Essential Oils, Anxiety, & Sleep - Dr. Nick Berry (Wellness Force)

Ready?

This is Josh Trent. I'm here with Dr. Nick Berry from Essential Oil Wizardry. Nick, how you doing today?

I'm doing fantastic, Josh. It's so great to be here with you.

This has been a long time coming, man. You know, I was telling you before we jumped on this podcast to talk about the ins, the outs, the science, the story, the everything with essential oils, which is a topic we have not explored on Wellness Force yet. So I'm really excited, man. But I was telling you about, about my Invigor product right here. This is my absolute favorite essential oil. I've never really been an essential oil person. What are essential oils? People hear about this. There's all these companies, there's all this stuff and story out there. But, like, how do you define it? How does Dr. Nick Barry define essential oils? What is that?

Yeah. Essential oils are the botanical essence found inside plants and in nature. Plants express themselves through the volatile aromatics known as terpenes. And these terpenes, which are concentrated in essential oils, have information that they communicate amongst nature. And so an example of this would be a flower might attract a pollinator to bring some of its pollen and scatter it around the garden, or might attract humans to create the desire to plant more of the jasmine bushes. And so essential oils carry information inside of the volatile plant essence that are extracted through plants, and they're pharmacologically active at very low concentrations.

Wow. That was probably the coolest definition I've heard. A lot of people talk about essential oils as being healing, antimicrobial. There's medicinal properties, which I know we're going to get into the nuances of these things today. Today. Before we go there, though, I think right now in the world, there is an ocean of information out there, man. And there's so many people that claim they have, quote, the best products. What's different about your company? What's different about essential oil wizardry? Do you have something that you know based on what you feel in your heart and your research in the industry is much different than the other things that are out there?

Yeah, thanks for asking, Josh. Well, it sounds like we're going down the rabbit hole right away. Let's do. There's quite a number of things that really set our products apart. We work with a number of different sources, everything from distributors and wholesalers that have been in the industry for decades, which my mentor, Will La Paz, connected me to when I got started into this world. I work with smaller distillers and some wild crafters. And being a Smaller essential oil company, I'm really able to support smaller projects. I'm able to get a smaller quantity of items and then turn them into products. So I can make very valuable rare and exotic essential oils really go a lot further. We use lots of different techniques to take what we start off with as the highest quality essential oils, CO2 extracts and absolutes that we can find to actually amplify the potency of them. And so, you know, this is what I might define as my artistic expression where I'm utilizing my background. I actually, I studied pharmacy in school. I graduated with my doctorate in 2009, and it's been quite a journey ever since. So I've been playing with essential oils since 2012, and I've found that the essential oils are really responsive to vibration and information. And so we've really been working with a number of different energetic tools that we find help to structure and enhance the potency of essential oils. So examples of that would be different types of geometries. We actually amplify our different blends using a set of 432Hz crystal balls. And it's really interesting because you can take an essential oil and you can, you can place it inside of a crystal ball. And I've shown many people this process where we take the oil, we smell it beforehand, I put it into the crystal bowl, I don't say what it's going to do, and I hand it to a person afterwards. And the response is, wow, something's changed. Or that smells different, or I smell it kind of zinging.

The same thing happens with wine when they do the aromatics with wine. So it's the same kind of scientific process going on.

Yeah, you know, it's. I wonder if it's the actual vibration helping to reconfigure the molecules in a more coherent structure inside of the oil. And so when you're taking a deep inhalation into your body, maybe there's a more coherent organization of the different aromatic molecules. And so how it's received into the system actually changes.

This is so fascinating. So when you say geometry, do you mean you're actually feeding through a geometric shape as you bottle it?

Yeah. So there's a number of different coils and pyramids that we've found to really heighten the energetic qualities of the oils. And so sometimes I, you know, I'm using my organoleptic senses so, you know, my taste, my touch, my smell. And really, from my experience, I'm able to say, huh, okay, this feels like it's an Energetic tool worth continuing to use and implement. And so an example of it might be something like this pyramid. You know, keeping our products inside of pyramids. You know, there's lots of research out there. Pyramid Power is a great book. I believe that's by Dr. Patrick Flanagan. And so there's different shapes that we've recognized. One of my favorites, we have this, I believe it's a brass coil and it's gold plated. And when we pour the oils through that structure, it really helps to energize and amplify the potency of the smell.

This is so fascinating to me because, like I said, I don't necessarily dive deep into the essential oil world as much as I've wanted to, which is why I've been looking forward to this. And I think a lot of people see the major, I guess you could say big companies out there like Doterras and Young Living and all these things. And this conversation is about exploring the truth. So I'm not here to badmouth any companies. I'm here to just figure out what is the truth when it comes to what these oils can actually do for people. And I'll tell you, like me personally, I keep this inventor one in my car. And yesterday I was driving and I just forgot to breathe. I'm always reminding myself to breathe. And I took, I took a couple drops, I put in my hands and I pulled in what felt like a washing of my nervous system. And in this particular bottle, you know, it's got basil, cardamom, caraway, frankincense, peppermint, rosemary, silver fir. There's a certain synergistic blend of the way that you make these oils. And it's very obvious to me that this is a passion project. Like, this is not something you're doing just to make money. Money is energy. So you're putting energy into it and you receive energy back through money. But the way that you make these products with the geometric shapes and the frequency. Can we talk a little bit about the frequency? Because everything in the world is vibration. It doesn't matter if you follow Alan Watts or you look at any of the Lao Tzu or anyone at all, contemporary or ancient masters. Vibration's everything. Can we explore why you do the 432 hertz into the oils? Like, what's the speciality of that?

Yeah, so it's a scale that's based on the 432 rather than the 440, my set of crystal balls. And so it spans from the notes A through G. And I would say that my art is less about knowing of the mind and more about listening and tuning into the oils. And so I guess what I would love to share about this is what I've noticed is that different notes will affect oils very differently. So giving a very specific example, if we choose vetiver. Vetiver is a really amazing grass that it's a grass and a root, and it's very deep and earthy and a wonderful extract to put a person deep within their body, be more grounded, help with focus. And so vetiver, if I were to tune with C, C is really the vibration of. It really brings things into the body, is what I've noticed. It really becomes synergistic, and it enhances the quality of scent and aromatic profile that my body prefers. Now, if I were to take A or B, which tend to be lighter and maybe more in the head or higher levels of energy, actually notice that the vetiver, when I'm taking it out of the crystal ball, it's not very grounded, and it's also not very heady. And so all of a sudden, the essential oil, the extract, loses its, I want to say, identity, because it's not very grounded and earthy and embodied, and it's also not very heady or enhancing of the intuition. And so my art has, over the years, really guided me, you know, take different blends and put them in specific bowls in a specific order. And that's part of the alchemy.

And this is like true alchemy. And I think about the book, the Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, like, one of my favorite books ever. And I remember when he was in the desert, and it was like that last moment where he was like, he was about to give up, and then he just surrendered basically to spirit. And then that's when he found the treasure. Then he knew right away where the treasure was. You had Apollo Coelho, alchemist moment in your life. That's what brought you to this work. You were 18 years old. You had mononucleosis for, like, four years. I mean, this is what brought you to this wizardry. And I'd love for you to share that, man, that pathway of you going through that threshold of the hero's journey, you know, where you had to take a deep look, like, what the hell is going on with my life? Can you share with us that backdrop?

Yeah. So I guess to summarize my journey in getting here, I was very inspired by the world of pharmacy because I was fascinated by the human body. I was fascinated by drugs. I figured I can help people, and it was a career that generated a lot of money. And so it looks like a win, win, win for me. And as I continued to progress during. During my time in college and in pharmacy school, I was really working my body. And what started as mononucleosis when I was in high school really developed into a long term chronic fatigue and really was with me until about a year after I graduated at 25. And so during this period, I was using Chinese herbs, a little bit of homeopathy, and I always kept an open mind. And so for me, there wasn't the path. There were all paths, and I was open to all of them. Anything that was going to help me help others, I was open to it. And I just wanted to listen with an open mind and open heart and do the best I can for others. And so after I graduated pharmacy school and I chose to take a year off, that really helped me to really have a more balanced sense of lifestyle, maybe, maybe in the sense of not having structure for a year and to balance all of that hyper structure for six years. And during that time I was able to really get deeper into my own physiology. So what brought me to the world of essential oils was I had started doing consultations at Cannabis Clinic down in California. And so I was consulting with clients around what types of strains would be best for their ailments. And so I worked with a progressive dispensary at that time that was really looking to make the largest impact they could on their patients. As I started diving deeper into the world of cannabis and learning about the plant, that's what opened me up to the world of terpenes. Terpenes are the concentrated essences found inside essential oils, which are pharmacologically active at very low concentrations. So after learning about terpenes and discovering that they were found inside essential oils, I started investing in my own little set and just started experimenting with them in different ways, putting them in a diffuser, vaporizing them, making my own salves, and lo and behold, I was finding some really synergistic combinations and people were getting better.

This is like the beginning of the. Of the wizardry. Is this why you call yourself the essential oil wizard?

You know, hang out with me for a week, Josh, and it'll all be clear.

Well, I want to go back though, because there was a missing piece there. Like you actually were sick at one point, and you used these oils, you used the power of the plants to help you. And I think that's really a bedrock of at least one of the bricks on the wall of your company.

Yeah. Thank you. So, yeah, there was a time where I was getting pneumonia season or once a year, I should say, in the winter. And so the first two years, I had used pharmaceuticals, I believe azithromycin on the first year and Levaquin on the second year.

I know exactly what that deal is. I had chronic sinusitis when I was a kid for, like, 15 years. I mean, it is like. And it decimates your gut flora. It's crazy. It really messes the body up.

They're very powerful pharmaceuticals, and they definitely take some time to take action inside of the body. And so I was doing traditional treatments on the first two years, and on the third year, I was being very stubborn. And it was probably two or three weeks after I first started exhibiting symptoms. And I remember getting up out of bed and looking towards my door, and I was breathing very labored. And I had this thought in my head because I was sounding like this. And I remember thinking very clearly in that moment that I may need to go see a doctor for antibiotics, because if I don't, I might die. And at that same moment, I looked over at my table where I had, I believe, four or five essential oils. And one of them was oregano heraclioticum. And so, based on the research I learned on PubMed, Brachlyoticum contains a terpene called carvacrol. And carvacrol is pharmacologically active at very low concentrations and even effective against mrsa. And so I figured if this molecule could kill mrsa, it could probably kill whatever was going in my lungs. And so I've been an adventurer and explorer for decades now. And so I looked at my essential. I looked at my vaporizer, and I said, huh, If I were to heat this up, breathe it in, it's going to irritate my lungs because oregano is a very strong irritant, and it's going to go directly to the site of action where there's an infection. And so that would maximize the potency and the effectiveness of this. And it's probably going to irritate me really bad, and I might choke and cough. And so I put one to two drops of the oil of oregano into this vaporizer, heated it up, took some deep inhalations, and I started coughing for about five to 10 minutes. And it was a very intense and powerful experience. And after I stopped coughing, I kind of looked up and I felt euphoric. And I had the experience where within about five to 10 minutes, I felt probably somewhere between about 10 to 15% better. And so when you're used to a normal response curve of a disease or an illness, and all of a sudden you have this shattering difference. Based on my previous experiences where I started noticing therapeutic benefit maybe six or seven days in after taking the antibiotics, and it was a real powerful experience for me, Josh. And I knew that the world of plants has a lot of medicine for the world.

This is why I love podcasting, because when else would we be able to hear that depth and that nuance of a story from someone? And I think this is also why people love to be part of the story, because, man, how many of us have had, like, a health threshold moment that literally alters the course of our life forever? Like, for me, that seems like you going through that, you know, process of being a licensed pharmacist, going through the training of what these plants actually do, then having your own health journey, then learning about that, like, this has been your trajectory. Can you look back now and see, like, oh, when I was initially interested in being a pharmacist, did you have any idea that you'd be going down the route you're going down now?

Absolutely not.

Definitely not.

Yeah.

Looking back to, it's really easy to connect the dots. And I think in my own life, I can reflect and say, wow, that's what led me to being a personal trainer, because I wanted to figure out the intelligence, you know, and we always talk about the intelligence of the physical and the emotional on the show. And I'm curious for you, Nick, like, what. What is the intelligence that you think these plants actually have? You know, they're very intelligent living beings. How would you define that from. From your mind, from your consciousness, the intelligence of these plants that you make into essential oils?

Yeah. So I feel like all plants contain their own resonance, their own intelligence, and their own vibration. And so I feel like all of these plants can, you know, them in themselves are powerful tools and allies when humans and other plants and animals really listen to the information that they express. And so I feel like when. When we ask the question, maybe we can go in and tune into the subtleties of maybe a specific plant. So, you know, lavender, it's. It's very beautiful. It has these long stalks with these flowers growing off at the end, and it sets off this soft version violet cloud of essence that really softens and relaxes the nervous system when you breathe it in. And, you know, I was walking by a lavender bush just yesterday here in Ashland, Oregon, and I was watching the Bees swarm around the lavender clouds. And so I was watching them kind of dance from one flower to the next very softly and calmly. And so the lavender just expresses its violet cloud of calm and it relaxes the nervous system and it's great for bug bites and reducing levels of stress. And, you know, lavender is just such a sweet, powerful, gentle ally. And even in the way that it grows, you know, it's, it's, it's very soft, it puffs out, but it's gentle and it's not pervasive. So, yeah, that's, there's a big part.

Of these plants too, that whether it's medicinal plants like the ayahuascas or the psilocybins, or whether it's the plants like the frankincense, the rosemary, even the silver fir, like, when I smell this invigor, it changes my state. Like what I see these as. Nick, I'd love you see this. I see these as state change vehicles. So let's say we're not breathing or we're stressed out, or we're fighting with our spouse, or there's something, there's stuck energy in our chakra system. Like, we're stuck. We feel like our state is stuck. Taking in a huge breath. Not only is the autonomic lever that can shift us over to parasympathetic, but also I'm curious with the deep breathing and the oil from like an invigor, what's actually going on there from a scientific perspective? Like when we take that deep breath in and we get it down into our lungs and that transfers to our blood system, what's happening there?

Yeah, well, you know, it depends what the active constituents are found inside the oils. And so, you know, something like lavender contains the terpene linalol. And linalol is very calming and soothing to the nervous system, and it also reduces inflammation. And so I really appreciate what you touched on around the oils being state changers, because, you know, when I look at individual plants, I see a symphony of different molecules. But there's something more than the symphony of molecules because there's also the innate platinum plant intelligence. And so taking it a step further, when you're, when you're saying that you see these as state changers, Bingo. You're seeing it from my perspective because I recognize each of these plants have their own unique vibration. And it's not a pointed vibration, but it's a very expressive, wide, and all encompassing vibration. And so once, you know, after having the experience of working with all these individual plants, you Know, it's like I have a directory in my consciousness and so all of a sudden I can now design state changers. So, you know, you were talking about Invigor, which is to support memory, focus and concentration. And you name the ingredients. Caraway, cardamom, swee, basil, two types of rosemary, peppermint, silver fir and frankincense. So another blend to give an example of a state changer would be setting the intention for a therapeutic formula to help open up the lungs and to break up support antiviral antibacterial properties to help reduce stress to the lungs and to the throat. And so utilizing that intention, creating the state changer of Respire. So Respire is another formulation that I made. And it's a combination of eucalyptus, peppermint, ravensar aromatica. It's got thyme, linolol, black spruce, CO2, extracted frankincense, Carteri, leshwa, which is African wild sage, and neowli. That's a broad spectrum antibacterial antiviral. That's great for opening up the lungs and thro. That is what I started using. Anytime I had a respiratory infection, I would hit it early using my essential vape and I would really change the course of what my perceived disease state would be into. Typically about 24 to 48 hours.

Dude, you truly are a wizard. Like, you just, you spout off all of these different plants. I know you've filled so many of these bottles. Now these are all hand filled, which I think is really cool. And this is why out of all the companies out there, I really wanted to go deep with your company, like essential oil wizardry, because this is what I feel. There's so many products out there and there's so much conversation about what oils actually do. For me, the proof is in the long term pudding. So it's like, how do I feel over the course of 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, when I'm actually taking in a new supplement or an oil or even a food or an exercise change? Do you have any studies or any case studies of people that you've seen use these oils maybe for stress or for a physiological symptom that you can share with us?

Yeah, gosh. I mean, I've had people who have a lot of difficulty sleeping with insomnia for months and start working with our kavachil formulation and have an easier time going to sleep and start. I would say that a trend that I notice with people is an increased awareness of their own body. So the essential oils are really powerful in their effects and they also create this subtle vibration as well. And so I would say that many people originally, when they start tuning in with the oils, it can have a strong effect and, or can have a soft to small effect. And the interesting thing is that lots of people report is that they start developing this relationship with the oil, which is a direct mirror with them, developing a relationship to their body, enhancing their own intelligence of how their inner body is working. And you know, I know that there's been people who have really enjoyed some of our products and supplements for feeling more confidence and working out more strongly. We have some people that have reported really enjoying our ultrasonic epimedium, which is also known as horny goat weed, to really amplify. I know some of them have reported specifically for working out and also for their sexual function.

Yes. Let's talk about sex at some point. Keep going.

Yeah, I would say another fun story is I've had quite a number of people report benefit from using our essential oil tincture, Spark. Spark's a combination of peppermint, Tulsi and Ravensar aromatica infused and organic sugar cane alcohol. And people who have chronic sinusitis or kind of a repeated allergies around cold and flu season, if you will. The Spark is really helpful for clearing the sinuses more effectively than anything else I've seen on the market. And it's not something that I suggest for people. And it's also something that I've seen many people have benefit from. And so using the Spark tincture, they can actually inhale a single drop into each nostril. It burns for about 30 seconds to a minute. And this is what I call the advanced administration for Spark, by the way. And so within about five to 10 minutes, the oil and the alcohol start to break up the phlegm and the mucus. And I usually let it wait for about five to 10 minutes and then I'll feel this flushing sensation and all the sputum will help to come out. And I have the experience like I'm breathing again for the first time. And so I've had quite a number of people who go to festivals or events or travel and are out in nature for a lot of time. And they say that this is really helpful for resetting their breathing passages. And so that's been a really fun kind of report.

There's a wide array of health benefits. But one thing I love that you said, said as you said, these oils really start having the person look at their relationship with their own body. And that I love that because, gosh, we can Buy all the supplements in the world, we can buy every single oil on your website, we can go and Download all the PDFs and get a trainer at the gym and all this stuff. But if we lastly, like, if we haven't embodied the relationship with the tool that we're using, the tool doesn't really matter. So I'm curious for you, like, like how do you see these oils really getting people closer to the relationship with their own body? Is it a somatic awareness? Is it that they start learning how to actually control their stress better? Like, what does that actually mean? That they start to use these oils to learn how to be in their body better, more effectively?

Yes. So I feel like the, the active experience of imbibing, ingesting and experiencing the state change, if you will, of the essential oil, it tunes the nervous system and the experience of the user so that there's a broader spectrum of awareness of what is possible within their own life. And so once you experience viscerally that a different set of experiences is possible, like, wow, I can feel relaxed in my body. Oh, that's cool. And now all of a sudden you're, you're going about your day doing similar things, but you might have more relaxation in your system. That relaxation can then cause another synchronicity of something else that's responding with more relaxation. And so as you continue to develop a relationship with the products and you're like feeling, wow, I feel relaxed and oh, I'm having a better day at work. Oh, I have increased focus and clarity which is leading me to be inspired. And so all of a sudden the external experience may be reflecting what's being felt internally. And as a person continues to hone that inner awareness and that external awareness that they're experiencing, they might realize that, oh, cool, I'm really enjoying life. And I feel more relaxed these days because I'm enjoying all of it more. And so that direct reflection may or may not need the oil. Right. So that is how I would say that the oils, I know for me, when I first started using the oils, I was using them very regularly, multiple times a day, similarly to a regimented use. And so my current relationship with the oils and I've evolved quite considerably since I've graduated pharmacy school. And so my inner body and awareness is at the peak performance of my life at this point. And so my current relationship with using the oils is if I'm knowing if I'm feeling something within my body that's feeling out of balance, I literally get to choose from maybe about six or seven hundred different allies, be it plant mineral extract. And I can tune my system using something external or it could be a practice and then I can set it back into practice. And so I feel like a regimented use was helpful initially and currently I just listen to my body and I give it exactly what it needs.

Okay, mic drop. Because I'm thinking about the intention that we have and even we had our 300th podcast yesterday recorded and I was like, okay, what are the 10 things that I've learned from all these amazing people coming on here, you being one of them. And one of the things that I learned that I really got to reflect on is it's not about the tool, it's about the intention behind the tool. Like that is the biggest piece. So yes, you know, the Invigor with all of its synergistic blends or any of these things, they're powerful, but it's like the spark of change, the spark of what I really desire and want starts inside of me and then I use the tool and then they play together and that's what actually creates the wellness, the well being that my soul deserves and that all of us deserve. So, but I do want to talk about this tactically though, because there's a lot of people listening. Maybe they have a busy life, they work and they have kids and they have like the 16, 18 hour day for stress reduction. Specifically, what is an ally for them? What kinds of products can they take in essential oil wise, that'll allow them to have a better relationship with stress.

Yeah, so one of my favorite tools, and I have quite a few of these and I'll probably go over two or three. One of my favorite tools for what you're describing is, would be our ultrasonic skullcap tincture. So we've recently started doing our own extractions here in house. And using ultrasonic technology, we're able to break down the cell wall of plant material and spill out the essential oil and different plant alkaloids, delivering a relatively full spectrum extract that is quite concentrated and easy for the body to take in with a higher bioavailability. And so the ultrasonic skullcap tincture, my experience with it is it relaxes the nervous system. And what's really nice about the skullcap is it relaxes stress in the physical body and it's also mentally focusing. And so what I experience is a calmness in the mind which doesn't, which isn't associated with a slowing of the mind. And so I find that ultrasonic skullcap is really great for when you wake up. Right before a podcast, I took some. It's good right before I go to bed. When I take it before I go to bed, I notice a deeper quality of sleep as well. And so skullcap's a great allay that you can take most times from a.

Pharmacy perspective with your training and everything that you learned in school to now being really like a spiritual wellness warrior. What's the science going on with the skullcap specifically? What's it doing for our physiology?

Yeah, so the skullcap, I haven't looked into the mechanism of action for this particular product. Our ultrasonic extracts have been quite an exciting project. We, we started doing extracts here in house about a year ago and skullcap is. I could look up the active ingredient for it. I do know that there's one or two ingredients that said to be more relaxing to the nervous system and typically it's used for stress. So you'll find the skullcap in many different formulas. What's nice about the ultrasonic extracts is we're really getting a full spectrum extract, not just the active constituent. And so when a person is taking this into their body, they're getting the symphony of the different aromatic and pharmacological molecules into their system in a balanced way, just as nature intended.

Yeah, and nature is always on our side, but we fight against her and our current society with EMF and smog and just so many off gassing from products. And also our monkey minds, you know, can be tied in slavery to our phones and everything else. Is there any oils that can reset our nervous system in the middle of a busy day? In other words, maybe I'm in the car on the freeway, or I can keep a bottle of something at my work in my cubicle or at my workstation. Like if I. If I was going to have one, would it be that skullcap or would it be something else to shift me?

I think you hit it with the invigor. I think that's a great formulation to really help to bring increased awareness into the present moment. Just kind of give a nice little reset button. Another one that I also enjoy. And I would use this less frequently for what you describe, but I've heard other people describe that they really enjoy utilizing our tincture spark, which I talked about for clearing the sinuses. So a single drop onto the tongue, breathing it in. It's really great for just opening up the lungs. It kind of brings you into the moment. It says breathe. Focus on the breath. Okay, shift change. Now what am I doing? What am I focused on. And so that can be a great ally as well.

Yeah, I love this, and I'm actually gonna do it right here on the show. So if you're watching this on YouTube or if you're listening, take a deep breath with us. Yeah, this is. This is for me at least. I feel like I really get ahead of the frankincense, and I'd love to talk about frankincense as well, so I'm not gonna. I know about bruising the oils. Like, we're not supposed to rub really hard, right? We just dab it on there. How do you. How do you apply the oil properly?

Okay, so for Invigor, here's my favorite method of usage. So I put a few drops into the hands. Typically about three to five drops within Vigor. And a majority of our wizard alchemy blends are infused into fractionated coconut oil, so they're already diluted. My intention is to make our products as easy for the end user to enjoy without doing further dilution. So taking these three to five drops into the hands, rub the hands together. I love to take three deep inhalations and then massage it into my scalp and into the back of my neck. So I'm doing it with you now, too.

Makes me laugh. It's so good.

And now I love to get a little dance in and just massage my scalp and into the back of my neck.

It's nice to dance in the middle of the day.

Yeah, it is.

So I want to share how I feel about this, where I feel it is. It goes into my eyes, down the back of my throat, and then when I put it on the back of my neck, I get this almost like, posture cue for me to sit taller, for me to stand taller. And I don't know what component it actually is, but I've had some really cool experiences with frankincense in the past. What is it about this blend? I mean, there's. There's five or six things blended here together. Like, how did you come up with this specific blend? Because it. It reminds me to breathe deep and stand taller.

Yeah. Thank you for that. So, you know, my blends as I first started the company were. Were using more of my mind and from a therapeutic way perspective, you know, really looking at achieving a particular goal and kind of having an awareness of using my scientific, rational mind. So in Vigor came when I was living at my mentor's house in Hawaii, and it was actually one of the first April, I believe it was the first or the second blend that I formulated while I was there. And so if I look at the ingredients, caraway really gives it that nice tingling sensation where it has almost this counter irritant property. And it's in such a small quantity. And so when you're actually massaging the rosemary and the caraway and the sweet basil into the scalp, into the hair follicles, it's going to really stimulate them and warm them up and it's almost like the scalp starts breathing. So frankincense is calming to the nervous system, focusing anti inflammatory. Many people say it reduces stress. Frankincense is a popular resin in the Middle East. Oftentimes the resins are burnt.

I think it was one of the gifts to Jesus too, wasn't it?

Yep. Frankincense, myrrh and gold. Frankincense myrrh also an amazing blend that we have here. And so the peppermint is also very cooling and stimulating as well. And so, you know, the Invigor formulation just has this nice synergy where it's stimulating the nervous system. It's kind of bringing you back to center. It's inviting you to take a deeper inhalation. When you do, the menthol helps to open up the lungs and you know, the one cineole found inside the rosemary that's been looked at for stimulating memory, focus and concentration. And so, you know, there's really this, this view where you can analyze individual components found inside the oils from a, from a kind of a scientific rationale and at least postulate mechanisms going to have a different effect. And as I've continued to evolve, there's just this innate intuition that's formed where it's saying, cool, I'm going to formulate something that's going to have this type of effect. I ask what oils want to go in there and I'm guided to create the formulation. And then when I like to reverse engineer things using my mind, I'm like, oh, that makes sense.

Are there any essential oils for mental performance? Because, you know, I think, I think bar none, most people here with us deal with stress in quantities that we weren't designed for. So we definitely, definitely the invigor for stress and for kind of resetting that pause in the nervous system. But if you were to, if you were to guide people towards an oil or a blend for mental acuity, verbal fluency, cognitive performance. What are those oils?

Yeah, so one oil, that one extract that I've been exploring with recently is our ultrasonic Tulsi. And Tulsi is a great one for the question that you described previously as, well, kind of like a pause during the middle of the day to kind of get back into center. So Tulsi is an adaptogenic herb that stimulates the immune system. It's got broad spectrum antibacterial properties and it's very centering and balancing, almost euphoric, but very, very clear. And so. So Tulsi is one of the extracts that I chose to put in my body before this podcast because it's helping to ground the nervous system, it invites deeper levels of creativity, and there's also an acuity with the mental performance.

But this isn't something that jacks. You like coffee?

Not at all, no. So, yeah, like coffee. Not into it. For my own personal physiology, I'm really into the powerful subtle that increase the baseline without a crash. That's kind of my preference.

I love that. So this is all going to be linked in the show notes wellnessforce.com podcast as well as everything else and a lot of other things that we've talked about. Because for me, I'm 39. Next year I'll be 40. And sexual health, sexual performance is a big deal to me and all of us. We want to. To connect with our lovers the best way that we can, you know, with our full being. And I think of these oils, and I love the way that you talked about this and framed it earlier, where these oils actually get us back in touch with our relationship with our own body. What are some oils? Or maybe there's a blend that can allow us to really be focused on sexual presence, you know, like presence with our partner, performance with our partner. A lot of people take Cialis, Viagra, all these other things. Things, but those are just band aids. You know, the real connection that we're seeking comes from a very deep place in sexuality and sensuality and intimacy. What are the oils for that?

Yeah, so a few oils are coming into heart, so I'll name them and I can talk about each of them individually. So our Choco nut, that one is an awesome edible lube. Our love potion, that one I find is really inviting and opening up to our heart. It's more of a botanical perfume that's really softening around the chest. And I find it helps to expand the emotional sensitivity. And some of our newer ultrasonic extracts are quite potent in regards to stimulating hormones inside of the body. And so our ultrasonic Epimedium and our ultrasonic Tribulus tinctures, those are really awesome for stimulating sexual performance, enhanced vitality and strength.

What does the Tribulus do specifically?

Yeah, so tribulus is a very new ally for me. I did an extract on it, and my personal extract was the first time I've ever taken pure tribulus on its own. And I am quite impressed with this herb. So tribulus is. Some people know them as goat heads. They're these really sharp herbs that really. They're also called puncture vine. And so if you step on them, they'll really hurt you and they'll go in deep.

Sounds like a tough plant, man.

Yeah, it's definitely strong, and it's been used in Chinese medicine for, you know, millennia and helps to stimulate and support urinary tract health. And it also brings a lot of vitality, vigor, and jing into the body. What I've noticed from ultrasonic tribulus utilizing the extract is it's definitely a jing tonic, and so it supports yang masculine energy force. And but what's interesting about it is I find that it radiates this. This heat and this energy from the inside going out. And so I kind of describe the. The yin and the yang for the ultrasonic epimedium and the tribulus, because epimedium really has this. This dominant yang force energy that's very masculine, and it drives force out. And so the synergy of them together, really, I find for my own personal body, they inspire me to work out and push back my. You know, push on my limits. And they really invite a lot of strength and enhanced sexual potency. And so each of those are really powerful jing tonic herbs.

Does that work for the women as well, the tribulus, or is that more for the men?

I have had reports from both men and women loving on both epimedium and tribulus individually and combined.

Yeah, because we're scratching the surface, Dr. Nick. Like, literally the tip of the tip of the iceberg. You have a teaching program, you have a collective where you go as deep as possible into this. And. And personally, like, I've tried the oils. Like, I love how I feel over the course of time, and that's my biggest report card, is how do I feel after I've done some type of a lifestyle modification? You know, to modify is to see how I can embody a different quality in my body, to embody it. This collective that you have, I think you call it like an alchemy tribe. What's the alchemy tribe all about? Why did you do this?

Yeah, so I wanted to invite a community that is excited about learning deeper about the world of essential oils. And so what the alchemy Tribe offers is two form. We have a monthly subscription where members receive products every month. And it's an assorted array between wizard alchemy blends, essential oil tinctures, pure essential oils and exquisite botanical perfumes. And so by providing some guidance and instruction every month and additional products which may be different than what people may choose within their own paradigm or experience, people are invited to learn from the plants and what they have to guide and teach us. And so there's videos and descriptions that come every month with more information on how to use these individual products. And so some of these products are actually unique and only available to our Alchemy Tribe members. We have quite a number of extracts that we are doing at such a small scale that we are only providing to our inner core members. And so it's an opportunity for people to commit to themselves, to learn more about the plants and more about themselves in that direct reflection. And we are also, we're actually launching another part of the membership which is just a yearly, which is going to include additional content, exclusive discounts which are also present for the, for the monthly members, which don't require monthly packages but allow you access. Access to some of the exclusive products. So we've really been exploring some very unique extracts here in house. I guess some of the interesting ones I can share about here. We just finished an ultrasonic salvia divinorum tincture about a month and a half ago. And it's quite an amazing medicinal tincture. And unfortunately, belief in America is that this is a dangerous drug. And that's not what the Mazotech Indians of Mexico had to say about it. It's a visionary plant and it really provides a deep connection to nature and into the self. You know, the Indians would never smoke it. They, they would never smoke a concentrated extract that was extracted through sulfur. What they did was they took the leaves of the plant and they rolled them into what they called quids and they would suck on umbucae in through the cheek and they would suck on that for about half hour to an hour. And there's a deeper intelligence and connection to the self and into the world around them. In fact, the ultrasonic salvia divinorum tincture has become one of my favorite favorite meditative tools. And it's one that I actually use, I would say probably weekly. I love taking a quarter of a dropper, putting it under the tongue and going for a walk. I find that the external noise quiets and I am invited to listen deeper within myself and I feel a deeper level of connection to everything. And it's very clear there's not this. There's not this psychedelic, wild experience.

And people aren't going to be tripping on this essential oil. It's more than going deeper within.

Yes. And so, you know, it's been amazing. So we recently did a clip Daga tincture. We did an ultrasonic rose tincture from roses that were growing outside in my garden. We have an ultrasonic blue lotus tincture, which is. Is absolutely phenomenal as well. And so it's been really special because my alchemy tribe invites me with a challenge that I've curated for myself, to listen to my intuition and allow the creativity that flows through me to bring. Bring these wild imaginations into reality to share with people.

If people want to go real deep, they can explore the alchemy tribe. They probably get access to things that other people do not. That's what I heard from you. Yes. Something else that I've heard from you during this entire podcast is that these oils are very synergistic, but only if the intention in the person is trying to have a real relationship with the plant itself. And I think that's the big takeaway. One of the big takeaways today is if somebody's listening right now and they're going through stress. They're going through maybe a disconnection with their work or a disconnection with their partner, or they're having a challenging time. You know, maybe they're going through an ego disillusionment or they're going through a massive life change where they're asking themselves what the heck is going on? Which one of these oils do they start with?

Yeah, so we have a few different package sets which really create kind of these broad spectrum opportunities. Like, we have a ceremonial set that's really good for shifting transformation. You know, ceremonial experiences, plant medicines. You know, if you're looking to have your own pharmacopoeia in your house, you might look at Dr. Nick's field medical kits. You know, I feel like there's such a broad array of potential. And so depending upon what people are really calling into their life, there's either a set specifically for them or a set of oils that would be really special and unique for their situation. So ways that they can tap into that knowledge, if they have very specific goals, they can actually set up a personalized consultation with me through the website, and that would be a doctor Nick phone consults. And I'd be happy to really specify a very targeted selection of oils and products that would Match the response that people are going for. And you know, if people have quick questions, we're happy to respond via email. What I will say is that the website is quite full of really rich information and videos that people can do their own research and tune into what would be best for them.

Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for this, man. This is your life's work and just want to honor the path that you've been on ever since, Gosh, you were 18. You know, looking back, it's clear to me that seeing your story develop from your medical training, you know, pharmalogical training, to then going through your own health journeys to your relationship with the plants and the psychedelics that we really haven't had too much time to talk about today. But I'm going to direct everyone to the podcast that you did with Paul Check, which was amazing to now sitting here with me and talking about meeting people where they really are in the 3D world. The stressed out mom, the stressed out parent, the stressed out human being that is just looking for the right kind of tools that can guide them to a better relationship with themselves and with stress. So, Nick, thank you so much for coming on the show. And thank you for the discount too, you guys. You can go to wellnessforce.com wizard and you get 10% off using the code wellnessforce. We covered a lot of ground, Dr. Nick, but is there anything you think we missed when we look at essential oils and wellness together?

Yeah. Well, I feel like the intelligence found inside the plants really invites us to listen to our body as we tuned into. And so what my experience and work with the plants has taught me is that nature has solutions for everything. And if we choose to listen with an open heart, we can really receive some of the gifts that this earth has brought to us. And so I'm really excited for people to dive in and get inspired and just learn more about plants and how they can support us and how we can support them. And, you know, I'm really looking forward to getting to know some of your listeners and to continue to be of service on this planet to the plants and to the people.

Well, you definitely are. You're harnessing the power of the plants, man. And this intelligence we talked about in the first five minutes of the show. Let's, let's go right back there now as we say goodbye. When we look at physical and emotional intelligence, really it's. We're talking about this broad spectrum of well being. It's wellness. How would you define wellness in your life? Like, how do you see wellness?

Yeah. I think to be truly, well, you have to be following your heart, you know, acting from a grounded space of passion and looking at how that passion can be transformed into kinetic energy to make a difference in the community and the lives around us and to the larger sense of the world as well. So I think true wellness integrates the I am with the I am. And so, by listening to our truth and expressing our gifts in the highest service of all, I think we are embodying true wellness.

Josh, thank you for coming on the show, man. Thanks for this unique conversation. I've never connected so many things in the metaphysical world world and the intelligence world with oils. I think so many people, they look at this as well, what's it going to give me? And what I've learned most from this conversation is what am I going to have a relationship with the oil for so that I can give it to myself? It's not about the oil giving me something. It's about unlocking what's already in me. So, Dr. Nick, thanks for coming on the show, man.

No, thank you so much. Josh. Had a great time.