Ring! The moment that bell sounds to signal school is back in session, students of all levels enter the gateway to important new paths of learning. In addition to writing instruments, textbooks, tablets and syllabi, they also need to gather up all their mental clarity in order to focus on the task ahead. Which dōTERRA® oil should you reach for to support the mind in these new endeavors? Reach for reassuring Vetiver first. When blending oils for the purpose of helping you pay attention and concentrate, valuable Vetiver deserves a place as the base aroma on which you build. Sure, go ahead and drop in a splash of your favorite oil, whatever it may be, to help perk up your mood; but to promote serious focus, Vetiver is your first-string player.
The enduring nature of this essential oil seems to stem from its very creation. The roots of the hearty vetiver plant, which appears above ground as a thick green grass, grow straight down into an equally thick underground tangle. This subterranean root bunch is distilled to create the essential oil, which has an uncanny ability to balance and root the emotions. When we sense we are deeply rooted, we are able to feel more serene, opening up the mind to better focus on the task at hand. Interestingly, the vetiver plant provides a stabilizing effect to the soil around it by preventing erosion; and in much the same way, sweet and smoky Vetiver essential oil helps to stabilize our human emotions!
Now let’s get to applying this calming oil to increase our ability to focus. Topical application of Vetiver is a particularly great place to start for helping young ones who tend to struggle with attentiveness. Know someone who has a hard time concentrating and following directions, often falling into distraction and fidgeting? Simply roll Vetiver onto the skin, place a few drops into a bath, rub onto bottoms of feet, or turn to your trusty diffuser to experience earthy Vetiver’s grounding benefits. When applying Vetiver topically, focus on wrists, chest, and neck; and for a calming massage, combine it with a carrier oil and use it as a base that can be added onto with relaxing oils like Lavender or Rose. Vetiver can be blended in to promote tranquility, as in the previous massage idea, or it can help create a thoughtful, energizing blend when combined with Peppermint and a citrus oil.
For farmers in Haiti, harvesting and producing Vetiver oil is a labor intensive process through which they work closely with dōTERRA and receive fair compensation for their hard work. After allowing the roots to mature for 16-18 months, farmers dig the plant out of the ground and beat out excess dirt from the roots. Five farmers, working together for about two weeks, produce approximately one gallon of essential oil! Knowing how much patience and endurance this process takes, it’s not surprising that Vetiver oil has the ability to help us accomplish our own daunting tasks, one step at a time.
Are you starting to see the value of Vetiver? This vibrant tropical grass is an environmental superhero, thriving in difficult soil conditions where heavy metals are present and erosion threatens the land. The dense, vertical roots that stabilize the surrounding grass and soil can do the same for us. Think about letting powerful dōTERRA Vetiver impart that same strength and focus to you and your loved ones as you pay full attention to the exciting path ahead of you.