Have you been feeling a little blue lately? Statistics claim that an estimated half a million people suffer each winter from a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sometimes this can bring on severe depression along with weight gain. For many of us it is only a re-adjusting time that makes us feel a little blue. What causes these blue feelings? Due to the lessening of sunlight hours received our brain chemicals can become imbalanced causing us to feel more tired, moody and more apt to eat more. It is often referred to as “The Winter Blues”. Personally, it tends to hit me when we turn the clocks back in October and continues until the spring comes. Even animals are affected by this seasonal change. The Hibernation instinct is very strong. What can we do to help lift our spirits? THINK ORANGE!!!! Yes, Aromatherapy can help you out with its sweet citrus Essential Oils. All of the citrus oils will help but I find Orange a great pick me up…following close behind is Grapefruit How can we incorporate this into our daily lives? We can easily diffuse orange essential oil in a diffuser on our desk or work area. We can also add Orange Essential Oil to our dishwashing liquid and cleaners. It is great for cleaning up. Be careful not to use cold pressed citrus oils on the skin as it may cause photosensitivity. Even though there is not as much sunlight in the winter there are still some UV rays shining so the best bet is to keep citrus oils off of your skin. By the way, adding a few drops of cinnamon to the orange in the diffuser makes a lovely warm, wintery scent! So remember: If you are feeling Blue…Think Orange! Below is a chart depicting the various characteristics of Orange Essential Oil Orange Citrus sinensis Family: Rutaceae Extraction: Cold Pressed Part: Peel Harvest: Florida: December, January, February; California: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November, December; Israel: October, November; South Africa: May, June Color : Yellowish orange to dark orange Smell: Sweet, Citrus, Fruity, Fresh Note: Top Effect: Stimulating or Sedating depending on dosage Planet: Sun Element: Fire Magic: Purification, Joy, Physical energy, Magical energy Chakra: 7th (Spiritual Chakra) Description: Grown in Sicily, Israel, Spain, California, Florida, France, Cypress and China. A small sized tree with bright orange fruit. An inferior oil is made from the peel and juice. Native to China. Historical Info: The orange tree is believed to have been taken by Franciscan monks to the West coast of America, where they began cultivating it. Warnings: Slight chance of phototoxicity Blends With: Black Pepper *, Cinnamon leaf **, Clary Sage ****, Clove *, Cypress *, Frankincense **, Geranium *, Ginger *, Grapefruit *, Jasmine *, Juniper Berry *, Lavender ***, Lemon **, Mandarin **, Myrrh ***, Niaouli *, Nutmeg **, Petigrain *, Rose *, Rosemary **, Tea Tree *, Ylang Ylang **, Main Chemical Constituents: 90% monoterpenes: Mainly limonene, bergapten, auraptenol, acids Properties: Anti-Septic, Disinfectant Symptoms: Anxiety ***, Astringent *, Cellulite *, Colds/Flu *, Constipation ***, Depression ****, Digestion ****, Fever *, Female Complaints **, High blood pressure **, Irregular heart beat *, Insomnia ***, Mouth ulcers *, Nervousness *****, Shock *, Stress/Tension *, Water Retention *, Weight Loss * Emotional: Encourages emotional expression, heals emotional memories, hysteria, clearing