April: Oil of the Month: Bergamot
What comes to mind when you think of pure essential oils? Perhaps a calming bath at the end of the day. A favourite scent in a cream or hand wash. The gentle diffusion of lavender in the evening, or a deeply relaxing massage. These are the ways many of us have come to know and enjoy essential oils — as something pleasant, soothing, and supportive.
But what is less widely understood is the depth at which pure essential oils can be used as a precise self-care practice — one that can regulate how we feel in the moment and, over time, begin to transform our baseline state of being.
When we work with oils in this way, we are not trying to change or fix anything. We are simply offering a gentle remembering… of qualities already within us, which can be strengthened through conscious, precise application. The body and nervous system are invited to soften, even slightly. To remember that ease is not something we have to earn, but something already within us.
Over the past several years, I have been developing a body of work that explores essential oils through a more refined lens — understanding the inner nature of each plant, the biodynamics of fragrance and the application of oils to specific points on the body – known as AromaPoints – to support emotional and nervous system balance.
In my Online Ayurveda Wellbeing Aromatic Soul Journey, I will introduce one oil each month and offer ways to experience it more consciously and directly.
Whilst any oil can be used at any time, there is something deeply powerful about spending time with one oil at a time — experiencing how it works with your system, allowing it to reveal its qualities and become, over time, part of what I call a family of friends: a living support for your emotional wellbeing.
Bergamot – the Oil of Self-Acceptance
This month, we introduce bergamot – the perfect oil to support us to step out into Spring with fresh energy.
While you may not immediately recognise the fruit itself, you will likely recognise its scent. Imagine a citrus that sits somewhere between lemon, lime and orange — bright, fresh, and gently sweet, with a softness that rounds its edges. Bergamot is the distinctive element in a light Earl Grey tea.
A pure essential oil is the distilled essence of a plant — capturing not only its fragrance, but its energetic and qualitative nature. Unlike many citrus oils, which are primarily stimulating, bergamot has a rare dual action: it lifts and lightens the system while simultaneously calming and soothing. It brings brightness without agitation — a quality that makes it particularly supportive in moments of emotional intensity, self-doubt or inner pressure.
When we explore the nature of a plant — where it grows, how it sustains itself, the conditions it thrives in — we begin to understand the qualities it offers. Bergamot, grown in the warmth and light of southern Italy, carries sunshine, openness and ease alongside a quiet resilience. This is reflected in its effect on us: a subtle sense of warmth, gentle optimism, and space.
Emotionally, bergamot can support a dissolving of inner pressure and self-criticism, a gentle lifting of mood, a return to confidence and openness and a sense of being able to breathe again — both physically and emotionally. It is particularly helpful for those who tend to hold a great deal internally — people who are thoughtful, sensitive, and often carrying more than they realise.
In Ayurveda, we might recognise this as a combination of Vata and Pitta imbalance — where there is both mental restlessness and underlying intensity. Bergamot brings a balancing quality here: calming the movement while also cooling the inner heat.
The Biodynamics of Fragrance
When we work with essential oils in this way, we are not only smelling them — we are engaging with how their fragrance initiates subtle movement within the body. Some oils naturally rise, uplifting and clearing the mind. Others descend, grounding and stabilising. Some expand, while others centre.
Bergamot is distinctive in that it both uplifts and settles simultaneously, making it particularly effective for restoring balance and supporting the body in feeling safe enough to let go of tension patterns when worked with over time.
By understanding these biodynamic qualities, we can begin to work with oils more precisely — choosing not only the oil we feel drawn to at any time, but also where and how it is applied, with knowledge about where and how it is applied for optimum effect.
Meet Bergamot – a Simple Practice for Reset and Balance
There are specific points on the body, known as acupoints, derived from traditional Chinese medicine and the meridian system, that are especially receptive to this approach.
One of the most accessible points is in the upper ear, known as Shenmen — often referred to as the Spirit Gate. Closely connected to the vagus nerve, even gentle contact here can support a sense of calm and regulation.
If you would like to experience the effect of bergamot rather than simply read about it, I have recorded a short five-minute practice—a gentle introduction to the AromaPoints™ approach using this point. You can do this with or without the oil. All you need is five minutes and a little quiet.
You can watch the practice here.
These quiet changes are often where deeper regulation begins. It is precisely in these small, repeated moments of reconnection that the nervous system starts to restore itself — not dramatically, but genuinely. Over time, this can change not only how we feel in a given moment, but how we meet our lives more broadly.
Join the Journey
Bergamot is the first oil in a 10-month live online Aromatic Soul Journey with Corinna beginning on 16th April, 7.30 pm – 9 pm
Each month, we explore a different oil as a pathway into emotional balance, nervous system support, and deeper self-connection.
There are two ways to join:
Single Bergamot session — £35 Includes a live session, pre-recorded teaching, a ready-to-use high-quality oil, illustrated reference cards, and a small bag.
Full 10-month journey — £300. Includes all live and recorded sessions, my hand-prepared AromaPoints Miracle Box (a complete set of 10 oils, full illustrated cards and bag), and access to The Enchanted Garden — a dedicated online space for questions, additional guidance, and further live sessions exploring protocols and the meridian system in more depth.
You can find more information here.
Join Corinna for a Free Gathering: Spring, Kapha and the Art of Gentle Renewal Talk, Q&A and Meditation on Tuesday, 7th April at 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Words: Corinna Kitchen
Director – Institute of Biodynamic Medicine – (IOBM) – biodynamic.org
IOBM Senior Licensed Biodynamic Psychotherapist, Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant, AromaPoints Practitioner – ayurvedawellbeing.corinnakitchen.com
Corinna Kitchen is a licensed biodynamic psychotherapist and Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant based in Lewes, East Sussex. Her work brings together Biodynamic Medicine, Ayurveda and Pure Essential Oils with AromaPoints — a method of working with pure essential oils on specific points of the body to support the nervous system.
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