The first time I experienced Valor essential oil was when I decided to try rubbing a few drops into my sore, tight neck and shoulders. Within minutes, I felt significant relief and my muscles relaxed. The next time, I applied a few drops on my wrists and behind my ears when I was feeling extremely tense and nervous during a stressful situation. Almost immediately, a calm began to come over me. I started relaxing. I felt more capable and confident. Was this just a placebo effect? I would soon find out in a surprising way.
One day, I was contacted about a little dog who had been abandoned and needed a home - a little chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix). We decided to adopt her and name her Penny. It was quickly evident that Penny was deeply traumatized. When we would reach for her, she would duck and urinate. And, she had other behaviors that were indicative of abuse. Nighttime was a particular trigger as she had been abandoned in the middle of the night. She would cry and whine, and none of us would get any sleep.
The fourth night, Penny had what I can only describe as a complete nervous breakdown. It was very difficult for my husband and I to watch. She was crying loudly, destroying everything she could reach. We moved Penny into our room that night, hoping she would find comfort and go to sleep. She continued to cry and whine, so I held her hoping to calm her trembling little body. But, she remained agitated. Suddenly, it occurred to me to grab my bottle of Valor that was nearby. I rubbed one drop down her spine and waited. Literally, within two minutes, she stopped crying and shaking. Then, her whole body began to relax, and she finally started drifting off to sleep. We were speechless. Clearly, this was no placebo effect.
So, what exactly is this seemingly magical blend of plant oils that so many people treasure? Let me start by giving you a little history on how and why Valor was created.
A naturopath named D. Gary Young was inspired to create the Valor essential oil blend after reading about Roman soldiers who stated they would bathe in essential oils as part of a three-day ceremony to prepare them for war and give them courage. Gary was undergoing a personal trial at the time, so he decided to create the blend for himself. The Valor blend was so effective that he wanted to share it with others to inspire feelings of courage, help overcome fear and opposition, and bring a feeling of calm, peace, and relaxation to the mind and body.
WHAT IS IN VALOR?
Valor contains these 5 essential oils:
Black Spruce
Black Spruce essential oil comes from Young Living's pristine Northern Lights Farm in British Columbia, Canada. This oil has a woodsy and invigorating scent that is popular to use during meditation to create a fresh aromatic atmosphere. Black spruce trees have amazing resilience. They can withstand and even thrive in extremely harsh and cold environments. Black spruce essential oil grounds the body, creating balance.
Camphor Wood
The original Valor formulation contained Rosewood oil, but when it was discovered that Rosewood was being overharvested in some parts of the world, Gary chose to be an industry leader in sustainability practices by reformulating with a more abundant species that offered the same benefits. Camphor trees are part of the evergreen family and can reach up to 40 meters in height and live to be more than 1,000 years old.
Geranium
This beautifully fragrant flower is native to south Africa and is famous for its comforting aroma that promotes feelings of inner peace and spiritual wellness. It includes the natural occurring constituents citronellol and geraniol and adds a hint of sweetness to the Valor blend. Geranium eases nervous tension and stress, helping to balance the emotions, lift the spirit, and encourage a feeling of well-being and hope.
Blue Tansy
With over 300 constituents, this is a very powerful and complex oil. Blue Tansy's primary constituents are sabinene, camphor, chamazulene, and pinene. Chamazulene is what gives Blue Tansy its dark, ink-like color and is also why Valor has a distinct blue color. Blue Tansy promotes calm and eases fear.
Frankincense
Frankincense is deeply calming, revitalizing, and uplifting. Inhaling Frankincense can slow and deepen breathing, relieving fear, nervous tension, and stress. It is often diffused to create a safe and comforting environment. Frankincense contains sesquiterpenes which increase oxygen in the brain. According to John Hopkins Medical School, the biblical "incense" as described in the scriptures elicits potent "psychoactive" effects, as it exerts "a profound effect on human consciousness, emotions. and cognition." When used in an integrated system of complementary essential oils and memory recalls, it orchestrated emotional healing on an entirely new level.
The synergy of these 5 power house plant oils together is undeniable.
WHEN AND HOW SHOULD I USE VALOR?
RESTFUL SLEEP
The Valor blend is very relaxing and can help induce a deep sleep when applied topically or diffused. You can apply Valor on your wrists, neck, chest, or bottoms of feet before heading to bed.
STRESS/NERVOUS TENSION/FEAR
Getting ready to speak before an audience or confront an uncomfortable situation? Or maybe you have a job interview or an important meeting. Grab your Valor and inhale deeply from the bottle or rub a drop in your hands, cup your hands around your nose, and breathe in. (Inhaling the essential oil can directly and quickly affect your limbic system which is your center of emotions, motivations, memories, and behaviors. Essential oil molecules are so small that they can cross the blood/brain barrier. Therefore, they affect not only your brain but other parts of your body that regulate function.) You can also apply topically to wrists, back of neck, chest or diffuse. Valor can help calm and support your nervous system, giving you the courage and confidence you need.
SORE, TIGHT MUSCLES
Valor is wonderful for relaxing sore, tight muscles - particularly around the neck and shoulders. Just take a few drops and massage it into your muscles for relief. Valor is a vital part of the Raindrop Technique that is performed by some massage therapists.
TIGHT JAW/TEETH GRINDING
Many of us tend to clinch our jaw due to stress and may even grind our teeth in our sleep. Take a couple of drops of Valor and massage it into your jaw to relieve the tightness, and do this before bed to help keep the jaw relaxed during sleep.
SNORING
Do you have a snoring spouse that keeps you awake at night? I have just the trick! Take a drop or two of Valor and rub it on the big toe of your spouse. Why the big toe? This is a Vita Flex point. When essential oils are applied with pressure to the Vita Flex points, electrical impulses are released. These impulses carry the essential oils up the nerve pathway and into specific areas of the body. This, in turn, releases energy to support those systems of the body. The big toe has reflex points for the brain, pineal gland, pituitary gland, parathyroid and thyroid - basically, the head, neck, and throat. Does it work? All I can say is that it works for my husband every single time.
(See a map of the foot below that shows the reflex points that correspond to organs, tissues, and systems within the body.)
SPINE/JOINTS
Sore, stiff joints? Take a few drops of Valor and apply gently around the joint. Is your back tight and sore? Have someone massage a few drops of Valor down your spine and into your lower back. Within minutes, you should feel your muscles begin to loosen up and relax.
PETS
Do you have a dog with separation anxiety or one that is fearful of thunderstorms or fireworks? Or, maybe you adopted a rescue dog suffering from trauma as we did. Take a few drops of Valor (less for small dogs), rub it between your hands, then simply pet your dog. I like to concentrate on the back of the neck, shoulders, and spine, but anywhere on your dog will work. You can repeat this as needed. Valor is safe to use on cats in the same manner as well. You can also choose to diffuse Valor in the room, allowing the animal space to move away from the diffuser or even leave the room if he wants. (Our dogs love to sleep close to the diffuser, especially when we're diffusing a calming scent.)
CHILDREN
Is your child nervous on the first day of school? Or maybe your child is anxious about a dentist appointment, a school exam, or some other event. Apply a couple of drops of Valor on your child's feet and/or neck and chest. My niece has often enjoyed wearing a diffuser necklace, so that is another great option for helping your child get the calming benefit of Valor. Many children who struggle with focus, attention, and confidence have had great success with the use of Valor. You can also diffuse Valor at bedtime to help your child relax and get a restful sleep.
PERFUME/COLOGNE
Valor has a woodsy, positive, empowering aroma. It's perfect to wear as a perfume or cologne. Men love the earthy scent and often use it as an aftershave, but the scent is beautiful enough for a woman to wear as well.
BATH
Add a few drops of Valor to a relaxing Epsom salt bath, and soak for about 20 minutes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I've heard it said that creating an essential oil blend is part art, part science, and part intuition. Gary Young was an intuitive healer who had an extraordinary gift to create life-changing blends. Valor is indeed one of them.
So, the next time you need to feel empowered, courageous, confident, and calm, reach for the unique and treasured Valor.
A snapshot of our sweet Penny. She loves to cuddle and sleep under blankets. Her little personality has blossomed since we adopted her, and she is much more confident!
References:
The Aromatherapy Bible, Gill Farrer-Halls
7th Edition Essential Oils Desk Reference, Life Science Publishing