Myrrh essential oil is a great oil for supporting connection with self, its subtle aroma encourages a level of stillness to allow an appreciation of the scent. Gently massaged around your wrists brings focus to this delicate area of the body. The oil is made from a resin produced by the Commiphora myrrha tree; when the bark of this tree is damaged or cut the resin is released to seal the wound and this action is mimicked by the essential oil which is used in deep and difficult to heal wound care.
I wanted to share my recent experience of using myrrh essential oil in a cream, or an oil, and massaging it into my wrists. My wrists feel very delicate and precious, and it becomes natural to do this massage very tenderly and to really take the time to feel my wrists.
My wrists seems to be a piece of my body that in the past I hadn’t given much focus to. A friend of mine, Chris James, made a point of getting people to feel their wrists during one of his workshops (his workshops are an amazing way to really connect with your body and your self). He literally kept saying ‘Feel Your Wrists’ throughout the entire weekend. It resonated with me and I started to notice many points through out my daily life that my wrists were being used. Right now as I type on my key board for example, and when I’m driving in my car, these were initially two very obvious moments that were easy to bring attention to my wrists during the day. As I began to notice them more, I actually realised how rough and careless I could be with them, the way I picked things up, closed doors or dried them in a hurry and I became aware of aches and discomfort. When I noticed this, I’d consciously take a moment to let go of any tension and let my wrists go floppy. Now, if I’m in my car and stuck in traffic or at lights, then I often turn my wrists over as gently as I can and then back again or I notice if I’m holding the steering wheel with tension, and let my hold become more relaxed. When I’m at work I have a ‘wrist guard’ and a ‘mouse guard’ which is a foam pad to support my wrists as I’m typing, it lets my hands drop down, which feels more supportive to me. I have recently incorporated a specific stretch for my wrists and hands during my morning exercises, all very simple ways to support my wrists.
It still took some time before I actually sat down to do a massage though, as there was something uncomfortable about massaging my wrists, it feels like such a tender, sensitive part of my body. I knew I was avoiding it, so I began with just holding or feeling my wrists and then just massaging them without any cream or oil if they ached.
Eventually I decided I wanted to give my wrists that extra bit of care and attention and I began by mixing a couple of drops of myrrh essential oil into a pot of cream (see my blog on how many drops to use in a blend). Myrrh is a particularly viscous oil and it can take a really long time for a drop to fall from the bottle* so this process encouraged me to be present and if I noticed I was impatient, then I’d know I really needed to slow down and let the drop fall naturally. The massage itself only takes a few moments, and I generally apply a little cream in anti-clockwise circles, when I’m in bed in the evening. Sometimes they feel tender, sore or achey, and I just notice this, and except that I have been using them a little too harshly and this awareness generally leads to naturally becoming more gentle when I use them.
I’ve been bringing focus to my wrists (as well as hands and finger tips) for some time now, and looking back over the last year, I can really appreciate how the more attention I have bought to this part of my body, the more gentle I have become with them. It’s in the way I wash my hands, apply lotion afterwards, the way I close doors, chop vegetables, the way I open boxes or do the washing up. I feel the flow of this gentleness beyond my wrists, it’s up my forearms, across my shoulders and even in the way I use my whole body. I am more aware and more gentle than in the past and it continues to deepen. I can really appreciate how beautiful my wrists, hands and fingertips are and often enjoy moving them with grace and delicacy as if I’m dancing.
See my previous blog posts Taking care of your hands and Essential Oils in Hand & Nail care for more related reading.
Click here to buy Myrrh Essential Oil.
*Please note that myrrh essential oil oxidises very easily -this means that it reacts with oxygen, and it actually becomes very very sticky and stiff, so although you do need to be patient when dropping it from the bottle because it is thick, it is possible that it will oxidise and at some point will no longer drop from the bottle. In fact it can reach a point where you can’t get the lid off. Mine never usually lasts this long, but it would depend on how much it is exposed to the air, or if the bottle is close to empty then there is more air that it can react with.
CAUTION: Myrrh essential oil should not be used during pregnancy, I would recommend replacing myrrh with another essential oil to support your wrists for example, rose, frankincense or lavender. In fact, even if you are not pregnant, you may choose another oil that you feel helps you connect or that you particularly enjoy.
Essential Oils and You 
Great Blog Laura. I’m glad I bought Myrrh when I dropped by your shop. I did find it challenging to wait for what seemed like aaaages for the first drop to come out. But the wait was worthwhile. I love putting a blend o fit in my bath too. Sometimes I blend it with olive oil and massage my calves and the tender area where my shoulders meet my chest under the collar bone.
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Hi Jinya, thanks for sharing the way you are using your myrrh oil. Massaging the area just under the collar bone is really gorgeous. It is another little spot like the wrists that offers a deeper connection with our body. It really supports me to let go of tension across my shoulders, and to open my chest out very gently. There is a blog post brewing on this with another one of my favorite essential oils ~rose…
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Absolutely GORGEOUS!
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Laura, this is so exquisite. Would love to try that, thank you for sharing. xx
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Thanks Laura, I love this blog on your wrists, hands and fingers really inspiring.. I have been using Myrrh for a couple of years in the bath and loved its quality and totally get what you were saying about the drops taking a while. Looking forward to giving the massage a go on my wrists!
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Hi Natalie, I now really love that the myrrh takes ages to come out of the bottle, it’s a great marker for me and it makes it impossible for me to use it in a hurry.
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Laura, this blog was so lovely to read. I felt that I had had a massage just from reading about the care you take of your wrists.
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Hi Catherine, I know exactly what you mean, when I was writing it I was reminded of all the little choices I’d made to be more caring and how things had developed and deepened over time. I don’t even need the massage to feel that tension go, I can just move my wrists in a very gentle way and they feel gorgeous.
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Beautiful gentle blog. Thankyou Laura.
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Thanks Sue, my wrists love it when I re-read it too.
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I loved reading the inspiration in your blog holds, Laura. I too have been noticing for a while now how much enjoyment I feel when I am washing and drying my hands and how it offers one of those small and perfect moments to appreciate being with myself.
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Hi Judith, there are so many small and perfect moments through out our day that we can appreciate and start to bring more awareness and gentleness to. Washing our hands is a great one as we do it regularly through out the day, but there are many that we could choose to support our selves, I have been bringing a focus to the way that I lay myself down to go to sleep, to feel every part of my body, and to make sure my pillows are absolutely perfectly comfy, but I must say that the hands is a really great one for me.
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Thank you so much Laura for all you share this feels so good to me, reading you is a great oportunity to stop and come back to my body remembering the delicate it is, most of the time the way I feel is just if I discover it for the first time.
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Thank you for sharing Nadia.
The more I treat myself with delicacy, the more I can appreciate how delicate I naturally am. When I’m being rough, or rushed, I know I’ve stopped holding myself with the preciousness I deserve and am worth. The way that I wash and dry my hands, always shows me this…
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Thank you so much for your sharing on myrrh oil. I have used this amazing oil for years for problems in the mouth like abcesses and tearing of the skin and sore gums but putting it on ones wrists ? It is a lovely oil and not one I have used for a while so I am keen to experiment and begin to get to know my wrists better and deepen the connection to myself. It is beautiful to feel the quality in which you express Laura. I feel inspired on many levels and truly appreciate what you are offering us here on your website.
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This is a beautiful and inspiring blog thank you Laura. I had stopped using myrrh because of it becoming thick and then solid so quickly. I will start massaging my wrists with myrrh and see how it feels.
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Hi Lorraine,
Myrrh is one of those essential oils that oxidises very quickly, meaning it reacts with the oxygen when exposed to air, and as you have noticed, it becomes very stiff, thick and sticky, eventually you can’t get the lid off!
It is such a precious and powerful oil that it is well worth using it regularly and massaging your wrists each day is not only practical but very supportive.
Use it don’t loose it! : )
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What a gorgeously gentle and inspiring blog. Thank you for sharing about your tender relationship with your wrists and the use of myrrh. I am inspired to give it a go. In fact can’t wait to try it. ❤️
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No need to wait Golnaz, your wrists are right there in front of you all of the time… you may not have a bottle of myrrh ‘handy’, but you can always feel how delicate and gentle they are, move them with care and tenderness, and massage them when you have a moment.
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Oh Laura. I just love your response. “No need to wait, because my wrists are right there in front of me all of the time!” I am smiling ear to ear feeling what is expressed here. An encouragement for a playful expansion of love, tenderness and appreciation.
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