Finding the Root Cause

As with most things in life, finding the root cause in order to fix a situation, seems to be also true with oils.  I mean, I was told this at the oil class I took, but I'm strong willed and stubborn...I don't tend to believe things until they work for me as well.  For instance:

OnGuard....I am finding that OnGuard seems to work very well for colds and the prevention of colds especially if you begin using as soon as you begin having symptoms.  However, I tried taking OnGuard to clear up my excess phlegm and that didn't work so well.

Digestzen....Since my phlegm decided to stick around, I thought I would check some other options out.  I looked up sinusitis.  It said to take two drops of peppermint under the tongue, dab a bit on either side of your nose, and rub digestzen around your belly button and then do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around.....actually it didn't say the last part....that was just how I was feeling about it at the time.  How digestzen might help around my belly button was beyond me, but hey, its worth a shot.  And woozers!  While it did dry up my nasal cavity in a crazy way, it did not take care of the excess phlegm. 

HeadAche Buster....Last night I had a MASSIVE headache which is normal for me about once a month and seems to be tied into hormonal issues.  So, I started with rubbing past tense on the back of my neck.  It didn't seem to touch it.  I dabbed some on my temples....it still didn't seem to help.  I broke out my last few drops of Frankincense and covered that with peppermint.  Grrrr....still not working.  Out of sheer desperation, I got out Clary Calm, a blend specifically for women to help with hormonal balance.  I rubbed that on the back of my neck as well.  Pretty soon, I noticed the throbbing in my head was lessening and before I knew it 6:30 pm turned into 8:30 pm.  I had slept for two hours and woke up with only a slight remnant left of my headache.

My point?  For someone like me, I think it is really easy to try something and when it doesn't work, quickly proclaim that the product is bogus and never use it again.  However, since giving some time to these experiments, I am finding that it seems to be of the upmost importance to make sure you are using the correct oil for the symptom you are experiencing.  In other words, you need to know what is really wrong.  I can't say onguard doesn't work just because my phlegm didn't clear up or that peppermint and digestzen don't work, which by the way, I would highly recommend for being stuffed up and/or having a runny nose, but I can say it does seem beneficial for colds and flu and the later is good for congestion and runny nose.  They just don't work to get rid of excess phlegm because that is not what they are made to do.  The issue with excess phlegm, which I knew before trying to clear it up with oils, is mine is around because I insist on continuing to eat dairy products and wheat products.  I was hoping to be able to have my cake and eat it too by using the oils.  But the oils only seem to be effective, when used to treat the root cause.  My experience last night speaks to that. 

My normal head ache routine didn't seem to work....but when I applied something that helps with hormonal issues...it cleared it up.

I guess the point of this post is to say, I'm learning to make sure I know what I am treating.  Just like in life, if I am having an emotional day and I try to fix it by eating a donut, I have fixed nothing.  If I am having an emotional day and I try to fix it by stepping back and taking a moment to breath and rest and pray, the emotions are dealt with much better.

Finding and then treating the root cause seems paramount to the success of using oils.

What have your experiences been with this?  What oils have you tried that have been successful for specific symptoms?  Have you tried some that you have felt have not been successful?  What did you use and what were you trying to treat?

Blessings,

Melody