Palmarosa, Sweet Orange, and Frankincense enhance meditations for children with essential oil blends. Used together regularly, they can help reduce stress and anxiety and provide lifelong coping strategies for staying calm in difficult situations.
Science backs the benefits of meditation and combining that with the wonderful science of essential oils, we show you how to marry the two for your children. Using meditation blends in your scented candles, essential oil diffusers, or as a room spray can set the scene.
You can support your child with topical preparations such as cream, lotions, and rollerballs infused with an essential oil meditation blend designed just for them. Creating effective blends for reducing one particular negative emotion and instilling it with a positive one can be a game changer for your child. Guided meditations are a great place to start, and we have three fantastic ones for you.
Benefits of Meditation for Children
Teaching children the benefits of meditation can have a lasting, positive effect on their mental health and well-being. Meditation as a regular practice can help develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Most importantly, it plays a huge role in reducing anxiety and stress. It is an amazing life skill to help your child learn to stay calm.
Regular meditation offers an abundance of benefits for children. Research has shown that five minutes of deep breathing and meditative practice daily can help young people become better equipped to deal positively with difficult emotions and everyday problems.
According to the research carried out (Wilson, 2021)
'Studies have identified improvements in mood and mental health conditions, school attendance and attention in the classroom in children and adolescents.'
By introducing meditation from an early age, we are setting our children up with valuable coping skills and strategies they can utilize throughout their lives.
Introduction to Using Essential Oils With Meditation
Investing time and resources to support the benefits of regular meditation practice for children can have many positive benefits. It reduces anxiety and stress and encourages relaxation, clarity, and focus.
To maximize these benefits for kids, essential oils can be utilized as a part of the meditation ritual since they are well known to be soothing, calming, and for their many other therapeutic benefits. They have used the world over for this purpose.
When used correctly, certain essential oils like Sweet Orange, Mandarin, or Lavender enhance meditation, allowing children to feel more relaxed and receive the full benefits of the practice.
We will show you how to do that and give you all the safety guidelines to feel confident in using essential oils with your children for meditation.
Essential oils are a great addition to any child-centered meditation routine.
How to Combine Aromatherapy and Meditation for Kids
How Essential Oils Can Enhance Meditations
Many scientific studies have concluded that using essential oils during meditation has the potential to enhance the meditative experience.
It is well known that certain essential oils like Lavender promote relaxation and reduce anxiety. It is becoming popular to incorporate essential oils into a meditative practice. They can be used to help you relax and, therefore, enhance the efficacy of the mindfulness process.
A skilled blending of the right essential oils can produce positive effects such as increased oxytocin (the feel-good hormone) and decreased cortisol levels (stress hormone).
This suggests that aromatherapy can enhance meditation's physical, mental, and emotional benefits for adults and children.
The use of essential oils is becoming increasingly popular for people who want to enhance their meditation practice. With evidence-based research backing its effectiveness, there is good reason to consider it a potential complement to regular practice.
Ways to Use Essential Oils to Enhance Meditation
There are many beneficial ways to use essential oils to enhance meditation; one of the most popular is using a scented candle or an essential oil diffuser to scent the meditation space.
However, this is only sometimes conducive to working with small children, and there are other effective ways of enhancing your child's meditation practice with essential oils.
Using essential oil room sprays to scent, and energetically clear a meditative space is becoming more popular.
You could use a meditation essential oil blend in cream or lotion or pop some on your child's chest or back. It could also be used to send them off to school or settle down to sleep at night, depending on the essential oil blend you use.
One of the most effective ways to enhance meditative practice is to apply it to your child's hands. Get them to cup their hands over their nose as they take their first deep breaths to relax before the meditation begins. This helps to aid deeper relaxation. Try it for yourself too!
You can do the same with an essential oil diluted in a carrier oil in a roller ball applicator. You can use this at the temples and the pulse points on the wrist.
Both of these applications are what you call topical - being applied to the skin. Therefore safety guidelines must be followed.
If you want to worry a little less about safety, consider the art of direct inhalation, more on this below, or use an essential oil diffuser.
Benefits of Inhalation
There is much evidence to extol the virtues of inhaling essential oils, and much more is being carried out on this aromatherapy practice.
Just the name 'aromatherapy' - the therapy of scent, says all it needs to. But all too often, we consider using essential oils IN something rather than just inhaling the essential oil itself.
Liz writes a fascinating article - Exciting New Discoveries Around The Benefits of Inhaling Essential Oils, that tells you all you need to know about the benefits of inhalation. I recommend giving it a read to deepen the understanding of the process and how that can support your child alongside meditative practice.
It is as simple as closing your eyes and inhaling the aroma of the essential oil. We always recommend using high-quality essential oils for this practice.
How to Make Essential Oil Blends for Kids' Meditations
Safety Measures When Working with Essential Oils
It is important to follow all the safety guidelines when working with essential oils for children.
Use any essential oil topically, and it must be diluted. If you are new to diluting essential oils, you would add a few drops of essential oils into a carrier oil or base lotion to make your meditation essential oil blend.
You would apply nothing to the skin for inhalation or diffuser blends for meditation, but caution is still needed. However, if you wanted to add essential oils to a lotion or a roll-on dispenser, you would need to pay closer attention to the safety guidelines.
Popular essential oils like Eucalyptus and Peppermint, which we may reach for when our child has a sniffle or a cold, can cause our child's breathing to slow down due to the chemical constituents 1,8 Cineole. We must be aware of these risks to make an informed decision when using essential oils with our precious angels.
You will need to KNOW the safety data and recommended dilution rate for EVERY essential oil you plan to use. That is not as hard as it sounds.
You can find the safety guidance document for each essential oil from VINEVIDA on the web page for that particular essential oil.
For example: here is the link to the one for Lavender essential oil.
Look for the tab that says GCMS & Documents and clicks the last option, 'Safety Synopsis.'
Look for the title Practical Usage Notes - for Lavender, it reads:
For normal aromatherapy, we would recommend 3% dilution for adults, 2% for people in a weakened state and 1% for children over the age of 6. 0.5% for any younger than that, and we do not recommend using essential oils on children under the age of 6 months old unless it is an emergency.
Let's break that down step by step for Lavender essential oil:
- 3% dilution for adults,
- 2% for people in a weakened state
- 1% for children over the age of 6.
- 0.5% for any younger than that = 6 months to 5 years
- We do not recommend using essential oils on children under 6 months old unless it is an emergency.
You can see quite clearly how much essential oil is recommended for your child's age. Every essential oil is different, and you must check each one.
Other useful articles on how to safely use essential oils with your children
Tips and Tricks for Creating Your Own Blends
No one knows your child better than you; use this knowledge and your instinct to define what your child needs the most. What kind of meditation do they need, and what essential oil blend do they need to support it?
For example, if your child feels sad because they are being excluded from a group, focus on a meditation that develops self-awareness and confidence. An essential oil blend that promotes happiness and joy will elevate their mood.
Please keep it simple, and don't lose focus on the intention of the essential oil blend.
Types of Meditation Essential Oil Blends
When creating your own essential oil blends for children, I strongly recommend you consider the following: "What feeling or emotion am I trying to reduce or instill"? Here are some examples below.
| I Want to Reduce | I Want to Instill |
|---|---|
| Anxiety | Contentment |
| Worry | Joy/Happiness |
| Isolation/Loneliness | Balance |
| Grief | Calm/Peace |
| Feeling left out | Confidence |
| Feeling different | Determination |
| Sadness | Focus |
It is a partial list, but it makes a good starting point.
If you go to the VINEVIDA website and enter the emotion/feeling, it can bring up both recommended essential oils and blog articles, which can help you to find the perfect essential oil for your target blend.
Liz has an interesting article about using essential oils to influence emotions.
Recipes for Intention Meditation Blends
Here, I will give you three easy essential oil blends to cover a range of intentions to support your child's meditation.
I will also provide a supporting blog article to expand your knowledge base and give you other options for suitable essential oils; remember that it would be mostly written for adults.
Just remember to check the safety data if you are swapping essential oils out of the blends given here.
All of these Intention Meditation blends can be used in three ways:
- Inhalation
- Diffuser
- Lotion/Cream (topical application)
Remember, you will need to check the safety data for topical applications. This is less important for inhalation and diffusion.
To Reduce Sadness and Instill Happiness
- 2 drops of Rose Otto Essential Oil (Rosa damascena)
- 3 drops of Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata)
- 2 drops of Lime Essential Oil (Citrus latifolia Tanaka)
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 20 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills. It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
- Add the essential oils to 50ml of base lotion/cream and use it before meditation.
(Topical Application Safety: Adults - Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.)
Also Read: Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood
To Reduce Anxiety and Instill Focus and Concentration
- 5 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 3 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil (Boswellia serrata)
- 3 drops of Sweet Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis L)
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 20 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills. (Topical Application Safety: Adults - Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.)
- It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
- Add the essential oils to 50ml of base lotion/cream and use it before meditation.
Also Read: 10 Best Essential Oils for Studying: Jumpstart Your Memory Box
To Reduce Stress and Instill Determination
- 4 drops of Palmarosa Essential Oil (Cymbopogon martinii var Motia)
- 3 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi)
- 2 drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil (Salvia sclarea)
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 20 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills.
- It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
- Add the essential oils to 50ml of base lotion/cream and use it before meditation.
(Topical Application Safety: Adults - Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Grapefruit Specific -Not suitable for people who have platelet disorders or are on blood thinning medication. You should cease using grapefruit essential oil 48 hours before any planned surgery.)
Also Read: Unlock Your Determination With Essential Oils
Simple Meditations For Your Child
There are many different kinds of meditations that you can utilize with children. They don't all have to be sitting or lying down with their eyes closed.
Meditation can take the forms of mindful observation, walking meditations, sound therapy meditations, or even drawing in the sand or with ribbons.
Every child is different and will prefer different ways of meditating. Children on the autistic spectrum often have habitual patterns that act as meditative or calming. Cues can be taken from these to develop a practice suitable for your child.
Nature is a wonderful soother in itself, and getting your child outside to engage in meditative practices can be highly beneficial. Taking them for a walk in nature and asking them what they see, smell, touch or hear, focuses and calms the mind.
Filling a tray with play sand and getting your children to make marks or draw in the sand. Getting your child to enjoy how it feels to play in the sand can soothe them and reduce anxiety. It is a good way to ask them to draw faces expressing their feelings.
Try various meditations with your child and see what works best for them. Some things may work better when they are calmer, but you may need a different approach when they are upset about something. Having a range of options is certainly helpful.
As your child grows, it may also change over time, so be prepared to adapt to new ideas and swap things up a bit.
Three Meditations for Children With Essential Oil Blends
I have developed three meditations to appeal to children of different ages; there should be something for everyone here.
Playhouse, Safe House
Meditation is more suited to infants, but the principle can be adapted for older children.
Start with a gentle breathing exercise to relax and settle your child. Three deep breaths in and out should be enough for very young children.
Ask them to look at this image and pick the color they like the most. They are purposefully all on the cooler side of the color spectrum and emit more relaxing energy.
Read this out loud in a calm voice at a slower pace than normal speech.
"Imagine a playhouse in your bedroom, which is the same color you chose. This is your safe house, where you can go in your mind to feel safe and happy.
Go inside your (chosen color) playhouse, and inside is a cozy bed in just the same color, and there is a big squishy pillow and a soft fluffy blanket in that beautiful (chosen color) too.
Climb on the bed and lean against that big squishy pillow; how does it feel?
Pull the (chosen color) blanket over you and snuggle down. Are you comfy?
Breathe deeply and imagine that you are breathing in that color; breathe it in, and let it go.
(You can repeat this sentence a few times if your child seems relaxed and settled. If they are fidgety, proceed to finish the meditation)
You are safe here and can be happy; this color brings you happiness and makes you smile. You can come back here, in your head, anytime you need to"
Let the child stay as long as they wish in the imaginary playhouse, and also let them change the color if they want to. Blue, green, and violet will encourage relaxation, whereas yellow, orange, and red can be more enlivening and stimulating.
Playhouse, Safehouse Meditation Essential Oil Blend
- 3 drops of Palmarosa Essential Oil (Cymbopogon martinii var Motia)
- 3 drops of Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata)
- 2 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil (Boswellia serrata)
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 30 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills, especially with small children.
- It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
Inside A Rainbow
A meditation suited for most children. Younger kids might need you to shorten it a little, and older kids might appreciate it being longer with more visual imagery and references added.
Start them with a gentle breathing exercise to relax and settle them.
Read this out loud in a calm voice at a slower pace than normal speech.
"Imagine standing in a field or a park, the sun is shining, and you can feel its warmth upon your face. It has been raining, so you can smell the damp earth in the air, and raindrops on the grass feel refreshing on your toes.
Become aware of your bare feet touching the grass. Pretend to be a tree; imagine pushing roots down into the rich soil under your feet. Send down big roots, medium roots, and those really fine tiny roots.
Open your arms out wide.
As you do this, a rainbow appears, and you are standing right at the edge of the rainbow. Like clouds, the rainbow moves, and a beautiful bright red light surrounds you all at once. How amazing this is to be stood in this incredible rainbow. It makes you smile and brings happiness.
You like being in this rainbow and soaking up all those beautiful bright red light rays. Very gradually, that light changes to bright, vibrant orange, and you notice a shift in how you feel; this makes you feel alive and bright.
As the light shifts from orange to a sunny and intense yellow, you feel a shift in mood, making you even happier and excited about your day and what is still to come. You have never been in such a wonderful rainbow before.
As it moves, the yellow changes to a fabulous green, just like the grass you are standing upon. It makes you feel secure and deeply loved in those rays of intense green. This is a feeling that you could stay in all day, but the rainbow slowly shifts again.
The green turns into a bright turquoise, the color of tropical seas and endless sunny days. This makes you want to sing, laugh and shout for joy. It helps you find your voice in the world. Touch your mouth and remind yourself that what you say is important.
The turquoise shifts to a darker, deeper, vibrant royal blue, which feels very different. It feels safe, and secure and connects you to the feelings you have inside of you. It reassures you that your thoughts and feelings are normal for a kid your age. It feels like a huge bear hug from your favorite person.
As much as you might want to stay in the blue bear hug, the lights gently shift to a beautiful violet color, and this is like an angel holding your hand, telling you to trust yourself and to listen to your inner voice. You feel confident that you can find the answers you need daily and ask for help when needed. Most of all, you feel deeply relaxed.
Bask now is this violet light, and marvel at how relaxed you are and how calm you feel.
There is one last burst of amazing light, a white light flecked with sparkles of silver and gold; it refreshes you like standing in a huge shower of light. It fills your heart with hope and with love.
And then, it is gone.
You are back to standing on the damp grass with your roots pushed deep into the rich brown earth. Imagine pulling up and bringing those roots back into your feet, bringing that lovely rich brown earth energy with it, and letting it fill you with the wonder and beauty of all that lives on the earth with you.
Take a deep breath and feel the joy you just experienced.
Inside A Rainbow Meditation Essential Oil Blend
- 3 drops of Palo Santo Essential Oil (Bursera graveolens)
- 3 drops of Palmarosa Essential Oil (Cymbopogon martinii var Motia)
- 3 drops of Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata)
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Because VineVida Palo Santo Essential Oil (Bursera graveolens) contains 63.3 % limonene and 4.1 linalool, we recommend that an antioxidant be added if it is not used immediately. Refer to our safety sheet for more information.
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 30 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills, especially with small children.
- It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
- Add the essential oils to 50ml of base lotion/cream and use it before meditation.
Wash Away Worry
This is more suited to older kids. See the note at the end on adapting it for younger children.
Start with a simple breath exercise like this one.
Take three deep breaths, in through your nose… and out through your mouth. Take these big breaths simultaneously with your child to set an example for them to follow.
Close your eyes, or find just one place to look at.
Read this out loud in a calm voice at a slower pace than normal speech.
'You are standing next to a shallow stream on a bright, sunny day. You can hear the water gushing over the rocks in the stream, and it sounds almost lyrical as the sounds dip and change with the flow of the water.
It's warm today, and it would feel amazing to cool down and paddle in the refreshing running water. Take your shoes and socks off in your mind and dip your toe into the soft, shallow water. How does it feel?
You sink both feet into the water and breathe a sigh of relief that feels good. It felt so good; you want to take a few deep breaths in and out and relax into the rhythm of the water. As you breathe in, feel the water rush over your toes and feel it woosh around the back of your heels.
Please take notice of what the stream bed under your feet feels like; is it stony or soft and sandy?
This is the calmest, happy, and most relaxed you have felt. You notice a large stone behind you in the stream; it makes the perfect seat. Sit down. Look around, no one is around, and you are blissfully alone and in this perfect peace.
This is a good time to think about how you're feeling. There is a pen and some pieces of paper in your pocket; take them out. Set them in your lap.
Ask yourself, "What is worrying me today" Just let the answer come in its own time; it might take a short while. Then write it on the paper, sit with it for a moment, and ask yourself, "Can I control this particular thing that worries me"? If the answer is yes, pop that in your pocket for later. If the answer is no, set the paper onto the shimmering, gurgling water surface and let it go.
Watch it as it floats away from you, it may get caught in an eddy, but it soon dislodges and starts to float downstream. You watch it rising and falling, twisting and spinning on the water until it goes out of sight, and you can see it no more. It is gone. Take a deep breath.
You can sit here in this beautiful place, writing your worries and feelings onto the pieces of paper in your lap and simply watching them float away down the glistening stream.
When you have finished sending all your worries downstream, take a deep breath in and feel thankful for how calmer you feel. Notice that you have released a considerable amount of anxiety and the stress you had worried about all these things you cannot control.
Now check your pocket; what were the worries that you COULD control? These are the ones to spend your precious energy on. Talk them over with someone you trust, or think about these a bit deeper. Remember to always ask for help if you need it.
You are still sitting on a large rock in the stream and have your feet sunk into the flowing water. Notice how the water feels running over your feet and ankles; raise your face to the bright sun and feel the warmth. Thanks to the water for its help in washing away your worries today.
Remember that you can return here at any time in your mind. It is your special quiet and magical place to think or wash away your worries. But for now, it is time to return.
Bring your awareness back into your room, notice how your body lies or sits, open your eyes, and come back to yourself.
Don't rush your child through this; they may have a few more worries than you think; give them time and space and look for the visual clues that your child is ready to carry on.
This can be enhanced with a mediation soundtrack that features the sound of running stream water and the natural environment sounds.
The visualization involves imagining writing words, so it is not suitable for kids that cannot write a range of emotions. But you could swap the writing action for putting the worry into an imaginary boat or tying it to a stick instead of floating away on the water.
Wash Away Worry Meditation Essential Oil Blend
- 2 drops of Scotch Pine Essential Oil (Pinus sylvestris)
- 5 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil (Boswellia serrata)
- 5 drops of Sweet Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis L)
Scotch Pine specific - Do not use it in an essential oil diffuser with cats in the room. It can be toxic to them.
How to use:
- I recommend this for inhalation. First and foremost, dilute it in 30 ml of carrier oil in case of drips and spills, especially with children.
- It would be wonderful in an essential oil diffuser - follow the instructions for your diffuser.
- Add the essential oils to 50ml of base lotion/cream and use it before meditation.
Safety: Do not use topically in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
The Final Word
You can now appreciate the benefits of supporting meditative practice for children with essential oils.
It can help them to focus on the meditation, help them to relax, and get much more from the process itself. In the long term, this can lead to better self-awareness, improved attendance at school, and more emotional intelligence in interpersonal relationships.
Every child is different, so develop a range of meditative practices with your children to see what they enjoy most and the most effective. Be ready to adapt as they get older and their needs change.
Develop a collection of resources and strategies to build self-love and acceptance, enhance confidence, and feel comfortable in social settings. Enhancing this with carefully curated essential oils and blends can only be beneficial. Over time, it will contribute to less anxiety and reduce their worries.
I want to share one last tidbit with you.
Over the years, I have done much teaching and work with color healing. While I have no science to back this up, I can tell you there is little else that is more effective at calming and soothing a child than a burgundy-colored blanket.
Burgundy would be the closest color your child experiences when they are in the womb, and it is a natural response to be calmed by being enveloped in this color. It seems more effective with children than adults.
If you struggle to calm or placate your child, please try this. My clients have used it successfully, much to their surprise, over the years. I should open a store just for burgundy-coloured blankets!
Try using the inhalation and diffusion methods alongside your child's meditative practice, and if they need something to support them through the school day, consider a rollerball in their backpack. The results should be very worthwhile in the long run.
I hope that you have found Meditations for Children with Essential Oil Blends interesting and that you can use the information to enhance your child's experience and help develop lifelong skills and coping strategies.
