Top Aromatherapy Blends for Fall

Brisk fall days can spark a hankering for spiced chai lattes and freshly baked apple pie. They can beckon you to wander outside, take in a breath of crisp, earthy air, and feel the crunch of leaves under your feet as you meander along a street or trail­.

You can savor the sensory experiences of fall by bringing their aromas indoors with the help of aromatherapy. The Chopra Center dosha-specific essential oils are ready to order, but making your own essential oil blends at home is a snap, and you can customize the blends to your liking.

The oil ratios provided below serve as a guide to creating a balanced blend. Keep in mind that some oils are more potent than others, and can easily overpower any other oil you add (similar to how mint plants behave in your garden). Of course, the ideal blend for you is unique, so tinker with the ratios until you come up with a blend that works best for you.

Try these five blends to bring some comfort, warmth, and a burst of fall joy into your home.

1. Chai Latte—5 drops cardamom, 3 drops clove, 1 drop ginger, and 3 drops cinnamon
2. Spiced Citrus—5 drops tangerine, 3 drops cinnamon, and 1 drop clove
3. Woodland Wanderer—5 drops frankincense, 3 drops cedar wood, and 3 drops pine
4. Mulled Cider—5 drops sweet orange, 3 drops cinnamon, and 1 drop ginger
5. Wellness Booster—5 drops sweet orange, 3 drops rosemary, 3 drops eucalyptus, and 3 drops cinnamon

These blends don’t just smell divine; essential oils have healing properties as well. These blends are meant to be diffused rather than ingested or applied topically. Each oil includes a look at how they can affect your mood.

• Cardamom—stimulates the senses, boosts mood, and tames tension
• Cedarwood—grounds, calms, and boosts confidence
• Cinnamon bark—relieves feelings of depression, promotes a sense of safety and security, and stimulates the immune system
• Clove—boosts energy, combats physical and mental fatigue, and stimulates the mind
• Eucalyptus—stimulates the respiratory system, promotes clear thinking, and boosts optimism
• Frankincense—calms, balances mood, increases concentration, and helps you stay present
• Ginger—calms, revitalizes energy, and grounds
• Pine—energizes, decreases stress, elevates mood, and promotes mental clarity
• Rosemary—stimulates, invigorates, and boosts alertness and memory
• Sweet orange—uplifts, eases anxiety, induces feelings of happiness, and lightens mood
• Tangerine—soothes, relaxes, uplifts, stimulates creativity, and evokes feelings of lightheartedness

One of the most popular methods of dispersing essential oils in your home is to use a diffuser. But if you don’t have one on hand, there are plenty of do-it-yourself, effective, and no-cost alternatives. The first step is to create the blends themselves. You’ll simply add the drops of each oil to a smaller bottle, increasing the ratios according to the batch size you’re making.

Here are three simple methods of dispersion.

1. Spray bottle—Fill the bottle with distilled water and add 15 to 20 drops of your blend of choice. Spray in any room, your car, your shower (while you’re in it), or over a freshly washed batch of laundry.
2. Stovetop—Fill a small pot with water, heat until bubbles form (but do not boil), add 15 to 20 drops of oil and let the steam work its magic. This method works fast and does an excellent job of diffusing the oils throughout your home.
3. Bowl of rice—Fill a small bowl with dry rice and add 15 to 20 drops of the oil blend. Stir with a spoon. This method doesn’t diffuse the oils as well as the other methods listed here, so you may want to place several bowls of rice/essential oils around your home.

Start with these fall-inspired blends, but play around until you find the right scents for you. The blends should have you feeling the spirit and energy of fall in no time.

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