How scent can help you change your life's outlook
by Roger Smithe
http://www.healthofman.com
Scented candles are now in all the shops and as everyone
appreciates going into a pleasant smelling house, the
concept of improving our homes through these simple, cheap
(relatively) but effective means is one that appeals to
most of us. It has long been proved that the right smells
can influence our thoughts. That's why supermarkets inject
the right smells to make us buy products and why pleasant
smells in a property will make it more appealing if you are
trying to sell. Although this may not be aromatherapy in
the real sense of the word it is still the use of scent for
advantageous purposes.
Aromatherapy is defined as the breathing in and/or bodily
use of essential oils derived from aromatic plants to bring
about balance, relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation or
to heighten the mind, body and spirit. An essential oil
can be drawn from various parts of the plant including the
flower, seed, leaf, root, bark, twig, berry, rind and other
parts. The basic fundamentals behind the use of
aromatherapy are to strengthen the individual healing
actions by indirectly stimulating the immune system. The
degree to which people use essential oils is broad and can
range from deep and permeating therapeutic uses to the
utmost refinement of an unequalled fragrance.
The way aromatherapy works can depend on each individual.
There is basic understanding concerning the actions of
specific oils, but some books and printed information can
change in the way individual properties and characteristics
of certain essential oils are described. Aromatherapy is
so individual that if one person were to use a specific
essential oil for one ailment, it could work for another
individual for a completely different complaint. In fact,
sometimes the same individual can have a different reaction
to the same oil they used earlier in the day depending on
their surroundings and mood.
Aromatherapy is used through massage, cosmetically or
through the nose (olfactory) but the key thing to remember
is to reduce the concentration of the essential oil by
mixing it either with a carrier oil or with water. The
carrier oils are simple oils like, sweet almond, avocado,
cocoa butter, grapeseed, olive or even sunflower oil and
each oil has a different quality that may or may not appeal
to its user.
Massage aromatherapy benefits the client in two ways,
firstly the healing, soothing massage and then the added
benefit of the essential oils. When used for cosmetic
purposes the oils are combined with skin or hair care
products and olfactory aromatherapy brings the essential
oils into the body through breathing them in. The oils are
usually placed in a small dish, mixed with water and heated
above a candle or light bulb and the odours given off help
to relax the body and mind.
The history of aromatherapy is said to precede all written
history. Most ancient people used plants and their oils in
some way including for ceremonies, medicine or vanity
purposes. Perfumes and beautifully fragrant plants were so
highly valued that they were the foundation of many trade
routes. The earliest written documentation of aromatherapy
is from ancient Egypt.
The best aromatherapists will ensure that your treatment
is carefully, senstively and correctly managed .
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