The first attempt: sound and essential oils
The first time I offered essential oils to participants before a sound meditation, I wasn't sure how it would be received or what would happen. I wondered if the scent would be distracting or if it would deepen the sound relaxation. I simply embraced the experiment.
The idea of incorporating essential oils into my sound meditation practice came from a spontaneous and intuitive impulse. And I can honestly say it was the best decision I could have made! I always felt that a key element was missing from my sound sessions. By adding essential oils, my sound offerings have become more complete, allowing me to connect with and support my clients on an even deeper level.
Why essential oils can deepen the sound experience
In my opinion, incorporating essential oils into sound work makes perfect sense: We humans start to feel, relax, and become present when our senses are stimulated. We hear the sounds, we feel their vibrations and oscillations. With essential oils, another sensory experience is added through smell, which can make it easier to arrive in the body.
Also, our sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, where our memories and emotions reside. Therefore, just a few breaths with an essential oil can influence mood and increase well-being.
How to integrate fragrances into your sound work
There are many different ways to integrate scents into sound work:
- Use a diffuser: For example, I like to add calming oils like lavender or forest oils to a diffuser beforehand and place it in the sound room or entrance area to create a pleasant atmosphere. Lemongrass can create a positive energy.
- Before a sound massage or sound meditation, I like to use an essential oil to prepare participants for the relaxation that follows. I lead a breathing exercise with the essential oil and play a few grounding sounds to help everyone arrive and settle in.
- A guided aroma journey with sound can also be wonderful. For example, you could diffuse orange oil and then lead a guided imagery journey, accompanied by sounds, to the orange trees in Spain. Or the journey could be to a tree of strength, accompanied by grounding forest oils. Or, after a few breaths with lavender oil, you can travel to a wonderfully fragrant lavender field that conveys peace and inner calm. In this way, inner images can be accessed more easily through the scent, and the imagery journey can be made more vivid.
After the sound journey, I like to offer an essential oil to invigorate the senses and provide a gentle awakening, ensuring participants leave feeling refreshed and alert. Citrus or peppermint oils are particularly suitable for this purpose, offering a pleasant conclusion to the session.
Which essential oils are particularly suitable for sound work?
When choosing essential oils, always pay attention to the quality.
For grounding & inner stability
- Cedar wood - grounds, gives support, stabilizes energy
- Sandalwood - deeply meditative, connects with inner peace and spiritual depth
- Patchouli - brings you back to the here and now, has a centering effect
- Frankincense - grounding, can support meditation, spiritual connection
For heart opening & emotional depth
- Rose - very high vibrating, connects with love and compassion
- Geranium - brings balance, especially for heart and emotional work
- Orange oil - brightens the mood, gives security and joy
For relaxation and inner peace
- Lavender - classic, has a calming effect
- Roman chamomile - calming, brings serenity, inner peace
For clarity & cleansing
- Lemon - refreshing, cleansing, brings lightness
- Peppermint - clears the mind, increases alertness, ideal after a sound journey
- Lemongrass - energetic cleansing
There are no limits to your imagination when working with essential oils and sounds. There are so many possibilities! I have only had positive experiences with this combination so far and can no longer imagine a sound session without my oils.