I’ve been carrying around bottle of Black Spruce Essential Oil for the past couple of weeks. It’s multi-faceted resinous aroma, has edges that are both lightly sweet and fruity, but also deeper and penetrating. Energetically, a quick inhalation immediately grounds me and releases all the accumulated daily tightness in my chest and upper stomach. And I keep a little spray bottle handy filled with water and a blend of essential oils from firs, pines and spruces to use as an airborne disinfectant.
Essential oils like Black Spruce are steam distilled from the needles of Conifers (evergreen trees), and they can be good centering friends during this season change: They don’t change color, or lose their leaves, but stay constant and steady. Chemically, they are made of up compounds and specific constituents that are powerfully antiseptic, anti-infectious and antibacterial, good components to have as cold and flu season return.
My growing love for the aroma inspired me to a learn a little more about the life of the tree, here is a brief bio:
The Black Spruce is a smaller sized evergreen tree native to North America. It grows as far north as Alaska and as far south as the great lake region, and can be distinguished from other evergreens like pines or firs by the arrangement of its dark blue-green needles and thin low hanging branches. Sturdy and strong, despite its shallow root system, the Black Spruce prefers to grow in swampy boggy areas where the soil nutrients are low, and gathers and protects its cones (the source of its seed) on its upper branches. It can take up to 10 years for young new trees to develop cones and start the process of reproduction. Spruces also play an important role in the ecology of ground forest fires and reforestation.
No wonder I find Black Spruce so rejuvenating!
Let’s look at some of its known key therapeutic actions:
Black Spruce Essential Oil: Antiseptic, anti-infectious, antibacterial and antiviral: Black Spruce essential oil is comprised of a high percentage of chemical compounds called monoterpenes and these are known as effective germ fighters, used both on the skin and diffused. It is a great choice to use singly or in a blend when combatting the battle against coughs and sneezes or in a hand sanitizer or cleanser. These same chemical constituents also play a role in supporting our immune system when colds and flu are present and contribute to its power as an expectorant.
Soothing, balancing, rejuvenating, expansive, and deepening to our breath: For the psyche and emotions, its aroma offers great support and balance when feeling over-exhausted and drained, and guides us to breathe deeply and find mental focus. Often when we feel overwhelmed, its challenging to find grounding and clarity — and remain calm. Black Spruce can offer that kind of support, by gently dispersing our stagnant energy and improving our circulation and movement to breathe through the moment and stay on point.
Here are a few suggestions of other essential oils that can blend nicely with Black Spruce:
Atlas Cedarwood
Balsam Fir
Frankincense
Bergamot
Thyme, ct. linalool
Ginger
Amy Galper
Executive Director of NY Institute of Aromatherapy
www.newyorkinstituteofaromatherapy.com
Founder, Buddha Nose
www.buddhanose.com