Aromatherapy: Healing Your Mind, Body, and Spirt

Essential oils, as used in aromatherapy, can be an ally for treating ailments
affecting the physical body, the emotional body, and the energetic, spiritual
body.

What is aromatherapy?

Throughout history people have been using aromatic plants as medicine. Today, we refer to this practice as aromatherapy. In traditional aromatherapy, high quality, pure essential oils are safely used in various applications. They can be diluted into massage oils, mists, or inhaled straight from the bottle to achieve certain results. Check out our collection of aromatherapy products here. 

Stress Relief

One of the most important benefits of aromatherapy is stress relief. Stress can
affect the body and lead to a number of physical manifestations such as
headaches and tight muscles as well as psychological and spiritual
manifestations like constant worry and depression. Aromatherapy, when used
as a complementary healing modality, can help treat one’s emotional, physical,
and spiritual health.

From Nose to Brain

Some believe the sense of smell, known as olfaction, it the most
overlooked of the five sense. Olfaction is important as it conveys messages
from our environment to our brain through the limbic system. 

This system is responsible for the expression of emotional behaviors like fear, anxiety, and aggression. It also influences pleasure, affection, and sadness. The amygdala is one of the key regions of the limbic system in the brain that directly connects to emotional behavior. In a sense, it catalogs significant emotional experiences that become memories; some pleasurable and some less desirable.

Because there is such a deep connection between scent and memory, it is
possible to engineer experiences that result in lasting positive relationships
with essential oils. You can choose an essential oil or blend that you have
no prior associations with or a new scent that you find pleasing to create a new,
pleasant experience. Once you lock these new scents into your memory, you
can use them during stressful times to help alleviate emotional distress.

Organic Chemistry

Certain essential oils, because of their chemical compositions can be used for
specific applications. There are terpenes and complex terpenoids within them.
Knowing the chemical makeup and therapeutic potentials of the essential oils
can help you decide which ones to work with.

For example, essential oils rich in monoterpenes are antimicrobial and can be incorporated into cleaning products and hand sanitizers. Some of these essential oils include:

• Tea Tree
• Rosemary
• Lemon

Essential oils rich in phenols are known to support the immune system. Two great examples are:

• Thyme 
• Oregano 

Some popular essential oils are known for their multi-tasking abilities. They have a rich amount of esters which relax and balance the nervous system, can sooth skin irritations, and can help relax muscular tension. These include:

• Roman Chamomile
• Clary Sage
• Lavender
• Frankincense 

Some essential oils fall into several of the therapeutic categories and can be of particular value. Lavender and Clary Sage come to mind as two that should be in everyone’s tool box. They have the ability to reduce stress by calming the mind and nervous system. They support the immune system and are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral.

Using a Holistic Approach

When creating aromatherapy blends, it’s beneficial to take a holistic approach.
This means choosing essential oils that support the body as a whole, the
physical body, the mind, and the spirit.

An example of a formula that achieves balance in supporting the body as a whole is the Clear Ground & Protect Spray found in our online boutique. The core essential oils are Common Sage, Cedar and Lavender. Sage is an essential oil for cleansing, calming, and traditionally warding off evil. Cedar, which is regarded as a sacred wood, can drive away negative influences, cleanse, protect, and help focus the mind. Lavender has cleansing properties and can also calm nervous tension and help with mental exhaustion.

The nice thing about aromatherapy as a practice is how versatile the
applications can be. Whether you are looking to rid germs from surfaces or
needing a break from constant overthinking, you can find essential oils to assist
in your healing journey.

Thank you so much to Erica from Species by the Thousands for sharing her wisdom about aromatherapy with us. You can find more of their products in our online boutique here. 

For goodies like the Species by the Thousands amazing aromatherapy blends, sign up for our monthly Goddess Provisions Box. 

If you liked this post, check out 5 Essential Oils That Boost Immunity.