My journey with essential oils began about 8 years ago, in the fall of 2015, when my daughter was in junior kindergarten.

Like most 4 year olds, she caught every cold out there ... then proceeded to bring it home to me. It was never ending!

Thankfully, a goddess named Renee told me about an essential oil diffuser blend that changed everything. 

And I wanted to know more ... I needed to know more!

So, in the spring of 2016 ... I spend 2 amazing days taking an intro to essential oils course at Alypsis here in Peterborough ... I pretty much wanted all the oils they taught us about!

In the following years I played, and learned, and played some more ... creating blends for myself and my family.

People told me I should sell my blends ... but I just wasn't quite ready.

Until last spring, when I had an idea ... find a way to expand my business to include all of the things that I feel are essential to living a holistic life ... Essentials by BAC.

Part of that dream was to share my love of essential oils with people ... and maybe even some of the awesome blends I had made for myself since taking that intro course all those years ago.
 
Little did I know how truly complicated that can be.
 
After encountering stumbling block after stumbling block after stumbling block, and even a minor temper tantrum in my kitchen, someone finally gave me a door to open …
 
Get trained and certified as a Clinical Aromatherapist.

What I didn’t know was that it was a calling I should have pursued years ago.
 
But then again, I have always trusted that the universe will wait to present an opportunity until you are ready for it.

And I fell in LOVE all over again!
 
So … 6 months, 475 hours +++ of studying, multiple assignments (including a trip back to organic chemistry), case studies, a research paper, and a national certification exam later … 

As a Clinical Aromatherapist, I am trained to assess your health and wellness and create a custom aromatherapy blend to suit your specific needs, scent preferences, and wellness goals … not just sell you a generic blend.
 
I am trained to utilize specific essential oils and carrier oils based on their physical, emotional, and spiritual effects on the human body. 

​For each blend created, I also consider the proper applications, potential cautions, as well as any contraindications for each oil used.

Intrigued?

Want to know more?

Check out what Aromatherapy services are available.
 
Let's book a consultation and start you on your way to optimal health and wellness.

Ever feel like the days and weeks just seem to fly by, but nothing really changes? You don’t really change? One day just seems to flip to the next, one month to the next, one year to the next, on repeat? Your life doesn’t really change, you are just a year older.
 
Will you be in the same place next year at this time? 
 
Or, will you have had the courage to ask yourself what do I really want to do, to be, to achieve … how do I really want my life to feel … what do I really want to be doing with my time, my energy, my life? Who do I really want to be spending my time with? What could I be doing that would fill my heart and relight a fire in me?
 
Will you choose to make it a priority to create the life you want, rather than letting the days just pass you by?
 
For me, there is a bit of an ebb and flow to this … sometimes I am really good and living with intention, being creative, choosing to spend my time in a way that fills me up and lights my inner fire … and sometimes I get so busy that I neglect all of it in. This usually leads to feeling drained, and tired; disengaged even. 
 
But, when I prioritize time each week … or better yet each day … doing activities that fills my heart and soul, seeking Joy, and spending time with amazing people ... all of a sudden, the days don’t seem to just fly by anymore, and I feel a lot more energized and a lot less drained.
 
So the question becomes …

How do you want your life to feel?

What will fuel your soul?

And are you going to intentionally choose where and how you spend your energy … or are you just going to exist, going from one day to the next, again and again and again.
 
Ask yourself … 
 
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? 

What would you do just because it makes you happy? Or sparks a smile?
 
What brings you Joy?
 
What makes your heart feel full?
 
What makes you feel alive?

What refreshes you and renews your energy?
 
How would you choose to spend your energy and time if money were no issue?

Who do you want to spend your time with?
 
Then, ask yourself ...

How can you incorporate all of these, even if it’s in little micro moments, into each day? Each week? Each month? Each year?

Can you incorporate these into all aspects of your life?

What do you need to do so that you can live the life that you desire?

How can you create a life that allows you to sit back next New Years, or the New Years after that, and say ... WOW, I did that!!!

I DID THAT!

I AM DOING THAT!

I ... LIVE ... THAT ... LIFE!

And I am inspiring others to do the same.

It's all up to you. 

So, will you be in the same place next year?

Or will you have the courage to make your life the best that it can possibly be? And be the person you never knew you were always meant to be? 

This was the question my Wild Sister asked a group of us this spring, along with “What is your vision for the future of your career?”
 
I left the zoom meet feeling a little lost as to how to answer these homework questions at first.
 
I have an amazing life, a wonderful family, a career that I am passionate about and I thrive in, hobbies that I am passionate about, friends who I love to spend time with.
 
What could I possibly desire to change?
 
As I lay in bed that night, still mulling over these questions, it dawned on me that what I need to do is to stop apologizing when I tell people about the things I hold as important or am passionate about.
 
I needed to stop saying things like “this might not be your cup of tea, but …”
 
In essence I was pre-apologizing in case I offended someone with my idea; pre-apologizing for sharing something I am passionate about with people in my life.

Being unapologetically me is about having the courage to stand up and proudly share that I am a crystal wearing, meditating, essential oil using, intuitive, empathic, moon lover, stargazing, photographer, artist, science geek ... who gets dressed in the morning based on colour numerology; who lives in tune with the phases of the moon; who uses chakra energy to empower an amazing life; who heads to the forest to recharge; who smudges to clear away negative energies; who honours the universe and the gifts it gives; who loves a good romance novel (and even a mediocre one); who can create a flourishing garden outdoors but has killed A LOT of indoor plants lol; who gets excited to read about new advancements in science and medicine; and who loves to share the knowledge I have been collecting in my cranium my whole life.
 
Being unapologetically me meant freely telling people something when I feel it might help … be it an exercise or stretch, a stone recommendation, an essential oil to use, or a meditation to practice.

So then my thoughts went to ... “How can I blend this into my business?”

​“How can I share things I am passionate about with more people?”
 
This little seed of an idea unfurled and blossomed into Essentials by BAC.

​Essentials by BAC gave me a way to pull together all of the things that I love into one place so that I can share with you … and it even grew along the way from a collection of 3 to more (and there may be even more added in the future).
 
Everything in my collection is created and curated from my passions.
 
Meditations that resonate with my heart and soul … (many thanks to my husband for wandering with me searching for nature sounds to record & Miss S one of my Wild Sisters for inspiring the idea to make phone wallpapers for each theme) ... recorded by me.
 
Stones that were pulled from the dirt by my hands … or the hands of my helpers ... that hold amazing vibrational energy and the power to positively influence your life.
 
Photography and Art, created by me, that I have always been a little afraid to share and sell ... a little afraid that it wasn't good enough.

A planner that pulls together the pieces of a holistic life into one beautiful plan; taking the focus off of obligations while still recognizing that some appointments need to be written down so they aren’t forgotten.
 
And lastly my essential oil blends, which have thrown me on a side adventure ... making the choice to take this through the proper channels and to register them as natural health products with health Canada so that I can tell you how they can benefit your health and wellness. I am just at the beginning of this crazy process, but I think I have a handle on it now. There is a bit more to do before I can submit my applications, so I hope to get this all completed and be able to share my blends with you soon.

First, let me start by saying that I am in no way an expert on boundaries and I have not actual training in this area. Most of my experience with boundaries is from personal experience, observation, continued learning, and what I see in the clinic; I can however recommend a professional or two if you are in need of some support with this.

Although I am not an expert, boundaries are something that I have come to feel strongly about personally and professionally.

So even though this is a topic that can quite frankly be intimidating to ponder, it is also a topic that has the power to help you live your most amazing holistic life.

Most of my personal work on boundaries has happened without even realizing that was what I was establishing.

All I knew was that there was something in my life that I did not feel was acceptable and I had to figure out what I felt was acceptable moving forward.

Often establishing boundaries results from feeling resentment, frustration, angry, and burnout ... spoiler alert, these are all indicators of poor or weak boundaries.

​Other signs?

​Feeling bad or guilty when you say NO ... not feeling able to say NO ... feeling you need to explain your decisions or rationalize your choices and decisions to others ... not speaking up when you are treated poorly ... letting others define you ... giving as much as you can without thought for your self or your well being.

To start creating healthy boundaries, we must first look at what boundaries actually are.

Healthy boundaries are the physical, emotional, and mental limits we establish in order to protect ourselves, our time, our energy, our relationships, and our well being.

They are a way of communicating to others that we have self respect and self worth; and are a means to take control of your life, preserve your integrity, to take responsibility for who you really are and create your best life.

Ultimately boundaries act like filters on your life, letting in what is acceptable and keeping out what isn't.

Healthy boundaries are critical to your self care.

Here are some of my personal boundaries as well as some that I have found through my learning ...

• Say NO without guilt or an explanation!
• Ask for what you need or want!
• Don't apologize for your decisions!
• Take care of yourself!
• Say YES because you want to ... not because of obligations or to please others!
• Ask for help! “I need your help with ...”
• Behaving according to your own values & beliefs ... not the values & beliefs of others.
• Feeling safe to express difficult emotions and have disagreements.
• Choosing to agree to disagree.
• Feeling supported to pursue your goals!
• Being treated as an equal.
• Taking responsibility for your own happiness.
• Being in tune with your own feelings and put them into words.
• Know who you are, what you believe, what you like.
• Spend time alone when you need.
• Setting actual physical boundaries between work and life ... or time boundaries.
• Putting your phone on Do Not Disturb!
• And anything else that aligns with what you need and helps you create the life you love!

Love yourself enough to set boundaries!

​You are doing all the right things … eating to nourish your body, getting enough rest, moving your body every day, taking care of you. You even have your next massage (or 2 or 3) booked.

So what do you do when aches & pains pop up in between treatments?

Well first of all you can always call and try to get in earlier for you next massage treatment, nothing is ever set-in stone even if the appointment has been booked for months.

If this is not an option, here are some things to try once you determine what type of pain you are dealing with.

First … if the pain is related to an acute injury (sprains, strains, fall, contusion) pull the ice pack out of the freezer and RICE (rest ice compression elevate), particularly in the first couple of days after injury … this will help to minimize swelling, bruising, and inflammation.

If you don’t have an injury ice pack that lives in your freezer like I do, try a bag of frozen peas ... they work amazing because they easily contour around the injured area, just make sure you don’t accidentally cook them for dinner later lol.

Second … if the pain is related to muscle tension, then here are some options for you to try …

• Epsom salt bath​ … the magnesium content of Epsom salts helps muscles to relax
• Topical magnesium ... absorbs right where it is put to help relax your muscles
• Heat … helps sore, tight muscles relax and increases blood flow to the area
• Stretch … particularly tight postural and leg muscles
• Lacrosse ball … place the ball between the tight area and a wall then lean back and relax … the pressure on the muscle when held for 30+ sec can trigger the muscle to relax
• Foam roller … is self myofascial release that can help relieve muscle tightness and soreness ... really works well on legs and glutes and small rollers work wonders on feet
• Rolling pin … nessecity is the mother of all invention and in a pinch can be used in place of a foam roller but allows you to control the pressure you use

These all become your tools to manage aches and pains at home between regular massage treatments.

As you try each of these tools, you will probably find a couple that work well for you and some that don’t. Make sure to keep the ones that work handy so that they are available right when you need help.

Keep in mind that what works for the “knot” in your back may not work for your tight hamstrings … and what works for me might not work for you.

But more often than not when we are in pain, anything that helps is better than nothing.

Do you have a favourite way to manage aches and pains between regular massage treatments?


Share your favourites in the comments below.