Wounded Warrior Project Hosts Essential Oils Workshop

Participants Explore Stress-Relieving Benefits

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Dec 07, 2016, 10:13 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During a recent Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) program event, veterans and their family members were given the opportunity to explore the benefits of nature through essential oils, which are distilled from plants and carry fragrance and nutrients. Participants were able to concoct their own creations using a variety of ingredients.

During a recent Wounded Warrior Project(R) (WWP) program event, veterans and their family members were given the opportunity to explore the benefits of nature through essential oils, which are distilled from plants and carry fragrance and nutrients.

Essential oils have long been used for numerous purposes, from detoxifying the air and all-purpose cleaning to reducing stress and anxiety. After discovering the benefits for themselves and their families, warriors Heather Osborne and Francesca Langston, along with warrior spouse Trista Osborne, decided to create Pure and Natural Apothecary, where they could share their products with the world. The Pure and Natural Apothecary creators hosted this make-and-take gathering with WWP.

Each participant made their own custom room spray and sugar scrub. They also received bath fizzies and spoke about different essential oils, their popular uses, and the positive effects they can have on injured veterans.

"My wife enjoys natural products and has always wanted to learn about essential oils, so we decided to attend the workshop together," said Army veteran Shaun Newman. "We liked that we got to make things ourselves and see how easy it is. It's nice when we can make friends with fellow warriors who live near us at Wounded Warrior Project events."

Outreach activities in settings that accommodate injuries and social anxieties can help injured warriors cope with stress and emotional concerns. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.7 percent) talked with fellow Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn veterans to address their mental health issues. WWP offers a variety of programs and services that assist veterans with mental health, physical health and wellness, career and benefits counseling, and connecting with other warriors and their communities.

"It is a way of breaking what I would describe as the hermit effect," explained Army veteran Angel Alvarez. "This is a chance for us to begin socializing in a peaceful, secure, and relaxing environment."

WWP staff closely interacted with warriors over the course of the afternoon, advising them of additional services and personalized therapeutic outlets to assist in recovery. Like WWP outreach gatherings, these program resources are available to wounded warriors free of charge thanks to the generosity of donors.

To learn more about how WWP's programs and services are making an impact on the lives of wounded warriors, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/. To find photos from this event, click on multimedia, then images, then the warrior connection and outreach section.

About Wounded Warrior Project
We Connect, Serve, and Empower
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP connects wounded warriors and their families to valuable resources and one another, serves them through a variety of free programs and services, and empowers them to live life on their own terms. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161206/446011

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project