So, What IS Aromatherapy, Anyway?

byJessicaN

242 followers

Updated 10 years ago

I first heard about Aromatherapy many, many years ago, and my heart gave a leap of joy and excitement. I soon learned that I'd have to move to England to study in this field, and there was simply not way I could do that, not with a houseful of kids, no partner and no ready cash! Years went by and I met a woman who had studied in Ontario at a new Aromatherapy school. She'd moved to British Columbia and had been asked to establish a school on Vancouver Island. While that plan didn't work out, she DID establish her own school and, because it was truly my bliss (as Joseph Campbell would say), I was able to study with her. I graduated with a 99% grade from the program, had a job in a spa waiting for me and was soon also teaching about the Metaphysical aspects of scent and Aromatherapy, a field that later became known as "Spiritual Aromatherapy." (Yes, I have a certificate in that, too! How could I resist?)

Here is an introductory article about the amazing, therapeutic realm of Aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy can be described as the use of essential oils, extracted by various methods from a wide selection of aromatic plants, in healing applications, which range from the physical to the emotional and spiritual. Applications include topical (applied to the skin) via massage, bath and compress and inhalation, using a diffuser, vaporizer or even a handkerchief.

Essential oils are the volatile oils which give certain plants their characteristic aromas. These are found in special glands located in different parts of plants: petals, leaves, bark, branches, heartwood, rind, seeds, roots, rhizomes, resins, bulbs and the topmost (or aerial) parts of plants. Not all plants produce essential oils and not all essential oils are used in Aromatherapy.

While aromatherapists generally do not advocate the ingesting of essential oils, the food industry uses some, e.g., peppermint candies include the essential oil from the plant and licorice contains anise essential oil for its distinctive flavoring. Aromatherapy grade, also called therapeutic grade, essential oils whose molecules are very small, work best when they do not have to contend with the digestive system but can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Inhalation, for example, enables essential oil components to pass into the bloodstream via the lungs. Once in the body, the essential oil component molecules affect the areas to which they have an affinity: frankincense affects the skin, bronchi and hypothalamus; ginger affects, circulation, digestion and musculature discomfort, peppermint affects the nervous system and ovaries. (Bear in mind, these are minute thumbnail sketches!!)

Essential oils leave the body over a period of 12 to 48 hours via exhalation, perspiration, menstrual flow, breast milk, urine and feces. The molecules are largely unchanged when they leave the body, leading us to the conclusion that they act as bio-catalysts, working to enhance the body's own capacities to deal with its imbalances.

An added advantage of inhalation is the stimulation of the emotional body, as this directly accesses the part of the brain which is connected to the sense of smell, the limbic system. This system, situated in the oldest part of the brain, is also the seat of memory, creativity, sexuality and emotional reaction. Some essential oils, such as rose, jasmine and neroli, are famous for their aphrodisiac qualities (they are also very expensive!). They are very calming and long-lasting (called "base notes" in the vernacular of aromatherapists and perfumers).

Because of their potency, it is necessary to dilute essential oils in a vegetable carrier oil prior to application on the skin, with the exception of spot applications of essential oils such as tea tree (for wound cleansing) and lavender* (for burns and insect bites). This is also necessary when using essential oils in the bath, as the warm bath water renders the skin more permeable and therefore more sensitive to them. Believe me, there are some delicate body membranes one does not want "scorched!" One aromatherapist I know never puts the essential oils directly into the bathwater, but uses a diffusor in the bathroom while she bathes. This way her tub is never slippery from residual oil, which can be a hazard when one is very relaxed.

Consult a qualified aromatherapist before beginning any course of treatment.

*Though I have yet to find corroboration outside of my own practice, I do not recommend the use of lavender by women affected by endometriosis. Lavender promotes the growth of healthy cells. In endometriosis, the cells are "healthy," but grow in the "wrong" areas of the body.

(c) 2000, Jessica North-O'Connell