Aromatherapy - a great way to give balance and harmony to mind and body
An aroma is an agreeable odor. The sense of smell happens almost on a subconcious level with certain odors bringing up memories and deep sensations. Aromatherapy, the art and science of using botanical oils for the benefit of health, appearance and mood, takes advantage of this direct connection between the subconscious mind and the olfactory system. Perfumery is the artful blending of natural and synthetic substances to achieve a desirable fragrance.
Perhaps the simplest way to use aromatherapy is to simmer herbs in a saucepan with water. Essential oils can be used in a diffuser purchased at a health food shop, perfumery, or specialty shop. Some devices use a candle or lightbulb to heat the oil and release the volatile scents. Specially made, small ceramic pottery will provide a lighter scent. The oil is placed within the partially glazed pottery and the oil seeps through the unglazed portions to become volatile.
Massage is another way to employ aromatherapy. The essential oils should not be used undiluted but rather are combined with a carrier oil such as corn or olive and then massaged into the skin. A general guideline is to add three drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier. Because the essential oils may be irritating or cause adverse reactions, they should be used only in small quantities and a patch test of the blended massage oil should be done before using it on the whole body.
Aromatherapy at bath time is an excellent and simple way to relax. Just run the bath and add 6-10 drops of esential oil or a blend to the water. Then just get in and enjoy. Make it an extra special occasion with candles and soft music.
Aromatherapy Use |
Essential Oils |
|---|---|
Anxiety |
benzoin, hargamot, cedarwood, fir, jasmine, lemon, lime pine, rosewood, spruce |
Aphrodisiac |
cardamom, ginger, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ylang, ylang |
Beauty |
chamomile, jasmine, rose, ylang, ylang |
Calming |
cedar, chamomile, lemon grass, marjoram, lavendar, sandalwood, spearmint |
Depression |
sage, melissa, bergamot, geranium, jasmine, rose, lemon, lime, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, spermint, thyme, ylang ylang |
Energizing |
basil, celery, clove, caraway, fennel, gonger, juniper, lemon, lime, nutmeg, thyme |
Happiness |
bergamot, lime, mandarin, orange |
Memory |
basil, clove, ginger, juniper, rose, rosemary |
Nervousness |
neroli, orange, tangerine, lemon |
Peace |
chamomile, ginger, jasmine, lavendar, lemon, rose, ylang ylang |
Sleep |
bergamot, chamomile, celery, jasmine, lavendar |
Stress |
cedarwood, fir, pine, spruce, ylang ylang |