The Power of 29: Lavender Essential Oil, The Comforter

There are some things we encounter so often that we stop noticing just how extraordinary they are.

I think lavender is one of them.

Lavender is a lovely little flower. You can grow it in your backyard, cut a few stems and bring them into your home. Dried lavender can be tucked into sachets or added to crafts. Culinary varieties even make their way into teas, baked goods, syrups, and the lavender lattes that seem to appear on coffeehouse menus everywhere.

It's familiar.

Perhaps a little too familiar.

Because beneath that pretty purple exterior is an ancient plant that human beings have valued for centuries.

Lavender, to me, is one of the powerhouse plants that is greatly underappreciated.

And that's why it earned a place in my Power of 29.

An Ancient Companion

Long before lavender appeared in candles, bath products, and coffee shops, people were cultivating and studying aromatic plants throughout the Mediterranean world.

Plants associated with the Lavandula genus appear in classical botanical and medicinal traditions. The Greek physician Dioscorides discussed stoichas, associated with Lavandula stoechas, in his first-century work De Materia Medica, an enormously influential text about medicinal substances. Lavender later continued to appear in European herbal traditions, including the writings associated with medieval herbalist Hildegard of Bingen.

Its history has long been intertwined with fragrance, bathing, cleanliness, herbal preparations, and eventually perfumery.

That history fascinates me.

As a writer, there is something wonderful about realizing that I can sit at my desk today, breathe in the aroma of lavender, and appreciate a plant that herbalists, physicians, gardeners, cooks, and ordinary people valued generations before me.

Our understanding has changed.

Our lives certainly have.

But the simple human ritual of surrounding ourselves with plants and aromas that make our spaces feel good?

That feels remarkably timeless.

Why Lavender Is One of My 29

For me, lavender is about calm.

I use it when I want to create a sense of relaxation in the space around me, particularly when I'm preparing to write, reflect, meditate, or simply decompress after a busy day.

I also recommend exploring lavender to clients who are trying to create that same kind of intentional environment around themselves.

Why?

Because I've learned something important about my own creative process:

Tension is distraction.

When my body is tense, my attention goes there.

When my mind is tense, it becomes occupied with whatever is wrong, whatever needs to happen next, whatever didn't get finished yesterday, and whatever might happen tomorrow.

And creativity needs room.

You can't always eliminate the chaos around you. Believe me, I've tried.

But you can create rituals that tell your mind and body:

For these next few minutes, we are doing something different.

Lavender has become one of those signals for me.

What Does the Science Say?

This is also where I think it's important to separate personal experience from scientific evidence.

Lavender has attracted considerable modern research, particularly around stress, anxiety, sleep, and relaxation. Some studies have reported promising results, while reviews from organizations such as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health note that evidence for lavender aromatherapy remains limited and that stronger research is still needed.

I actually appreciate that distinction.

We don't have to turn lavender into a miracle plant to appreciate it.

Aroma is part of our sensory environment. If I associate a particular aroma with writing, meditation, quiet evenings, or relaxation, that scent can become part of the ritual I've created around those experiences.

For me, that's powerful enough.

Creating Your Own Lavender Ritual

One of the things I love most about lavender is how many different ways there are to welcome it into your environment.

Diffuse it. I enjoy using lavender essential oil in a diffuser when I'm writing, meditating, reading, or winding down. Follow the instructions for your particular diffuser and remember that more isn't necessarily better. You want to create an atmosphere, not overwhelm the room.

Return to the flower itself. Essential oils aren't the only way to enjoy lavender. Dried lavender sachets can be placed in drawers, closets, with linens, or near your bed. There's something wonderfully old-fashioned about this practice, which is probably part of why I love it.

Create a bedtime ritual. A sachet of dried lavender near or beneath the pillow can add its familiar aroma to your evening routine without putting concentrated essential oil directly on bedding where it may contact your skin or eyes.

Try a lavender eye pillow. Eye pillows filled with flaxseed and dried lavender can become part of meditation, quiet reflection, or simply taking ten minutes away from screens and responsibilities.

And then there's one of my favorites.

Lavender + Sound

I love combining scent with music.

There are evenings when I'll diffuse lavender, put on relaxation or meditation music, close my eyes, and simply allow myself a few minutes when nothing is required of me.

No problem to solve.

No email to answer.

No story that needs another page.

No next thing.

Just stillness.

There's something interesting about engaging more than one sense in an intentional ritual. The music gives my mind somewhere gentle to settle while the familiar aroma becomes a signal that it's time to release some of the noise of the day.

And I use the same principle when I'm preparing to create.

Because relaxation doesn't always mean sleep.

Sometimes relaxation simply means becoming quiet enough to hear your own imagination again.

The Gift of Rest

That's why I've chosen to call Lavender The Comforter.

It isn't because I expect a little purple flower to solve life's problems.

It won't.

But sometimes comfort isn't about fixing everything.

Sometimes comfort is the warm cup of tea.

The favorite chair.

The music playing quietly in the background.

The familiar aroma drifting through the room.

The decision to give yourself ten minutes before asking yourself to do one more thing.

These rituals are small.

But I've learned not to underestimate small rituals.

They can change the atmosphere around us.

And sometimes changing the atmosphere is enough to change what happens next.

So here's my invitation for you this week:

Create your own lavender moment.

It doesn't have to be elaborate. Diffuse it. Make some lavender tea. Place dried lavender nearby. Put on some quiet music. Sit somewhere comfortable.

Then give yourself a few minutes where you aren't trying to accomplish anything.

Just breathe.

And perhaps ask yourself:

What might become possible if I gave myself permission to create from a place of calm instead of tension?

That's the gift I find in lavender.

And that's why The Comforter will always have a place among my Power of 29.

🌿 A small safety note

Essential oils are highly concentrated. Follow product directions, dilute appropriately for topical use, avoid contact with the eyes and other sensitive areas, and keep oils safely stored away from children and pets. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, take medications, or have questions about using essential oils safely, consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

This article is for educational purposes and shares my personal experiences with aromatherapy. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

🌿 Thank You for Reading

Thank you for spending a few quiet moments with me today.

I hope this article inspired you to slow down, breathe deeply, and discover one more way to bring intention, peace, and creativity into your everyday life.

I'd love to hear from you.

✨ Have a favorite oil?

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Please leave a comment or reach out. One of my favorite parts of this journey is learning and growing together with this wonderful community.

If you'd like to continue exploring The Power of 29, guided meditations, creative inspiration, wellness resources, and more, I'd love to welcome you to my online sanctuary.

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If you're ready to begin your own essential oil journey or would like to enjoy doTERRA member savings, you can explore my favorite products and enroll through my wellness community here:

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