I was once listening to D. Gary Young, N.D. (the founder of Young Living) talking about how he puts a drop of Brain Power on his tongue….so being a wonderful explorer, I decided to do the same. I stick my tongue out, let a drop fall out of the bottle onto my tongue, and then press my tongue to the roof of my mouth. That’s where the plates of our skull join, so the oil reaches the brain very quickly from there.

I’d be lying if I said it tasted good…..but I find it wonderful for increasing my alertness and clarity if I’m feeling mentally fatigued, or overwhelmed in the face of new learning (eg. new studies). I also often use a drop if I’m becoming mentally fatigued, in order to increase my mental “togetherness” so that I can be as lucid and logical as possible. But – if you don’t like the taste, try it under your nose or on the back of your neck! - Artemis

I put Gratitude on my heart before meditating one day (as I felt somewhat lacking in the Gratitude department!), and by the end of the meditation I caught myself thinking happy and grateful thoughts. This wasn’t contrived, and reinforced for me the power these oils have for supporting my emotional joy and my spiritual journey.

I also have a friend who lost her husband suddenly, only 6 weeks after they were married. She began sniffing Gratitude straight out of the bottle many times a day. Well, I’m one of her many friends who looks on her with something akin to awe at the amazing way she has handled this transformation in her life. The grieving process still happened naturally, but it was rich with gratitude and acceptance of the “now”, and the many gifts her husband has brought her. -Artemis

One day I decided to give myself an Emotional Clearing Technique. I began with 6 drops of Valor under each foot, and lay on a mattress for 5 minutes or so. Then I put a drop of Harmony on each of my chakras (using my hand to rotate each drop 3 times clockwise, in order to increase its frequency). After putting the drop on my third eye (between my eyebrows), I felt a buzzing sensation and then I was gone! I’m not sure where I went, but about 15 minutes later I came back, very alert and refreshed, and had this strangest sensation that I’d been somewhere. - Artemis

I work in a creche centre with children as young as 6 weeks old. I work on a voluntary basis one morning a week, and this morning before I went to work I lathered my chest with Harmony. Well what a difference it made with all the babies!!! The full time workers could not get over how they were all so well behaved and would not leave my chest (I had to juggle between 3 babies)!! The babies that usually scream when their mothers leave the room were so content to nuzzle into my chest!!! They were all so good all morning!!! I then shared my secret with the full-time girls, as I felt they were getting a little intimidated with the effect I was having on the babies!!! Hahahah! Thank you Young Living! – Kristina T., the baby whisperer! (QLD)

This is a beautiful, uplifting blend. I use it whenever I want to connect with, and nurture, my inner child. And I've been thrilled to see its effects on others. In one of my workshops, a lady anointed herself with inner child (a drop on her navel). At our next break, we couldn't keep her away from the chocolate-dipped strawberries! She was like a child in a lolly shop with them, and in the end we had to promise to let her take the last ones home. She was certain that the oil had only had a brief effect (hours beforehand), but to me it was obvious that it had lightened her spirit, and brought her inner child out to play….and she was still playing! - Artemis

Several months ago we discovered that a neighbour has been sexually abusing girls in the neighbourhood, our daughter being one of them. This has been a traumatic event for us. My daughter was extremely distressed, having nightmares as a result. My sister kindly sent some wonderful oils, Inner Child and Joy. My daughter loves the smell of Inner Child, and began applying it every night over her navel and her forehead. The first thing I noticed was that she was less scared and more relaxed after using the oil. From the very first night the nightmares stopped, and instead she described dreams of fields full of flowers, with smiling, friendly people all around. She used the oil for several months, and now is a wonderful, happy child again. I use the "Joy" on myself regularly, and experience instant upliftment. The oils have helped so much in this situation. – Jenny M. (QLD)

My daughter’s been addicted to Speed for a year, and I've watched her life and her body fall apart. Despite several attempts to come clean, she’s never had the willpower to follow through, and always began using again. A friend suggested I buy Inner Child and Joy and Valor, hoping these may assist my daughter find the strength and self-love to help herself. My daughter loves them, especially Inner Child. I notice she often giggles when she rubs it around her navel. In less than a month of applying these oil blends, my daughter has gone from abusing me when she sees me, to being able to tell me how much she loves me. She’s chosen to go through detox and has now checked herself into a rehabilitation center. This is such a break-through that I can only say a heart-felt thank you for these wonderful products. I believe they have saved her life. – Sonia L. (NSW)

[P.S. From Artemis: This testimonial was given to me quite a few years ago. Sonia’s daughter is a good friend of mine. She remains, to this day, drug-free.]

Wow – here is another multi-purpose oil I’d never be without. When I've gone hiking or exploring in far-away places, it always has a place in my backpack or shirt pocket. I've used it for a twisted ankle, and the next day the swelling was greatly reduced. I've used it prior to having needles, and the pain of the needle was barely felt. I've used 7 or 8 drops in my mouth prior to having a crown of a tooth replaced. The dentist was insisting on giving me a needle, but the PanAway worked a treat and no needle was needed (in fact, I was so relaxed I barely felt a thing). I've used it on stubbed toes, cracked scalps, sore backs, period pain, recovery from operations (in fact, in two instances I recovered completely from operations without any additional morphine)…..the list goes on. In fact, what haven’t I used it on? No wonder it’s in the Essential 7 kit! - Artemis

A few months ago I was involved in a serious accident where my shoulder blade was fractured and a piece of steel pierced right through one of the muscles in my arm. I had been in hospital on morphine for a week, but was still in tremendous pain from the injury. Artemis offered me Panaway to try, and I rubbed 3 drops neat around the area of injury. Within minutes, the pain had noticeably subsided, and my arm also wasn't hurting as much when I was moving. I applied more Panaway that evening, and slept through the night for the first time since the accident with minimal pain. To my surprise, I awoke the next morning without the excruciating pain of previous mornings. I began applying Panaway twice a day, and was impressed by how quickly the swelling reduced. The recovery process also seemed to be more rapid as a result of my using Panaway. – Chris T. (QLD)

My 4 year old son was in a playground, and fell off one of the climbing structures onto the back of his head. He landed on hard pavers, and very quickly an egg formed on the back of his head. He was screaming with the pain, and the skin over the egg was very close to splitting. I applied 4 drops of Panaway neat on the lump. Within about 3 minutes he had stopped crying, and within 10 minutes he asked if he could go back to playing. That night I applied a couple more drops, and by the next morning the lump had virtually gone, and only a little tenderness was left. – Ariel (NSW)

I've had arthritis in my hands for many years, and as a result, they have been very stiff and painful at the joints, and I have not been able to straighten them. One day when I was in a lot of pain with them, a friend gave me Panaway to try. I rubbed 4 drops neat on my hands, and within a few minutes the pain eased and the stiffness diminished. I bought Panaway and Birch/Wintergreen, and began applying them together on my hands, about 2 drops of each at a time. I used them regularly for about 4 days, and after that, I just applied them when needed. I found that this combination greatly controlled the pain and stiffness. I began applying it also on my knees, with great results (often using OrthoEase Massage oil first). Now I'm able to straighten my fingers again, and walk without pain. – Rhonda L. (QLD)

Peace and Calming is one of the oils I use if I want to have a great night’s sleep – and it smells great. I just put a drop or two under each foot, and……zzzzzzz…….. In fact, one day Ariel and I were trying to put her son to sleep in the middle of the day. We set Peace and Calming up in the diffuser, and were showing him how to take deep breaths so that the oil would definitely work. Well, I don’t know about him, but we were both sound asleep within half an hour! Again, it’s no surprise that this one has found its way into the Essential 7 Kit. - Artemis

As a result of being an undiagnosed sufferer from coeliac disease, my adrenal glands were overactive and my sleep patterns were subsequently disturbed. For decades I had been unable to sleep more than 90 minutes in a stretch, and rarely slept more than a total of 2 hours a night. I began using Peace and Calming (one drop under each foot at night), and since then I've had no trouble sleeping. I now manage 7 to 10 hours sleep a night, and as much as 7 hours in a single stretch. That is bliss! – Michael Dale (NSW)

When my son was 7 months old, he was waking through the night for no other reason than to have a little look around and a chat. He would only be awake for 5 to 10 minutes, but it was enough to disrupt the rest of the family. I ordered some Peace and Calming oil, and since using the oils regularly on my son he has stopped his nightly chats and is sleeping through the night. I have been using it in my daughter since she was one month old, and since then she has been sleeping from 6pm until 6am. I also find that if I am restless, I put a couple of drops of Peace and Calming on my feet, and sleep doesn't seem to be a problem. - Debra (QLD)

I own a florist shop, and Mothers Day is usually a very stressful experience with the high demand for flowers on that day. A friend gave me some Peace and Calming, so I decided to apply 2 drops on my heart that morning. By the afternoon, my staff were commenting on how relaxed I was compared with my usual fluster on these high-pressure days. This was amazing, given the many dramas that occurred that day (including the computer crashing). I have also used Peace and Calming prior to attending funerals, and find that it gives me the strength to cope and support loved ones in these emotional situations. –Judy S. (QLD)

I am a massage therapist, and before beginning remedial massage treatments I ask my clients to smell a variety of the Young Living essential oil blends and to choose the blend that they would like to smell during the massage. I then place a drop of the oil on a tissue, which I tuck into the massage cover so that they breathe in the aroma during the treatment. During the last few months since I have been offering Peace and Calming, all of my clients comment on how lovely it smells, and (with only one or two exceptions) they choose this oil to smell during their massage. I also find Peace and Calming very relaxing, either to smell or to wear as a perfume. – Anna C. (NSW)

Purification is the essential oil blend that I most often use in my home diffuser. It lasts well (not evaporating as quickly as Citrus Fresh), and works beautifully to neutralize the “cat” smells in our apartment – the result of 2 friendly felines living here 24/7. And when I’m traveling, I sprinkle it around the motel rooms in order to disguise any aroma of stale cigarettes, or artificial room fresheners. (Note that because of the high quality of the Young Living oils, if you use them in a traditional oil burner you are just 'burning your money'. Heating the oil breaks down its components, and diminishes its effectiveness.)

I also had cause to use Purification when I was swimming with humpback whales in the Caribbean. I had a scratch on my heel that became infected, and a red rash began spreading over my heel. A naturopath on board the boat declared that it was “not looking good at all”, and that blood poisoning was on the cards. At her suggestion, I doused my heel with Purification oil, and then put more on a band aid and kept it over the wound that night. The next morning, the band aid was covered in pus, and the wound looked considerably better. It very quickly normalized after that. Again – no surprise that this oil is also found in the Essential 7 kit. - Artemis

Release is another very powerful blend for me. The very first night I tried it, I put 3 drops over my liver, rubbed them 3 times clockwise to increase the frequency of the oils, and then spent the next few hours in extreme emotional agitation (a typical “liver” response as anger is being released). I haven’t always had that response – just the times I've been suppressing anger.

I used Release once when I was having colon hydrotherapy. I put the Release oil on my belly, and Acceptance on my wrists. The therapist was so impressed by the results that she ordered some for herself and her clients, and continues to rave about it!

Then one day I had a sore back. I tried all my favourite oils (PanAway, Valor, Aroma Siez), and none made a bit of difference. So then I tried Release….and I woke up the next morning, and my back felt great. On another occasion I had a sore neck, bordering on a headache. So I put a drop of Release on the back of my neck. A few hours later, I experienced an outpouring of emotion (tears), and after that I felt balanced and harmonious again.

It is my experience that essential oils have their own innate intelligence, and work uniquely and perfectly on each person. So Release may work differently on you. If it’s brought about an emotional release for me, that release has always taken place at a time and place where it’s been perfect, and not inappropriate. -Artemis

I use Thieves at the first hint of a cold, flu or other infection. I just put a couple of drops under my feet. It was good enough in the times of the black plague, and it’s good enough for me. - Artemis

For many years I've had bleeding gums, and I occasionally get a flare-up of a fungal-type rash over my skin. Whenever this happens, I begin taking 8 drops of Thieves in a gel cap each day, and have noticed that within 3 days my gums have stopped bleeding and the rash has diminished. – Noel C. (QLD)

[Note from Artemis: When Noel and I began taking essential oils internally, we started with just a single drop in a gel cap, then increased it by one drop per day. This helped us avoid any radical detox, and to monitor how the oil went with our body. We also only use the oils that are rated as GRAS (Generally regarded as safe for internal use, according to the FDA).]*

Like Abundance and PanAway, Valor is a blend I'd never be without. I use it whenever my energy is fragmented (eg. during life's upheavals and traumas), because it helps me feel more centered and balanced.

I experience its effects within minutes of applying it. I either put several drops on location, or 3 to 6 drops under each foot. If I put it under my feet, I will sometimes then hold my right hand under my right foot, and my left hand under my left foot, until I feel more balanced (usually 5 to 10 minutes). To empower this action further, I rub the Valor 3 times clockwise under each foot when I first apply it. This has been shown to double its frequency. Holding Valor on the feet in this way forms the first step of a Raindrop Technique and Egyptian Emotional Clearing Technique.

I also use Valor on any part of my spine that just “doesn't feel right”. There have been times when, within hours, the vertebral subluxation has self-corrected. Needless to say, my bottle of Valor is never far away! - Artemis