Fragrances have been an important part of rituals and meditation for thousands of years.
In fact many natural scents are believed to elevate users to different states of consciousness and relaxation. Let’s explore that here.
So what is the best essential oils for meditation?
There’s a few (which I’ll explain below), but for the most part, it comes down to personal preference! This simply because of the strong link between smell and memory, if you continue to use the same oils, over time the memory of the scent will help bring you into the relaxed meditative state that you desire more quickly.
How to use essential oils for meditation
Using doTERRA essential oils for meditation and rituals is a fantastic way to induce these various states of relaxation and can be utilised in many ways. You can put a few drops on your wrist pulse points or your third eye. Alternatively, diffuse them through the air or you can make a spray.
See also A Beginner’s Guide To Meditation
So which oils are the most beneficial for your meditation practice? Learn which oils to use to evoke different emotions and thoughts, using the list below.
12 of the best scents for meditation
1. Frankincense
Frankincense is one of the most sacred essential oils for spirituality. This is probably because it’s been linked to different spiritual rituals and ceremonies – for healing, cleansing and enlightenment – in many different cultures, for thousands of years. Frankincense helps to increase our faith and connection to higher self.
2. Myrrh
Myrrh has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpene in an essential oil making it one of the top essential oils for meditation. Sesquiterpene’s delete bad information in cellular memory so inhaling this oil can help to eliminate negative thoughts. This oil can help reduce stress, bring focus and can assist in a deep spiritual “opening” while bringing calm and tranquility.
See also How To Heal Your Chakras With Crystals
3. Sandalwood
Sandalwood is very helpful in healing emotional and spiritual wounds, as it opens the heart and helps to promote trust. It’s also quite grounding.
4. Neroli
Neroli has a pleasant floral fragrance and can help you to be more self-accepting, face your fears and accept the work you need to do for yourself. The fragrance can also inspire creativity and encourage a regular spiritual practice.
5. Rose
Rose is the fragrance of love, making it ones of the best essential oils for meditation when your intention is to cultivate love for yourself and/or others. The floral tones are said to help open the heart to receive love, particularly self-love and a deeper connection to the spiritual world.
6. Vetiver
Vetiver is extremely grounding and can be especially beneficial if you have a tendency to wander and lose focus during your meditation practice.
See also How Crystals Help You To Live Life To The Fullest
7. Palo Santo
Palo Santo is considered to be a cousin to Frankincense and loosely translated means Holy Wood. It has been used for hundreds years by shamans for spiritual applications. It’s grounding and calming and can elicit a sense of peacefulness and calm.
8. Cedarwood
Cedarwood encourages us to focus inward. It can also help to illuminate your need for meditation and return you to your spiritual path when obstacles have made it difficult.
9. Lavender
Lavender is one of the most versatile oils. It is readily available and there are actually many different varieties! The floral oil is known for its relaxation properties and helps improve your sleep quality. Lavender also goes well with most other oils if you fancy making an oil blend!
10. Bergamot
Bergamot is slightly reminiscent of orange oil. It has an underlying floral scent which has an emotional uplifting affect and is great for helping alleviate depressive, sad or grief stricken emotional states.
11. Ylang Ylang
Ylang Ylang is often one of the favourite essential oils for meditation as it’s an extremely calming and relaxing oil. It can help release feelings of anger and tension and mixes well with patchouli and frankincense.
See also Best Essential Oils For Nutrient Absorption
12. Sage
Sage is cleaning and purifying and can assist in removing negative energies. It is grounding and restores both balance and energy.
Remeber, you can use each of these oils on their own or as a specific meditation essential oil blend.
Need to buy essential oils?
The doTERRA Essential Oils hub has information on how to sign-up and order your first set of the best oils in the biz. doTERRA oils are pure, organic and sustainable, not to mention powerful. Get started here.
If you’re not sure where to begin, I’ve created this easy guide to essential oils that will help you pick which oils to blend, based on your current mood or desired outcome such as to invoke self-love or ease anxiety. Alternatively, I’ve listed three different blends of essential oils that you could use, depending on the intention of your meditation. Check them out below.
See also PODCAST: Everything You Need to Know About Essential Oils
Essential oil blends for meditation
Grounding Meditation Blend
- Sandalwood or Patchouli – 3 drops
- Frankincense – 3 drops
- Bergamot – 3 drops
Relaxing Meditation Blend
- Lavender – 5 drops
- Cedarwood – 3 drops
- Bergamot – 2 drop
Calming Meditation Blend
- Ylang Ylang – 3 drops
- Frankincense – 3 drops
- Patchouli – 2 drops
Do you have an essential oil blend for meditation that you can share? Help inspire the thousands of women who visit CASA DE KARMA every month, by adding it in the comment section below.
Meditation is a profound act of self-love. If you would like to learn how this is so, or to gain inspiration, guidance and support in cultivating more self love, I invite you to start Mastering the Art Of Self-Love, a (mini) eCourse including tips from yours truly, to help you cultivate a divine self-love practice.

P.S. Who do you know that loves essential oils and meditation. They might enjoy this article, so be a pal and share it with them now.