Aromatherapy Uses for the Modern World

Aromatherapy Uses for the Modern World

Igor Dutina - Fotolia

Aromatherapy uses is one of the many natural, health-care alternatives that have been sought out in recent years. As a result, aromatherapy practice has seen a remarkable renaissance. In Europe, it is considered an effective, reimbursable treatment with noticeable advantages. This is why it is increasingly being integrated with conventional medicine.

Aromatherapy uses have practical advantages in every day life

Many studies demonstrate aromatherapy advantages with practical uses in every day life. These include double blind studies designed to eliminate the psychological placebo effect.

Studies on aromatherapy uses have yielded many interesting findings. For example, keypunch-operator errors were cut in half after piping lemon scent through the ventilation system. As a result, Japanese corporations use various scents to increase worker performance.

Another example of aromatherapy uses that I've read about, but don't remember where, is that New York subway passengers became less aggressive when the cars were scented with pleasant food aromas.

A fun example of aromatherapy uses from the Bible

And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:Genesis 27:27, KJV
Images © Olena Antonova ‐ Fotolia

Smells can trigger vivid memories

These memories may involve sights, sounds… even emotional impressions of events in our distant past. A whiff of oatmeal cookies may evoke in-depth childhood memories of a grandmother baking her culinary morsels of affection in a wood stove in her kitchen. In addition to such memories, smells can initiate a cascade of physiological responses affecting our entire body and mental outlook.

These responses form the basis for the ancient healing tradition now called aromatherapy.

oatmeal cookies

Phoebe - Flickr

What is Aromatherapy and are there advantages of its practice?

We've already touch a little on the advantages of the practice of aromatherapy. Such as…

  • enhance mental clarity
  • improve work performance
  • increase concentration
  • reduce feelings of hostility

But, there's more to the story…

Aromatherapy is a term that was coined by Rene Gattefossee. He is a historical French chemist for the perfume industry. He worked with volatile plant essential oils for fragrancing. One day, he had an explosion in his lab. He was literally aflame as he ran from the lab. Knowing the therapeutic properties of certain essential oils, he plunged his arm into a vat of lavender water.

Although it still took time to thoroughly heal, no blistering or scarring occurred.

As a result of this experience, he changed his focus completely from perfumery to the therapeutic advantages of essential oils.

France lavenderThe term “Aromatherapy” can be rather confusing. As natural things have become more popular, and aromatherapy has become a buzz word, commercial interests began to slap the term aromatherapy on anything and everything that has a fragrance. In fact, many common chemical-laden household products contain fragrance labeled as essential oils and are marketing for aromatherapy. However, this is not the same.

Many are led to think, “Aromatherapy is anything that smells.”

Well, you cannot have aromatherapy without essential oils, but you can have essential oils without it being aromatherapy.

Let me explain… True aromatherapy is the use of pure essential oils with the goal of causing a positive change physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.

Science continues to affirm that breathing pure aromatic molecules can be beneficial to our well-being.

As it turns out, we can enjoy the advantages from this aromatherapy practice during times spent in nature. (True even when the fragrance cannot be detected by our sense of smell!)

Of course, not many of us are able to enjoy the great out-of-doors the way the Creator intended! By using and diffusing pure essential oils in the home for a few minute a day, we can (to some extent) create our own tranquil, aromatic atmosphere and still enjoy our comfortable indoor existence.

In 1999 I decided to take a 3 year course in Acupuncture. I had not studied full time for over 30 years and my first semester was a huge shock! My first semester classes were Anatomy and Pysiology I and II, Chinese Philosophy, Chemistry and Acupressure Massage! I was swamped but the chemistry was the subject that was the worst. I was seriously afraid I would fail the class.

One day I was doing some chemistry problems and I wasn't making any progress. A friend said why don't you try this and handed me a bottle of Brain Power. I looked at the label and said I'm sure I could definately use some Brain Power but what is this and how do I use it? He said it's a blend of essential oils. You just inhale deeply first in one nostril, then the other nostril and then in both together. Imagine when you breathe in that you're drawing it across your brain. So I did that and then I went back to the chemistry problem I was working on and as soon as I looked at it, I got it! Not only that I realized that it was really quite simple.

I got some Brain Power and then I heard about a study in which Peppermint was diffused in a classroom of students and they did 28% better on their exams than the class who didn't get the Peppermint. So i bought a bottle of Peppermint too. These two oils became my constant study companions during the rest of the semester, in class and at home.

My results at the end of the term where that I got 90% in Chemistry and was second in my class! I was so impressed with the results these essential oils gave me that I changed my course to Aromatherapy!

Rondi S.

Continue reading this Introduction to Essential Oils Beginners Guide: The Story of a Man & His Mission

Aromatherapy Uses for the Modern World

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