
The Surprisingly Healing Way Aromatherapy Can Do Wonders For The Mind & Body

Infused oils, essential oils, and tinctures are extractions of earth's resources that can be used in the same way that crystals are used in alternative and holistic healing. Whether you are using them in aromatherapy, meditation, tinctures, or for body and bath, you can utilize their power for healing and rejuvenation.
Energy blockages in our souls act as walls, or gaps, in our mental, emotional, or physical planes. When we experience energy blockages anywhere in these locations, we are unable to clear the karmic, childhood, or repressed energies that are tied up in blocks that we need in order to help raise our vibration and frequency, moving us forward toward our highest and greatest good. Using aromatherapy as energetic support is a great way to heal those blockages. This read will help you get started on your oil healing journey.
Essential & Infused Oils in Diffusers
Aromatherapy uses plant materials and aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, and other aroma compounds for improving psychological or physical well-being. It can be used in conjunction with holistic services such as Reiki, Acupuncture, or Spiritual Massage.
It has the ability to assist in reducing high levels of anxiety, easing depression, boosting energy and low spirit levels, eliminating headaches, boosting cognitive performance, relieving insomnia, strengthening the immune system, relieving physical pain, improving digestion issues, and increasing circulation throughout the body.
Using a diffuser is the easiest way to enter into a vibration of the essential oils you would like to achieve healing energy from. It releases the infused steam that you can time with your breath exercises. We recommend the GuruNanda Honeycomb Aromatherapy Ultrasonic Diffuser.
Before meditating, set your intention on what energy blockage you wish to relieve. For instance, if you know you have a problem with opening up, being honest, communicating, or expressing your truth or creativity, you'll want to use a blend of essential oils that raises the vibration of your throat chakra. Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, or Peppermint essential oils are perfect for aligning the energy of your throat chakra and clearing any blockages that are present.
While you can purchase essential oils already made, you can also create your own infused oils. The best way to create the most potent blend of these essential oils is to infuse them yourself to reflect what energy blockage you are trying to heal.
Read: "How To Make Your Own Infused Oils For Living Your Best Life," to learn how to make your own infusions.
Tip: If you are on a budget, and don't want to buy an expensive diffuser system, you can most definitely find one for $20 or under, or you can make a DIY essential oil steam mist. You can do this by boiling hot water, dropping in your infusion, and placing your nostrils over the steam once it cools down to a safe temperature.
Herbal Tinctures
Tinctures are liquid extracts made from herbs, usually extracted into alcohol. They are normally used to help heal physical ailments by dissolving a drug into an alcohol. Using a tincture that replaces a drug with an herbaceous extract allows you to directly absorb the energetic healing elements into your bloodstream orally or through absorption via the skin in a salve or lotion.
Though drinking alcohol as a beverage lowers our frequency, the amount used in a tincture acts as a micro dose to treat any energetic blockages that exist within your physical body and energetically extends into your emotional, mental, and ethereal bodies. Tinctures can also be extracted in vegetable glycerine or apple cider vinegar.
Technically, this kind of herbal plant medicine has been around from as early as 1000 AD, and its healing effect is quickly absorbed through the liver. Spiritual herbs activate higher consciousness, intuition, spiritual awakening, and deep energetic healing and cleansing. Tinctures can be used to enhance emotional moods, aid clarity of thought, improve memory, ease mental anguish, open the heart chakra, and enhance psychic ability - just to name a few.
Tinctures are usually taken by the dropperful (or squeeze), and a dropperful is equivalent to half of an 8oz cup of tea. They can be taken as a multivitamin every morning, or worked into a personal ritualistic timeframe, or for as long as you are healing a blockage in your spirit.
You can find an array of healing tinctures online, at your local botanica, or if you are advantageous, you can create your own tinctures!
Tip: Be sure to consult an alternative or holistic practitioner before using or applying tinctures.
Oils in Bath & Meditation
Immersing yourself in a hot bath infused with essential oils is a perfect way to incorporate self-love, blockage healing, and meditation into your essential oil healing journey. The best way to take full advantage of this method is to know exactly what energy block needs to be healed.
It could be helpful to consult a Reiki energy healer, tarot reader, or Shaman to find out what specifically is blocked in your spirit. It's almost as if you'll receive an energetic diagnosis, so you know exactly how to treat your problem. Be sure to request a chakra, aura, or body scan.
Once you know where your problem is:
- Select the appropriate essential oils to bathe in.
- Set aside at least 45 minutes to meditate.
- Light a small black candle anointed with your oils.
- As you soak in the water, be sure to clear your mind, enter into the vibration of the oils, and allow your spirit to connect with your guides, ascended masters, angels, and higher self to receive any messages you need to aid in healing your blockage.
- Ask for help with removing or cleansing any negative energies in your body and allow yourself to feel and visualize the blockage being cleansed and removed.
- Thank your support team for the help and imagine any impurities being pulled away as you drain your bath and rinse your body with warm water.
- Imagine any residuals of negative energy trapped within the candle and blow it out.
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Fontaine Felisha Foxworth is a writer and creative entrepreneur from Brooklyn New York. She is currently on the West Coast working on creating a TV Pilot called "Finding Fontaine", that details the nomadic journey of her life so far. Keep up with her shenanigans @famoustaine on IG.
'He Said, She Said': Love Stories Put To The Test At A Weekend For Love
At the A Weekend For Love retreat, we sat down with four couples to explore their love stories in a playful but revealing way with #HeSaidSheSaid. From first encounters to life-changing moments, we tested their memories to see if their versions of events aligned—because, as they say, every story has three sides: his, hers, and the truth.
Do these couples remember their love stories the same way? Press play to find out.
Episode 1: Indira & Desmond – Love Across the Miles
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for Indira & Desmond, love made it stronger. Every mile apart deepened their bond, reinforcing the unshakable foundation of their relationship. From their first "I love you" to the moment they knew they had found home in each other, their journey is a beautiful testament to the endurance of true love.
Episode 2: Jay & Tia – A Love Story Straight Out of a Rom-Com
If Hollywood is looking for its next Black love story, they need to take notes from Jay & Tia. Their journey—from an awkward first date to navigating careers, parenthood, and personal growth—proves that love is not just about romance but also resilience. Their story is full of laughter, challenges, and, most importantly, a love that stands the test of time.
Episode 3: Larencia & Mykel – Through the Highs and Lows
A date night with police helicopters overhead? Now that’s a story! Larencia & Mykel have faced unexpected surprises, major life changes, and 14 years of choosing each other every single day. But after all this time, do they actually remember things the same way? Their episode is sure to bring some eye-opening revelations and a lot of laughs.
Episode 4: Soy & Osei – A Love Aligned in Purpose
From a chance meeting at the front door to 15 years of unwavering love, faith, and growth, Soy & Osei prove that when two souls are aligned in love and purpose, nothing can shake their foundation. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true love is built on mutual support, shared values, and a deep connection that only strengthens with time.
Each of these couples has a unique and inspiring story to tell, but do their memories match up? Watch #HeSaidSheSaid to find out!
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Are You & Your Partner Financially Compatible? Here’s How To Tell.
With nearly half of all marriages that end in divorce citing finances as the nail in the coffin to deading their relationship, financial compatibility is one aspect of long-term compatibility that doesn't get talked about enough. Beyond the circular 50/50 discourse and whatever hot-button issues regarding providers and the like, at its core, financial compatibility is about how well your financial behaviors, values, and long-term goals align with those of your partner.
More than it is about how much money a person makes or doesn't make, financial compatibility focuses on how you think about money, how you spend your money, and most importantly, how you plan for the future with your money. Think, questions about money mindsets, spending habits, debt, budget, etc. Are you a saver and he's a spender? Do you see money as a tool for freedom? Does he see it as something to hold on tightly to as a means of survival? Can you talk about your financial goals and plans openly?
Knowing if you and your partner are financially compatible can save a lot of heartache, a lot of headaches, and a lot of money in the end. Keep reading for a few key indicators to pay attention to and learn whether or not you and your partner are truly aligned financially.
Signs You’re Financially Compatible
1. You can talk about money without judgment.
Conversations about money aren't something you dread. You're able to talk to your partner freely and openly about money matters, like debts, bills, the budget, etc., even when it is uncomfortable. There is an understanding that talking about money doesn't have to be something you're on the defense about, instead it's an opportunity for transparency, clarity, and solutions.
2. You respect each other's money personalities.
What is a money personality? According to Ken Honda, author of Happy Money, a money personality is our "approach and emotional responses to money" and there are seven money personalities we can fall under. These personalities can help us understand our own relationship with money, as well as our partner's. For example, maybe you're someone who likes to treat yourself to a fancy dinner once a month and your partner is someone who believes ordering takeout and not cooking meals at home is a cardinal sin.
When you can respect each other's money personalities, neither approach is subjected to judgment and shifts can be made in each other's spending habits as needed and from a place of love versus guilt or shame.
3. You agree on what it means to have "financial security."
Whether it’s building a stacked emergency fund, paying off debt before putting a downpayment on a home or being able to splurge on a baecation without checking your account balance before the bill arrives, your definitions of what it means to be financially secure are in sync, or at least compatible enough to reach a compromise.
4. You are not each other's "financial parent."
You’re not constantly teaching, fixing, or stressing out over what the other person is doing with their money. Although I fast-forwarded through a lot of the most recent season of Love Is Blind, I did pay attention to Virginia and Devin and money seemed to be a recurring theme in their conversations. It was clear Virginia had her ish together when it came to money and her financial plans for the future and Devin was not quite on her level.
Though she said no at the altar for additional reasons, I could also see how sis could eventually get very tired of being her partner's second mama, so to speak. And that's the thing about being your partner's "financial parent," eventually, you could end up feeling like you are one-half of a "parenting" or "teaching" dynamic with your partner instead of feeling like you're equals in a partnership.
5. You make financial decisions with each other in mind, not for each other.
Whether it’s booking a trip, deciding which debt to tackle first, saving up for a big purchase, or planning out your next move, there’s a mutual respect for each other’s input. Those shared goals might look like wealth, freedom, stability, or just a debt-free life that feels soft and secure.
You don’t have to be chasing the same bag in the same exact way, but you do need to be aligned on the vision. What you're building should feel like a joint venture with shared effort and purpose, not one of y’all making major money moves like you're still single. Making financial decisions is not just about where the money goes, it's about where you’re going together.
6. You're aligned when it comes to the big stuff.
Financial compatibility extends to the long-term of money management. The legacy, structure, and shared responsibility that comes with decisions like shared accounts, estate planning, having babies, or even blending families. Will you split bills or combine income? Who’s taking time off if you have a child? How do y’all feel about generational wealth or investing for your family’s future? You and your partner have had the real conversations.
These conversations can’t wait until after the wedding or until after a baby’s here. They’re the foundation for how you function as a unit, and if you're not aligned, or at least willing to get on the same page, that incompatibility can cause friction in the end that love alone can't fix.
Love is cute and all, but building an empire together? That’s the real flex. Tap into our new series Making Cents to see what financial compatibility really looks like when love and legacy go hand in hand.
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