What is Aromatherapy?
What is Aromatherapy?
Description of Some Essential
Oils for BeginnersEucalyptus
globulus, E. radiata and others.
History of Aromatherapy
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium)
Essential Oils for Relaxation
Tea-Tree Oil ( Melaleuca
alternifolia)
Treatment
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
Aromatherapy means "treatment using scents". It
is a holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant
smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint.
The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the
skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room.
Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin,
alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body.
Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce
anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the
brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory
nerves.
The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants,
flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive
therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which
improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils.
Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral,
anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant.
Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage
of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion
improvement, and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit
from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw
materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.
Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing fields in alternative
medicine. It is widely used at home, clinics and hospitals for
a variety of applications such as pain relief for women in labor
pain, relieving pain caused by the side effects of the chemotherapy
undergone by the cancer patients, and rehabilitation of cardiac
patients.
Aromatherapy is already slowly getting into the mainstream.
In Japan, engineers are incorporating aroma systems into new
buildings. In one such application, the scent of lavender and
rosemary is pumped into the customer area to calm down the waiting
customers, while the perfumes from lemon and eucalyptus are
used in the bank teller counters to keep the staff alert.
