Practice made perfect: How to use essential oils for yoga

Like scones and jam and fish and chips, there are some things that seem made to go together. The same can be said for yoga and essential oils.

woman doing yoga pose while diffusing essential oil

Whether you’re an experienced yogi or don’t yet know your chakra from your chaturanga, you can greatly benefit from using essential oils for yoga.

From using essential oil for yoga to ground yourself and make meditational breathing easier to cleaning your mat, there’s an abundance of reasons to use these oils in your practice. Not only can they enhance your mental health and bring a sense of calm, but they can also do all this while you strengthen your body and work on your flexibility.

If you want to take your practice to the next level and get the most out of every asana, this guide is for you.

Content/Quick links

  • How to use essential oil for yoga
  • Place a drop in the palm of your hands
  • Spritz the room with a mist
  • Use a diffuser
  • Add essential oils to eye pillows
  • Use an essential oil spray to clean your mat
  • Why aromatherapy yoga may deepen your practice
  • Top yoga essential oils
  • Bergamot
  • Cedarwood
  • Eucalyptus
  • Frankincense
  • Grapefruit
  • Lemon
  • Peppermint
  • Sandalwood
  • What the research tells us
  • Essential oil’s effect on blood pressure and stress
  • Bergamot’s ability to improve mood 
  • Lavender essential oil as an anxiolytic
  • Lemon essential oil’s anti-anxiety effects
  • Effective blends of yoga essential oils
  • Clean Air
  • Date Night
  • Energy
  • Pick Me Up
  • Relax
  • Sleep
  • FAQs about using essential oils for yoga
  • What are the recommended essential oils for yoga?
  • How do you use essential oils for yoga?
  • What is aromatherapy yoga?
  • Why should I be using essential oils for yoga?
  • Can I create my own essential oil yoga mat spray?
  • Make every minute on your mat count

How to use essential oil for yoga

Using essential oils in your yoga sessions will unleash the many benefits that they offer. It will also turn the time you spend on your mat into more of an experience than just a simple workout.

Place a drop in the palm of your hands

woman using essential oil on her hand

Put a drop of essential oil, properly diluted with a good carrier oil, on the inner surface of your hand either before you begin your class or as you’re settling into Savasana.

Rubbing your palms together will warm and activate the oil, and then you should cup your hands over your face and inhale deeply through the nose. Release your hands to exhale and repeat this process three more times.

Spritz the room with a mist

volant Energy essential oil mist sprayed

Aromatherapy yoga isn’t complicated. Blending essential oils together and adding them to a carrier liquid like water before adding them to a spray bottle is a brilliant way to reap their benefits while you’re doing your downward dog.

You can also spice up your routine by adding an essential oil yoga mat spray to the mix. Blend oils for specific outcomes, like increased energy or deeper calm, and mist your mat with it before you start your surya namaskar.

Use a diffuser

woman stretching doing yoga pose

One of the easiest ways to incorporate oils into your at-home practice is to invest in a diffuser. It will get the job done quietly while you absorb the advantages of each asana and bolter your bandhas.

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Add essential oils to eye pillows

woman using eye pillow with lavender essential oil

Although certain eye pillows contain dried lavender and fillers like buckwheat or flax, they tend to lose their scent after prolonged use. Revive them with a drop of lavender essential oil, pop them over your eyes and lose yourself in Savasana.

volant organic lavender essential oil that promotes relaxation and better sleep
volant organic lavender essential oil that promotes relaxation and better sleep
organic lavender
volant organic lavender essential oil bottle packaging that promotes relaxation and better sleep
volant white diffuser using organic lavender essential oil promoting relaxation and better sleep

Organic Lavender Essential Oil

11 €

Use an essential oil spray to clean your mat

essential oil spray an anti-bacterial to clean yoga mat

For a quick-working essential oil yoga mat cleaner, blend antibacterial essential oils with a quarter cup of witch hazel or white vinegar and spray and wipe your mat after each class.

Make sure that it is safe to use essential oils on the brand of mat you use and take advantage of the clean, sanitized space the next time you practice.

Top antibacterial choices include eucalyptus, lemongrass, orange, peppermint and tea tree essential oil.

volant organic tea tree essential oil as antibacterial for skin
volant organic tea tree essential oil as antibacterial for skin
tea tree
volant organic tea tree essential oil bottle packaging for hair and skin
volant white diffuser using organic tea tree essential oil for aromatherapy

Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil

10 €

Why aromatherapy yoga may deepen your practice

woman doing yoga pose while diffusing essential oil using volant diffuser

Using aromatherapy during your yoga sessions may elevate your experience in multiple ways. This makes sense when you consider that yoga is about becoming more relaxed and enhancing your connection with yourself and the world around you. It’s about finding your center, reducing anxiety and relieving stress. This is what aromatherapy is all about too.

For example, sandalwood quiets the mind the way standing forward fold does. Patchouli calms your brain and body down just like uttana shishosana can. Frankincense essential oil purifies your system and fights anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress, the same issues you can tackle with child’s pose, fish, hero, tree and triangle pose.

These aromatic compounds, made from the bark, flowers, roots, seeds and stems of different plants, enhance our emotional and mental wellness just like yoga does. They can also relieve sore muscles and support our spiritual and physical well-being in the same way that regular practice does.

volant organic frankincense essential oil for glowing skin
volant organic frankincense essential oil for glowing skin
organic frankincense
volant organic frankincense essential oil bottle packaging for glowing skin
volant grey diffuser using organic frankincense essential oil helps you find your inner peace

Organic Frankincense Essential Oil

15 €

Top yoga essential oils

Studies have proven that certain essential oils can take your meditation and yoga experience to the next level. Your practices will become more reflective and vivid and each oil will add its own unique benefits whether used singly or as part of a blend.

The following oils are excellent choices for an aromatherapy yoga practice:

Bergamot

volant bergamot essential oil

Citrus essential oils are renowned for their ability to invigorate and stimulate. However, while bergamot essential oil is part of this family, it calms you down and is particularly recommended when levels of stress and tension are high.

volant organic bergamot essential oil used to alleviate tension and anxiety
volant organic bergamot essential oil used to alleviate tension and anxiety
organic bergamot
volant organic bergamot essential oil bottle packaging used to alleviate tension and anxiety
volant white diffuser using organic bergamot essential oil used to alleviate tension and anxiety

Organic Bergamot Essential Oil

13 €

Cedarwood

volant cedarwood essential oil

Cedarwood essential oil grounds and calms our nervous system and can bring people together, spiritually speaking. It is an excellent choice if you need a confidence boost because it roots you to the earth while opening your heart.

volant organic cedarwood essential oil promotes hair growth
volant organic cedarwood essential oil promotes hair growth
organic cedarwood
volant organic cedarwood essential oil bottle packaging promotes hair growth
volant white diffuser using organic cedarwood essential oil for home scenting and relaxation

Organic Cedarwood Essential Oil

11 €

Eucalyptus

volant eucalyptus essential oil

With its energizing scent, eucalyptus essential oil refreshes and enlivens the body while it calms and soothes the mind. Choose this oil if you need a little help relaxing and dealing with stress.

volant organic eucalyptus essential oil to relieve nasal congestion
volant organic eucalyptus essential oil to relieve nasal congestion
organic eucalyptus leaves
volant organic eucalyptus essential oil bottle packaging to relieve nasal congestion
volant white diffuser using organic eucalyptus essential oil to relieve nasal congestion

Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil

9 €

Frankincense

volant frankincense essential oil

Frankincense calms the nervous system, encourages deeper breathing patterns, lessens anxiety, uplifts mood and may even evoke feelings of euphoria.

volant organic frankincense essential oil for glowing skin
volant organic frankincense essential oil for glowing skin
organic frankincense
volant organic frankincense essential oil bottle packaging for glowing skin
volant grey diffuser using organic frankincense essential oil helps you find your inner peace

Organic Frankincense Essential Oil

15 €

Grapefruit

volant grapefruit essential oil

The emotional and spiritual support that grapefruit essential oil offers is why so many yoga practitioners adore it. It’ll help you to foster feelings of self-love and approval, especially when honoring and loving your body.

volant organic grapefruit essential oil to relieve stress and rich with antimicrobial properties
volant organic grapefruit essential oil to relieve stress and rich with antimicrobial properties
organic grapefruit slices
volant organic grapefruit essential oil bottle packaging to relieve stress and rich with antimicrobial properties
volant clay diffuser using organic grapefruit essential oil to relieve stress

Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil

11 €

Lemon

volant lemon essential oil

Use lemon essential oil the next time you do yoga and enjoy a better mood, lower levels of anxiety and a general lifting of your spirits. It may also help you mitigate symptoms of stress.

volant organic lemon essential oil that fights exhaustion, helps with depression, clears your skin, kills harmful viruses and bacteria
volant organic lemon essential oil that fights exhaustion, helps with depression, clears your skin, kills harmful viruses and bacteria
organic lemon slices
volant organic lemon essential oil bottle and packaging for home cleansing
volant white diffuser using organic lemon essential oil to boost your mood

Organic Lemon Essential Oil

9 €

Peppermint

volant peppermint essential oil

Reap the strong emotional benefits of peppermint essential oil by popping some in your diffuser before you next do dragon pose. It calms emotions, reduces anxious and sad feelings, relieves restlessness and soothes tension.

volant organic peppermint essential oil to keep mosquitoes away
volant organic peppermint essential oil to keep mosquitoes away
organic peppermint leaves
volant organic peppermint essential oil bottle packaging to keep mosquitoes away
volant white diffuser using organic peppermint essential oil to keep mosquitoes away

Organic Peppermint Essential Oil

11 €

Sandalwood

sandalwood essential oil

Use sandalwood to support your shoulder stand and benefit from its ability to enhance your mood, ground you, promote peace and clarity, quiet your mind, and boost your sensuality.

What the research tells us

The scientific community is starting to take the impact of essential oils far more seriously. This is because evidence-based research is proving that many different ailments can be treated to one degree or another with high-quality essential oils:

Essential oil’s effect on blood pressure and stress

Three groups of subjects took part in this 2012 study, one of which inhaled a blend of lavender, marjoram, neroli, and ylang ylang essential oil. The placebo group inhaled artificial fragrances and the third group received no treatment.

After 24 hours, the diastolic and systolic blood pressure and the cortisol levels of the group that was exposed to the essential oil blend notably decreased in comparison to the other two groups. This shows that it’s not just the pleasant smell that has positive physiological benefits but the composition of true essential oils which provide therapeutic effects.

Bergamot’s ability to improve mood

In this 2018 study, bergamot oil provided multiple beneficial effects to the research participants. These include a reduction in anxiety, blood pressure, depression, heart rate and stress responses.

Lavender essential oil as an anxiolytic

Lavender has many desirable properties as an anti-anxiety agent, as proven by this research study. The list of these includes its ability to calm without sedation and the fact that no issues were found in dependence, tolerance or withdrawal.

Its side-effect profile is also benign and its onset is rapid.

Lemon essential oil’s anti-anxiety effects

A 2022 research study into the efficacy of lemon essential oil as a way to handle anxiety showed that inhaling lemon oil reduced test anxiety in nursing students. proved several theories. It has also been shown that lemon oil lowers cholesterol, is analgesic and antibacterial, decreases nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and has anti-stress and anxiolytic effects.

Effective blends of yoga essential oils

There are several reasons that blending essential oils is so popular. For one, it can increase their efficacy because more than one oil allows the created mix to work on several levels. So, if you combine basil for its spasmolytic effects with bitter orange for its soothing capabilities, the comfort you will experience will be markedly increased.

These natural plant extracts also support each other in their actions. This means that they are frequently more effective when used together.

Additionally, blends reduce the risk of side effects. While these are admittedly rare and generally low impact, if you do find yourself reacting to the intensity of some oils, blending them with others may diminish any adverse effects you’re experiencing.

And then there is the fact that blends just smell wonderful. The potency of the aroma of essential oils is one of the best things about them, and you can create entirely new scent profiles with a good blend.

Volant’s blends are carefully curated, and you will be able to find a mix for whatever mood you want to create.

Clean Air

Clean Air is a sweet blend of myrrh, tangerine and lemon oils and evokes the feeling of a freshly cleaned home. With the focus on breathing in your yoga sessions, you may find attaining those asanas far less challenging with this fragrance in the air. And of course, breathing purified air is much better for you when you’re practicing deep breathing, and Clean Air will do just that.

volant clean air essential oil blend made with pure Lemon, Myrrh, and Tangerine
volant clean air essential oil blend made with pure Lemon, Myrrh, and Tangerine
volant white diffuser using clean air essential oil blend made with pure Lemon, Myrrh, and Tangerine
volant clean air essential oil blend bottle packaging made with pure Lemon, Myrrh, and Tangerine
woman half body drinking wine with volant white diffuser using clean air and energy essential oil blends

Clean Air

16 €

Date Night

Open your heart while you deeply inhale a blend of amber, bergamot, frankincense and lavender in our Date Night blend. It is sure to give your evening the romantic touch it needs, whether you are having a yoga date with somebody special or treating yourself to a soul night.

volant date night essential oil blend made with pure Amber, Lavender, Frankincense and Bergamot
volant date night essential oil blend made with pure Amber, Lavender, Frankincense and Bergamot
red wine and volant black diffuser using date night essential oil blend made with pure Amber, Lavender, Frankincense and Bergamot
volant date night essential oil blend bottle packaging made with pure Amber, Lavender, Frankincense and Bergamot
volant black diffuser using essential oil blends

Date Night

16 €

Energy

Turn your morning into something special with twisted chair pose and Volant’s Energy blend in the diffuser. Amyris, bergamot, grapefruit and lime will get you ready for the day ahead or the task at hand.

volant energy essential oil blend made with pure Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot and Amyris
volant energy essential oil blend made with pure Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot and Amyris
volant clay diffuser using energy essential oil blend made with pure Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot and Amyris
volant energy essential oil blend bottle packaging made with pure Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot and Amyris
volant white diffuser using energy and clean air essential oil blends in the dining table

Energy

16 €

Pick Me Up

Enhance a good mood or turn the volume down on a bad one when you put a few drops of Pick Me Up blend in your diffuser. Sweet orange essential oil mixes beautifully with lemongrass and ylang ylang, and you will get all the energy you need to hop on the mat and work it all out.

volant pick me up essential oil blend made with pure Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang
volant pick me up essential oil blend made with pure Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang
volant black diffuser using pick me up essential oil blend made with pure Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang
volant pick me up essential oil blend bottle packaging  made with pure Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang
volant pick me up essential oil blend made with pure Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang

Pick Me Up

16 €

Relax

The Relax blend invites you to leave your worries at the door. You can settle into reclined bound angle pose with the fragrance of eucalyptus, grapefruit, palma rosa and ylang ylang wafting all around you.

volant relax essential oil blend made of pure Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Grapefruit
volant relax essential oil blend made of pure Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Grapefruit
volant white diffuser using relax essential oil blend bottle made of pure Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Grapefruit
volant relax essential oil blend bottle packaging made of pure Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Grapefruit
woman reading using volant relax essential oil blend bottle made of pure Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Grapefruit

Relax

16 €

Sleep

If you like to do your yoga just before you crawl into bed, Volant’s Sleep blend is the perfect choice for your practice. Start your siddhasana with notes of lavender, frankincense, palma rosa, and Roman chamomile essential oil encouraging you to relax and get the rest you need.

volant sleep essential oil blend bottle made with pure Lavender, Frankincense, and Palma Rosa and Roman Chamomile
volant sleep essential oil blend bottle made with pure Lavender, Frankincense, and Palma Rosa and Roman Chamomile
volant white diffuser using sleep essential oil blend made with pure Lavender, Frankincense, and Palma Rosa and Roman Chamomile
volant sleep essential oil blend bottle packaging made with pure Lavender, Frankincense, and Palma Rosa and Roman Chamomile
girl sleeping using volant sleep essential oil blend made with pure Lavender, Frankincense, and Palma Rosa and Roman Chamomile

Sleep

18 €

FAQs about using essential oils for yoga

What are the recommended essential oils for yoga?

Bergamot, eucalyptus, grapefruit, peppermint, frankincense and cedarwood essential oil can all be considered excellent choices as yoga essential oils.

How do you use essential oils for yoga?

You could create an essential oil yoga mat spray and use an essential oil yoga mat cleaner. Diffusing oils during your practice is also a good way to use them.

What is aromatherapy yoga?

Think of it as a yoga practice deepened and strengthened by the use of aromatherapy throughout each session to create a more intentional, therapeutic and meditative experience.

Why should I be using essential oils for yoga?

The benefits of aromatherapy are combined with those that yoga offers when these two practices come together.

Can I create my own essential oil yoga mat spray?

You sure can. You can even add your own unique essential oil yoga mat cleaner to the mix if you want to.

Make every minute on your mat count

woman looking outside window

Using essential oils for yoga can be hugely helpful in so many ways. They’re great for setting an intention for your practice and will help you to deepen your mind-body connection. Pairing yoga essential oils with regular practice and intention-setting will also anchor your physical sense in positive surroundings and inspire softer thoughts about the world around you.

Different oils offer various therapeutic benefits, so it’s important that you determine your goals before you begin. Your aromatherapy yoga toolkit will look different when you want to de-stress, ease tension and relax as opposed to when you need to get your energy levels up and wake up your brain or when you want to check in with yourself and create some spiritual calm.

One thing is certain, however. Whatever outcome you’re looking for, pairing yoga with essential oils is an excellent way to find it.

Incorporating Volant's high quality, 100% pure organic essential oils into your yoga practice is an excellent way to help you to make the most of the time you spend on your mat. Regardless of whether you’re doing an intense Bikram session, flowing through a Vinyasa sequence or stretching it out in Yin, essential oils can help you to make every breath count a little bit more. Namaste!

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"I received my Terracotta Volant right after Christmas and it has been routinely used! I love the smell of the oils and have learned to balance to strength for me and my family. I recommend it to anyone who loves essential oils." Robert S.
"Perfect for meditation, especially Geranium. And Grapefruit for yoga." Cathy S.
"Easy to switch between subscription products, have tested 5 oils. Very satisfied" Mary H.
"I love getting essential oils in my post box every month, cool recipes by mail as well" Johan J.
"Been looking for essential oils for aromatherapy, these oils give me a boost" Svetlana W.
"I purchesed Volant diffuser, and I am obsessed with it! I am using it every day and I feel super satisfied. Excellent experience." Agnieszka S.
"Struggled to fall asleep before, the blend Sleep has changed that" Chloe L.