Aromatherapy

Good health and healthy living have moved to the top of many Americans’ priority list. It is hard to open any mainstream magazine that does not have an article on how to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more. As part of this healthier-living regime, people also are turning to more holistic ways of dealing with the aches and pains of growing older and are looking for better ways to relieve stress and relax. Thus, aromatherapy, in all forms, has thrust its way back into everyday vocabulary.

However, aromatherapy is not just a process that can be practiced at home and many indoor tanning salons have implemented various forms of aromatherapy not only to increase revenue, but also to allow the therapeutic values to wash over their customers three or four times a week.

Aromatherapy has become one of the fastest growing natural-healing arts in the country. Aromatic medicine, the ancient beginnings of the art of aromatherapy, was recorded in both Egypt and India more than 4,000 years ago. The Egyptians used aromatic plants to create massage oils, medicines, embalming preparations, skincare products, fragrant perfumes and cosmetics. Plant aromatics also were utilized in India as part of the ancient medical practice known as ayurveda. Many of these practices still are in existence today.

At the beginning of the 20th century, particularly in France and England, a movement by noted doctors and scholars in the naturopathic and medical communities prompted a reawakening to the benefits of natural medicine and aromatherapy. Today, throughout England and the United States, aromatherapy is a commonly accepted alternative medicine. In France, it is common to find doctors who practice aromatherapy, pharmacies that sell essential oils and health insurance companies that reimburse for treatments using these approaches.

Aromatherapy is considered an alternative that can improve the quality of life on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and already is a part of our lives, although we may not have associated the name with the experience.

The practice of aromatherapy includes using pure essential oils, extracted from a number of different parts of a flower, to relax, balance and rejuvenate body, mind and spirit. The results of aromatherapy are very individual. While there is general agreement about the actions of certain oils, aromatherapy texts vary in their descriptions of the properties and characteristics of an essential oil. In addition, no two people are affected by the same essential oil in exactly the same way. Even the same person can be affected differently by the same oil depending on surroundings, time of day and mood.

Aromatherapy is a scent- and touch-based therapy that works in two ways. The most common method is inhaling the fragrance, an act that sends a message to the brain through the olfactory nerves. Once the scent is detected, it travels through the endocrine and hormonal system, eventually relaxing the body’s muscles. Either instead of or in addition to, you can opt to massage the soothing scented oils and lotions directly into the skin.