Dr.
Mariza’s
Top 11 Self Care
Wellness Rituals
With Essential Oils
Do you ever forget to take care of yourself?
I have a feeling that the answer is yes. When we stop prioritizing
self-care, everything else follows suit—your confidence is depleted;
your energy is zapped; you may be operating in a mental fog,
where it’s hard to care about anything or anyone.
Self-care is an important part of our wellness ritual, and it often
goes by the wayside in our overscheduled, hyper-connected
world. Consumed by “being busy,” we often forget to take time for
ourselves to take care of our bodies. We tend to place other
people’s needs before our own healthcare needs and suffer the
health consequences over time. These consequences wreak havoc
on our mood, energy, sleep, weight and overall quality of life.
Practicing self-care rituals creates mindfulness and brings balance
into your life. You’ll feel more connected to yourself and the world
around you. Rituals are designed to help us celebrate moments of
magic wherever we are. Every aspect of life is punctuated with
ritual: To indulge in self-care, connect with nature, surround
ourselves with beauty, thrive in community and experiment with
new healthy lifestyle practices that enhance the quality of our
lives. When we attune ourselves to what I call the magic of being
present, wherever we may be, gratitude allows us to honor each
moment as sacred and show up with grace.
When establishing self-care rituals, essential oils can act as a
bridge for maintaining and supporting daily and weekly habits.
Essential oils allow for you to indulge your senses to deepen your
moments of relaxation and rejuvenation.
Essential oils act as adaptogens to support
mood, hormones, immune system and
overall homeostasis. They can be calming
and energizing, while supporting your body
on a cellular level. In this guide I will share
my favorite recipes, and protocols to enhance
your self-care rituals.
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Morning Rituals: Set the Tone for Your Day
Your self-care routine is all about setting the tone for your day!
Each day we get to choose the day that we are going to have
and morning rituals really allow that to come into reality.
This is when you have your opportunity to choose your speed
for the day. Not every day is the same. If you wake without a
morning routine, you will be subject to a random speed,
depending on your coffee intake and blood sugar level. Set
your body and mind for success in the morning with rituals
that will support you throughout the day, especially when you
have a lot on your plate. Here are some powerful rituals to
consider for your first hour of the day.
1. GRATITUDE JOURNALING ABUNDANCE BLEND
2 drops dōTERRA
Taking a moment to write down what you are grateful for in
Frankincense
life is arguably one of the most important steps of your
2 drops dōTERRA Wild
morning routine, in my opinion. This is something that I have Orange
been doing for years and can’t imagine starting my day 1 drop dōTERRA
without this ritual. This step is about personal growth, Peppermint
making positive daily change and contributing to your
self-care first thing in the morning. And it only takes 5-10 Before beginning your
minutes. All you need is a notebook or journal, a pen and my gratitude journal, or
favorite essential oil Abundance Blend. This blend awakens meditation ritual, add the
the mind, turns on the happy endorphins and centers you to blend to your hands, rub
start your day. your hands together and
take 3 deep belly breathes
with these oils your hands.
2. ESTABLISH A MEDITATION You can also substitute
Sandalwood for
PRACTICE Frankincense if you prefer.
Set up a sacred space in your home where you can sit
in silence and tune inward. Deep breathing and focused
concentration slows down brain waves, making them more
organized. It allows us to activate the parasympathetic
nervous system, releasing endorphins in the blood stream
and allowing the brain to emit “happy” hormones! This
helps us to have presence, peace of mind and maintain a
practice of gratitude. Meditation can be 2 minutes, or
20 minutes, depending on your time and need. Use
the Abundance Blend, or even just Wild Orange to start
your meditation practice for brain-boosting benefits.
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3. EXERCISE AND YOGA
Moving your body in the morning is great for feeling
energized, loving your heart and getting focused on the tasks
for the day. A 10-15 minute brisk walk, or 5-10 minutes of yoga
in your living room is exactly what the doctor ordered. Taking
a whiff of peppermint and grapefruit essential oil will help
energize your mind and body.
YOGA SUN SALUTATION: Practicing at least three
Sun Salutations in the morning is a wonderful
way to awaken your body, to stretch, to say
good morning to each of your muscles.
It’s also a great way to know your body
and its limits since in the morning we
are “raw”, so to speak — our muscles still
need to be “warmed”. Be gentle with
yourself. Feel free to practice your
morning sun salutations with knees bent in
Uttanasana (forward bend), and knees on
the floor in Chaturanga. We all have
something going on in our bodies, be it sore shoulders,
sore knees, or a sensitive spine, so taking a few minutes in the
morning will set you up for success the rest of the day.
DETOX AND RENEW
WATER INFUSION
½ cup cucumber sliced
1 lemon sliced
4. GET HYDRATED
½ cup blueberries Make water a priority every morning. Without starting your
2 drops dōTERRA Lemon day with adequate water intake, we are likely to remain
dehydrated for the rest of the day and feel sluggish. Hydrating
In a small bowl, muddle your cells with 1-2 pints of water (16 – 32 oz.) first thing in the
blue berries. Combine
morning is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
muddled blue berries,
lemon and cucumber Drinking water first thing in the morning helps with mental
slices into a 2-quart pitcher clarity, energy and mood. This is without saying, that when we
along with 1.5 liters of hydrate first thing in the morning, we are replenishing fluids
water. Add doTERRA lost from sweating, urinating throughout the evening and the
lemon oil and stir. significant need for water for our cells to function properly.
Refrigerate for 3-5 hours Dress up your water with an infusion of herbs, essential oils
before serving. May be and fruits. I have included one of my favorite recipes from my
consumed at room Water Infusions book.
temperature, or chilled
with ice.
*Keep refrigerated and
consume within 2-3 days.
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5.DAILY GREEN SMOOTHIES
Drinking green smoothies every day is one of the easiest and POPEYE GOES TO
best habits you can have if you want to see an improvement in THAILAND GREEN
your energy levels. Drinking your green smoothie for breakfast SMOOTHIE
is also a great way to start the day. It only takes a few minutes 3 handfuls of spinach
to prepare and this is my absolute best daily habit/tip that will 1 cup of frozen or fresh
increase your nutritional intake by an entire 700%. mango
I take my green smoothie on the go each 15 mint leaves
morning, or sip on it as I start my morning. 1/2 cup frozen or fresh
Fueling your body in the morning is the strawberries
best way to set yourself up for success. 1/2 banana
2 cups of coconut water (or
filtered water)
Now if that is not convincing enough, a 2 drops of dōTERRA
daily green smoothie can also increase Lemon essential oil
your fiber intake, ramp up your fruit and 1 drop of dōTERRA Wild
vegetable intake, and of course support Orange essential oil
your energy levels. The green smoothie
recipe I am sharing is a super simple, This is just one way to use
energy boosting smoothie that anyone essential oils in smoothie
can make at home. Not to mention recipes. Play around with
delicious – it’s called Popeye Goes to your favorite fruits and
Thailand and combined spinach, mango, vegetables to create a
delicious and energy
mint and coconut water for a truly refreshing
boosting smoothie that
way to start your day. Just place all of the ingredients fights off fatigue and
in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth. tastes amazing at the
same time!
PRO TIP: Blend spinach
and coconut water by
6. SHOWER RITUAL themselves first for the
We all shower sometime during the day to clean our bodies. If smoothest consistency.
you typically take a morning shower to wake up and feel
refreshed, here is a great ritual for you. Each morning when
you take a hot, steamy shower, add 2-3 drops of an essential
oil blend to breathe in. This 2-minute ritual will open your
respiratory airways, sending oxygen to the body and brain, COASTAL LIVING
awaken your senses and energize you. Before getting in the SHOWER BLEND
shower grab 1-3 essential oils, or a blend, that really resonate 2 drops dōTERRA
with you that day. I recommend using invigorating oils such Frankincense
as Grapefruit, Wild Orange, Peppermint, and Eucalyptus, or 2 drops dōTERRA
create a pre-made shower blend for easy usage. Here is a Cedarwood
great shower blend to use for your next shower. It reminds 1 drop dōTERRA Rosemary
me of the living on the coast. 2 drops dōTERRA Wild
Orange
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7. ADORN YOUR WAY TO A GOOD MOOD
There is a science (“enclothed cognition”) about how what
you wear influences the way you feel. Reframe “getting
dressed” in the morning to “adorning yourself,” and the
moments you spend preparing yourself for the day are
charged with ritual. Dress for the mood you want to embody.
SUPERWOMAN BLEND For example, just because it’s dreary outside doesn’t mean
your wardrobe has to be.
12 drops dōTERRA
Sandalwood Dress your way to a better mood, starting with your most
12 drops dōTERRA Clary intimate layers — your underwear — with undergarments that
Sage
are beautiful and feel good against your skin. Bold accents
8 drop dōTERRA Ylang
Ylang
like scarves or hats can infuse personality into your wardrobe
8 drops dōTERRA and jazz up any look. I take this ritual a step further and adorn
Bergamot myself throughout the day with mood boosting essential oils.
In your morning “adorning ritual”, choose a blend of oils that
Place the number of drops, will support your mood for the day. I love adorning myself
per recipe, in a 10 mL with essential oils that make me feel good. Apply these oils
rollerball and then fill to on your pulse points: wrists, ankles, neck/collar bone. Be your
the top with your carrier own alchemist and choose a blend that resonates with your
oil of choice (fractionated mood and abundance mindset. Essential oils that are
coconut oil, or almond wonderful to combine are Clary Sage, Bergamot, Jasmine,
oil). Roll the blends over
Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang. Here is a beautiful “Super
your pulse points: neck,
ankles and wrists.
Women” roller bottle blend for inspiring your inner Rock Star!
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Evening Routine
8. THERAPEUTIC BATH
The sea is nature’s medicine. Preparing a therapeutic sea salt BATH SOAK RECIPE
bath helps to support clearing out toxins from your body and 1 cup sea salt
can cleanse and ground you when you feel “spaced out” or 1 cup epsom salts (or
overwhelmed and not at home in your own skin. Check out magnesium flakes)
my recipe for a quick and easy bath below: 1/2 cup baking soda
Essential oils of your choice
Fill your bathtub with the warmest water you can stand and (Frankincense, Lavender,
Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang,
soak for 20 minutes only. Any longer and your body may
Cedarwood)
reabsorb the toxins you
have released.
Rinse off the
remaining
salt on your RELAX AND RESTORE
body in BATH BLEND
the shower.
2 drops dōTERRA Lavender
2 drops dōTERRA
Frankincense
1 drop dōTERRA Clary Sage
9. LATHER UP
Once you finish Your therapeutic bath, finish the ritual off by HOMEMADE BODY
indulging your skin with healthy, moisturizing oils. As you BUTTER
know, what you put on your skin enters your bloodstream. I
1 cup unrefined Shea
recommend a shea butter and coconut oil blend to keep your butter
skin moisturized and radiant throughout the year. Since you’ll 1/2 cup coconut oil
use so much, it’s most affordable to make this recipe at home 1/2 cup almond oil (or any
and then indulge in a special facial product that you love. For other oil)
deep skin nourishment, apply this easy-to-make body butter 20 drops dōTERRA
recipe with either Wild Orange and Peppermint to awaken Lavender
your skin, or Lavender and Geranium to calm and soothe your 10 drops dōTERRA
skin. Geranium
Heat shea butter, coconut
Other suggestions for a 5-minute self-love oil and almond oil
ritual after the Therapeutic Bath: together over a double
Scalp Massage with Lavender and Rosemary : promotes relaxation, boiler. Cool mixture to
memory, and healthy hair. Combine these essential oils with room temperature, then
coconut, or avocado oil for a nourishing oil treatment. refrigerate for an hour or
Self-Love Massage with Almond Oil/Coconut Oil and your favorite so. Once solid, whip with
muscle soothing essential oils : White fir, Lavender, Cypress, beaters until smooth.
Wintergreen, Frankincense. Focus this self massage on the neck, Store in a glass or
trapezius muscles, temples, shoulders, and let the tension of your stainless steel container.
day melt away.
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10. THE MIRROR EXERCISE
I love this evening ritual before bed to really conclude each
day with abundance, appreciation and love. This 3 minute
exercise is a very powerful and transformative experience and
it’s worth trying for 30 days to experience some incredible
changes in your mindset.
Affirmations:
I am enough
How the mirror exercise ritual works: Find a mirror in your
I am worthy and
deserving home, such as the bathroom, or your bedroom mirror. You
I trust myself will want to find a private space for this ritual. The purpose is
I allow myself the to make eye contact with yourself in the mirror. Next you are
abundance I desire going do 3 things in the mirror. The first thing you will do is
I forgive myself
acknowledge your wins and accomplishments for the day.
I am a powerful
manifestor After you have acknowledged your wins, you are going to
I was born to create declare your affirmations. I included some core affirmations
my dreams below to incorporate, but feel free to create your own
affirmations that are true for you and your life. And the final
part of this ritual is to say “I love you.”
Feel free to make the mirror exercise more transformative by
incorporating essential oils before you begin the ritual.
Essential oils that are beautiful for elevating this ritual are:
Jasmine, Frankincense, Bergamot, Melissa and Ylang Ylang.
11. SET THE MOOD FOR SLEEP
Our nightly ritual involves using our essential oil diffusers to
help everyone in the house wind down. There are so many
wonderful calming blends that you can create, depending on
the mood you want everyone to experience.
As you are heading to bed here are a couple of rules for
DIFFUSER CALMING preparing for a good night’s sleep. Put away electronics about
BLEND an hour before bed and either have a nice conversation, or
2 drops dōTERRA Clary read a book before bed. Apply oils to your sheets and pillows
Sage with a spray bottle, and set the lighting to dim so that your
2 drops dōTERRA Lavender sensory system is prepared for sleep. I also like applying oils to
1 drop dōTERRA the back of the neck, wrists and bottom of feet. Great oils for a
Cedarwood restful night’s sleep are Vetiver and Lavender. Apply these oils
to your hands and take in 3 deep belly breaths, or diffuse
them by your bedside while you are falling asleep.
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Bonus: Alternate Nostril Breathing Ritual
We all know the importance of breathing. When we are under
stress, breathing is the first thing to become shallow and strained.
I encourage all types of breathwork, as it is capable of purifying the
body and its 7 energy centers or chakras, giving movement to
energetic blockages or patterns and moving spirit through the
body. One of my favorite breathing practices is Alternate Nostril
Breathing. This really incredible 2-minute Ayurvedic meditation
technique is very powerful at reducing stress levels instantly. I
recommend using calming essential oils to increase the
effectiveness of this meditation. Try Bergamot, Frankincense, or
Clary Sage.
HERE’S HOW TO DO IT:
Start sitting in a cross-legged position, facing east or north. Apply a
calming essential oil like Lavender, or Clary Sage to your palms.
Exhale all air. Close the right nostril with the right thumb, and
inhale slowly and deeply into the belly through the left nostril.
Pause. Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb,
and slowly exhale through the right nostril. At the end of the
exhalation, inhale through the right nostril, then close it with the
thumb and exhale through the left nostril. This creates one round.
Begin with 2 rounds and gradually increase to 10.
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