Gratitude, Heart Health & Essential Oils

Hello Friend!

There’s something about a simple moment of gratitude that can soften the edges of even the busiest day.

Gratitude isn’t a new concept, but how it shapes our biology might surprise you. Researchers exploring quantum biology (how our bodies work) are beginning to map something many of us have sensed all along: our bodies are deeply connected networks of rhythm and vibration. Every cell, every bit of tissue, every organ carries its own song. These songs not only exist but they communicate. Like a symphony, they influence how we feel, how we function, how we heal.

And one of the most powerful conductors in this orchestra?
The heart.

Your heart has a magnetic field thousands of times stronger than your brain, and it carries its own electrical rhythm, one that actually guides how the rest of the body organizes itself. When your heart is in a steady, coherent rhythm, that pattern ripples outward to every other system: your brain, immune function, hormones, digestion, sleep. All of it.

There is no better way to strengthen the inner workings of your body,  including your immune system, as we talked about last week, than by creating this inner harmony.

This is why how we breathe, and what we feel while we’re breathing, really matters.

When you bring in the feeling of gratitude, and combine it with slow, intentional breathing, you’re giving your body a signal of safety and regulation. You’re helping your nervous system downshift. And most importantly, you’re helping the heart and brain work together in harmony. That’s when the real magic happens. It’s when the body starts to communicate clearly with itself again.

Here’s a practice I use each morning to bring my system into coherence:

• Find a quiet, comfortable spot. Sit or lie down.

• Place one or both hands over your heart.

• Gently close your eyes.

• Inhale slowly for 4 counts, then exhale for 6 counts.

• As you breathe, think of something you feel grateful for. A memory, a person, even a simple joy such as warm tea, sun through the window, the scent of your favorite oil, a hug.

• Let that feeling grow, like it’s radiating from your chest, filling your whole body.

• Stay here for about 5 minutes as you breathe in and out focusing on your heart space.

• When you’re ready, open your eyes. Smile gently, for no reason other than that you gave yourself this moment.

It’s simple. It’s subtle. And it works.

Just five quiet minutes of breathing and gratitude can begin to realign your inner realms, helping your whole body communicate better, feel better, and be better.

Next Week Something Special Is Coming!

On December 12 and 13 at 1 PM ET, Jenny and I will host a special behind-the-scenes look at Thrive.

We’ll show you around the community, share what makes it such a supportive space for aromatherapists, and answer your questions to help you see if Thrive is right for you.

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Aromatic Creations Recipe

Heart Harmony Blend

To deepen this daily practice of gratitude and heart-brain harmony, I like to bring in the gentle support of essential oils.

This week’s blend centers around a beautiful high-altitude Geranium essential oil (Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum). It offers a soft, emotionally steadying presence that speaks directly to the heart space. Cultivated and distilled with care, this variety carries the familiar rosy notes many of us love, but with more subtle depth and grounding.

Heart Harmony Blend

• 3 drops Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens var roseum)

• 3 drops Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

• 2 drops Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)

• 1 drop Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Add to a diffuser, an aroma inhaler, or blend into a carrier oil for gentle application over the heart before your coherence practice. If you blend into 1 fl oz of carrier, drop the bergamot down to 2 drops to avoid phototoxicity issues.

When adding to a diffuser or an inhaler, the bergamot isn’t a problem, only when applied topically.

🌿 Geranium offers emotional balance, energetic protection, and a gentle lift in mood.
🌿 Bergamot helps regulate the nervous system and lifts the emotional tone, especially helpful when the mind feels scattered or heavy.
🌿 Frankincense deepens the breath and encourages a grounded, centered presence.
🌿 Lavender calms both body and mind, helping the breath find a natural, unhurried rhythm.

As you breathe with intention, let the aroma support the inner rhythm of your body. A quiet invitation to reconnect, recalibrate, and restore from within.

Notes of Discovery

Protecting Heart Health: Essential Oils and Anxiety

This article explores the deep connection between emotional well-being and heart health, and how essential oils can be powerful allies in managing anxiety, calming the nervous system, and supporting the heart both physically and emotionally.

It aligns perfectly with our focus this week: using breath, gratitude, and aromatherapy to bring the body back into balance.

Here are a few highlights to explore:

• How anxiety impacts the heart and how calming the mind directly supports cardiovascular health

• Why the heart is considered a “thinking” organ, with its own complex nervous system

• Simple oil blends to calm racing thoughts and ground the body in safety

• The science behind how scent and emotion are deeply intertwined in the brain

• Insightful practices that blend breathwork with essential oils for deeper healing

Whether you’re building a daily ritual or supporting long-term heart health, this article offers accessible, science-backed supportan d reminds us how beautifully simple the path to balance can be.

Product Spotlight

Geranium Essential Oil

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens var roseum)

This stunning Geranium essential oil is steam distilled in the highlands of India, where altitude and careful cultivation bring out its most refined qualities. Distilled from the leaves and flowers of Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum, it offers many of the aromatic and therapeutic qualities of rose at a more accessible price point.

Used regularly, it becomes a trusted companion for emotional balance, immune support, and skin health.

Key Benefits:

• Soothes physical tension and muscle cramping (antispasmodic, analgesic)

• Helps calm and cleanse the skin — including support against candida (antifungal, antimicrobial)

• Reduces redness, puffiness, and irritation (anti-inflammatory)

• Supports cell repair and rejuvenation for healthy, radiant skin (skin regenerative)

• Lifts the emotional tone and helps ease anxiety (antidepressant, antianxiety)

• Protects the body from environmental stressors (antioxidant)

• Repels insects naturally (insecticide)

• Supports immune balance and total body resilience (tonic)

The Aroma

This oil is heavenly. It opens with a rosy sweetness and unfolds into soft citrus, fresh green, and gently spicy notes. As it lingers, we are reminded of a rose garden and a walk in the woods!

It’s one of those oils that brings comfort and beauty in equal measure, a little luxury for the heart and soul.

From The Vine

There is often confusion about Latin names when it comes to geranium. 

Q: Why are geranium's Latin names so confusing?
A: Because most “geranium” essential oil isn’t actually from a true geranium. It’s from Pelargonium, a totally different plant genus. But the common name stuck centuries ago, and now it causes a lot of mix-ups.

Q: What plant does the oil come from?
A: Aromatherapy geranium oil is distilled from Pelargonium graveolens, not the bright garden geraniums or the true Geranium species.

Q: What’s the difference between Geranium and Rose Geranium?

• Geranium = Pelargonium graveolens

• Rose Geranium = Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum

Rose geranium is softer, sweeter, more rosy, often grown at high altitude, which deepens the aroma and chemistry.

Q: Why is rose geranium more expensive?
It’s fragile in cold climates, has a lower oil yield, and is usually distilled only once per year. That, plus careful cultivation, makes it pricier — especially when grown organically in mountain regions.

Q: Can it really replace rose otto?
It’s one of the best alternatives that has similar therapeutic properties with a lush, rosy scent at a more accessible price.

Q: How do I know I’m getting the real thing?
Look for the full Latin name on the label:

• Pelargonium graveolens (geranium)

• Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum (rose geranium)

• Or both, if it’s a co-distillation

Avoid oils without Latin names or with oddly low prices as adulteration is common.

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Bonus Blend 💕

Winter skin called… so we made her a balm. ❄️💛

Here’s our Warming Winter Skin Balm. Rich, comforting, and so good for dry, cold weather skin.

The recipe is in the video description, check out all the cool textures and colors and please drop us a comment.

So much of what nourishes us doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple can be profound. And you’re allowed to start exactly where you are.

Stay Inspired!

So much of what nourishes us doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple can be profound. And you’re allowed to start exactly where you are.