holistic medicine

Making some ‘scents’ of essential oils and aromatherapy

July 9th, 2010 |

Author: Elaine

In one of my recent blogs I talked about mint and mentioned aromatherapy. Since then, I have gotten several inquiries about aromatherapy. So I thought I would provide some information to answer those questions.

Fennel is a popular essential oil.

Aromatherapy has been around a long, llooonnnggg time – centuries, in fact. Think Frankincense. There is a National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) where you can find information about the history and development of aromatherapy. I like their definition:

Aromatherapy can be defined as the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote health of body, mind and spirit.

Essential oil made from eucalyptus smells wonderful!

Now that even sounds pleasant to me. I have heard it said that people generally tend to favor one or two senses over others. For me, when anyone even talks about scents and odors, I instantly start “smelling” things. I just can’t seem to help it.

Another thing I have heard is that the sense of smell is one of the strongest senses for memories. Smelling something can instantly conjure up memories that are associated with that scent. This could be true. Because when I think of my Great Aunt, I smell her perfume, and memories of my mother-in-law make me “smell” baby powder – her favorite after-bath talc.

The NAHA goes on to further explain:

As a holistic medicine, Aromatherapy is both a preventative approach as well as an active treatment during acute and chronic stages of illness or ‘dis’-ease.

It is a natural, non-invasive treatment system designed to affect the whole person not just the sympton or disease and to assist the body’s natural ability to balance, regulate heal and maintain itself by the correct use of essential oils.

Essential oils are those derived from plants. The warning that always goes along with essential oils is that of quality. First and foremost, the oils should be natural, not synthetic.

Essential oils are very concentrated so caution is needed in their use. They are generally not ingested and many should be diluted before coming in contact with skin. It’s a good idea to learn what different oils are best used for and how they should be handled before jumping into purchasing a bunch willy nilly. That being said, learning about which ones would be best for you and your well-being is a great way to start.

If you drop by Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana, you will find a great selection of natural, quality essential oils AND someone who will be able to guide you to the best one for you to try. There are so many essential oils available and they are recommended for so many things like improving mental accuity, reducing stress or improving anxiety. The best suggestion is to actually inquire as to what oil would be good to try for a condition or situation you have. There are even some that are recommended for “clearing the air” in your home just making it a healthier place to breath and live. (Not to mention smelling good, too!)

Maybe you’ll be creating your own ”signature scent” that your descendents will conjure up when they think of you years and years later!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team