to respond and join the conversation. 💕
"The flower blossoms for its own joy."
— Oscar Wilde
![]() | Keep blending! Love, ![]() |
Reply