Essential oils to help us reclaim our authentic self-expression
For much of my life, I kept my voice small. As a child, I was really shy - somewhere along the way I learned that it wasn’t safe to speak. I had internalised the belief that my authentic self was “too much”, or “not enough” - or that if I was truly me, I’d be judged and rejected.
And so, I contorted myself to fit society’s beliefs, shrinking and shapeshifting to be more ‘palatable’. Eventually, there was a cost to that. My body began to show me symptoms - chronic fatigue, thyroid issues - to let me know that I was suppressing myself. I came to see that every time I stuffed down my truth, I became unwell.
That realisation was the beginning of a healing journey back to reclaiming my authentic self-expression - my voice - and essential oils became vital plant allies in that journey. Working with essential oils can help us remember who we are, beyond the fear - so I wanted to share how they can support us in that journey.
Why we lose our voice
As a culture, we have often been taught to silence ourselves. Whether through conditioning as a child, societal expectations, or the fear of being judged, we learn it’s safer to stay quiet and small.
Being aromatherapists, that story can also be very similar to many ‘healer witches’ that have gone before us - burned at the stake for our truth. Witches or not - we have learned to stay silent, to not share what’s really in our hearts. To mask ourselves. Because our culture doesn’t value authenticity - it values fitting in.
Yet, being able to share our honest, authentic voice is a vital part of staying healthy. When we hold our emotions and our truth in, it can lead to stagnation, disconnection, and even physical symptoms. In that way, we are learning, as a culture, that self-expression isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it’s part of our wellbeing.
How essential oils can support our expression
Essential oils can work on different layers to support us - physical, emotional and energetic. We can work with them for healing of our bodies, our emotions and to reclaim our spirit - which has often been disconnected from in our quest for fitting in.
And whilst they help us gently peel back the layers of emotional wounds we’ve experienced to keep our voices small, they can also physiologically help us to feel safer in our nervous systems and bodies as we begin to share our voices. The more I expressed myself, the more I became physically healthy - my chronic fatigue and thyroid issues healed.
Top 5 essential oils for liberating our voice
Here are my favourite 5 oils that can support us in this journey - to soothe fear, connect us to our truth, and support us in opening our hearts and feeling our emotions.
- Chamomile (German/Blue) - an intense, sweet, herby oil, Chamomile’s gentle, calming energy supports the fear and anxiety that can come up when we begin to speak our truth. If our nervous system is on a high, or we are ‘burning up’ with anger for holding everything in, this is the oil for us.
- Bergamot - a sweet, citrusy, floral oil, Bergamot is the perfect relaxing plant ally for softening the fear of what others might think of us, having us feel safer, and helping us dissolve inner criticism, soften perfectionism and allowing us to stop performing.
- Rosemary - a strong, fresh, woody, herby oil that can help us clear mental fog and get clarity on what we want to speak, Rosemary strengthens the connection between our ideas and our voice, helping us find the words we truly want to speak.
- Geranium - a heavy, sweet floral oil, Geranium helps us connect to and feel our emotions, regulating our emotional overwhelm, and opening our hearts. It helps us soften and release, so that we can feel what is true, and begin to express that.
- Frankincense - a woody, spicy oil, Frankincense has a meditative quality that helps us to connect to what’s true for us on a deeper level. An oil that helps us connect to our inner wisdom; it helps us speak from a place of deeper self-awareness and integrity. It can be a great oil to support as we journal and reflect.
3 essential oil rituals for self-expression
There are some simple rituals we can begin to work with to deepen with self-expression, working on 3 levels:
- Regulating our fear
- Hearing our heart and inner voice
- Telling our truth
Here are some rituals to support these 3 steps:
Self-soothing diffuser blend - to regulate our fear
Fear always comes up when we begin to express who we really are - and so working with essential oils can really help us soothe that.
Mix 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Chamomile and 2 drops Frankincense in water in an electrical diffuser or candle burner and diffuse for 30 minutes.
Sit quietly and breathe the oils in, letting them soothe your nervous system.
Heart-throat massage blend - for healing our heart and inner voice
Often, when we are unused to sharing our voice, it can be hard to even know what it is we want to say - we can feel lost. So, working with a blend to help us connect back into our body, heart and emotions is useful to help us feel again.
Mix 3 drops Geranium, 2 drops Bergamot and 1 drop Frankincense into 15ml of Grapeseed oil or a carrier oil of your choice. Gently massage the blend into your body in a direction towards the heart, focusing on applying it to your chest, throat and shoulders - your heart and throat chakras - as you breathe in the scent.
As you do this, ask yourself: “what does my heart want to say that I’ve been holding in?” Allow whatever comes - and note it down in a journal.
Inhalation for clarity and courage - for moments of truth-telling
As we get clearer on our truth, there may come time we want to express it. To support us in that, use an inhalator.
Pop 3 drops of Frankincense onto a cotton pad and place it into an inhalator.
Use this whenever you need to go inwards to know your truth - and for courage speaking it.
Our voice is important
Overall, what I want you to know is that your voice is important - and you can begin to cultivate safety to share it. It’s not about becoming ‘louder’ but about becoming ‘real’. To allow ourselves to express our truth, even if our voice shakes - that’s been my journey. Essential oils won’t do the work for us, but they will walk beside us, helping us lean in and reconnect to ourselves.
What I found, as I did this, was that my voice became medicine for others who also longed to share their voices. If you’ve ever felt silenced, shamed, disconnected, or unsure how to speak your truth - begin small. Breathe in the oils, feel into your heart - and let your inner voice rise.
Go gently - explore your oils - and have fun with it!
Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist
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