In this age of automation and technology few of us sit back to contemplate the simplicity that surrounds us. The wave of modern medical knowledge has so indoctrinated us that we do not afford ourselves a moment to remember simpler, natural healing compounds. These compounds grow right in our own gardens, fields and forests. Aromatherapy is a treatment that helps us by using the essential oils extracted from natural plants.

Everything has a life force, or energy, which is impossible to touch or see. This life force is life-giving and animates everything in nature, including we humans. Take a minute to consider how amazing our bodies are. This energy is always here for us, and in illness it helps us to regain our health. Sometimes we need help with this task.

The Soul of Plants

Essential oils are the soul energy of the plants used in aromatherapy to help us when our bodies cannot regain total balance within themselves. There are very small quantities of this substance in each healing plant. We need ten or more bucketfuls of some plants to extract one thimbleful of essential oil. Aromatherapy introduces this life-giving quality to our bodies. Each plant’s oil has its own specific healing effect.

To help understand just how powerful these essential oils are, compare them to hormones. The hormones we produce in an entire lifetime will fill only a thimble. But without them we could not live. Our glands produce various hormones which have far-reaching effects on our bodies.

To some this is an almost mystical concept and many are skeptical of the medical effects of essential oils. Medical research is now proving that these oils have profound effects on us both physiologically and emotionally. The ancients who used these plants innately as healing agents knew what they were doing.

Common Scents

The history of aromatic oils goes back at least four thousand years. Biblical passages document their use for both treatment of illness and religious purposes. The Egyptians used them in cosmetics and for embalming. Oils were known in China even before this. Their use gradually spread to the Greeks and Romans who eventually brought them to the rest of Europe. We know that the perfumers of the Middle Ages rarely succumbed to illness even in times of cholera and other major plagues. This is because nearly all the oils are good antiseptics.

Chemical Substitutes

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, chemists began to produce chemical copies of essential oils. They were cheaper to make, but they were effective only as perfumes, not as treatments. The reasons are obvious; the life force was missing. Experiments with chemicals tried to imitate the medicinal properties of the oils. Gradually, these copies became so successful that we almost lost the knowledge of the plants and their therapeutic qualities.

Fortunately, the early twentieth century brought a renewed interest in natural products and treatments. Perhaps this was because many of the synthetic drugs had unwanted side effects. Today, pure essential oils, which have no such drawback, are used extensively in foods and toiletries as well as in medicines.

Gattefosse, an early twentieth century chemist, was a pioneer in the field of aromatherapy. While experimenting with cosmetics, he discovered a wonderful healer of burns. After a bad burn, he plunged his whole hand into a container of lavender essential oil that was nearby. His reasons are not clear, but we are glad for his discovery. The burn healed in a matter of hours, leaving no scar. His work with soldiers in World War I showed that these oils greatly accelerated the healing process. Gattefosse found that essential oils penetrate the skin and reach the blood to circulate to the organs. The time varies from person to person, taking from half an hour up to twelve hours. However, it takes only minutes for the oils to penetrate the skin.

Dr. Valnet, a French doctor, did much work to bring the use of essential oils to the forefront. He liked to use compresses of the oils to cover the affected area. He proved by his work the great penetrative powers of these oils. 

Madame Maury was a French biochemist who worked in the field of beauty therapy. Her research led her to develop the massage techniques of aromatherapy. Later she moved to Britain and opened a clinic. Today her followers include beauty therapists, osteopaths, massage therapists, medical herbalists and orthodox doctors.

Doctors for the Healthy

In ancient times in the East, people went to their doctor when they were healthy rather than when they were sick. They went regularly to stay healthy. Now we have nearly forgotten this. If patients got sick just after a visit because their doctor had not foreseen an illness, they did not pay the bill. Doctors then were mainly acupuncturists, keeping the body healthy by regular treatment of all the body’s pressure points. This way they ensured good circulation of blood and lymph this preventing dis-ease.

This theory still holds true today. If we keep our blood circulating freely and our lymph moving properly, the chance of illness is greatly reduced. But how many of us have a perfect circulatory and lymphatic system? Why not? It’s because we produce tension of either physical or emotional origin. We don’t exercise enough and we have poor posture. We eat synthetic, over-processed food with no life energy and we rationalise our choices claiming we have no time to eat live foods. This behavior has a serious effect on our bodies. Our muscles and organs work overtime and push our tissues, organs and glands out of place. As a result, the blood and lymph cannot flow freely. Toxins and wastes cannot be eliminated quickly enough, so they escape into the tissues, causing imbalance in our systems.

Mind Over Matter

Emotional tensions have much more serious effects. Heart and blood pressure symptoms do result from incorrect diet, but more often are an effect of day-to-day tension. Our state of mind causes many illnesses. Responsible for our feelings, our minds are our most important part. Essential oils have the same effect on us, except that they first have to be chosen to suit the upset. They are then applied and absorbed by the blood stream so they can recreate proper balance.

There are several ways we can turn this around. We can practice the art of relaxation. When our minds are at peace, we experience more positive feelings and our bodies respond with better health. If we believe in ourselves, almost anything is possible. We achieve greater balance if we believe in the helping methods we use. We can eat more live, unprocessed foods in reasonable proportions. We can exercise and re-educate ourselves in the art of good posture.

There is another way to help ourselves; take timely action to seek help when we show the early symptoms of dis-ease. Using aromatherapy is a good way to stay healthy. It is most effective when used the same way the ancient Chinese used acupuncture.

There are several ways to introduce the essential oils into the bloodstream. They can be taken internally (teas and infusions), used in baths (12-15 drops in bath water), by applying compresses (diluted and soaked in soft cotton wool and applied to affected areas) and massage (adding essentials to massage oil and rubbed into the skin). There are various types of massage, from simple stroking to advanced forms such as lymph drainage, neuromuscular and shiatsu. Regular aromatherapy treatments will bring about, and maintain longer, a dramatic improvement in general health and vitality. 

As this planet is cyclic, so are our thoughts about health care. In ancient times we were aware to our bodies and what it took to keep them healthy. In modern times we began to wait for dysfunction and then try to cure it. Now we have come full circle. We are back to simple, direct attitudes about health. Simple is better. We have everything we need around us and in us. Let us choose to be healthy. Nature is here to support us. Let us maintain health in our bodies and minds. Doing so, we will create balance, not only in our bodies and minds, but in our interaction with this planet, our home. 

Common Scents

Visit her website: http://www.heartflowershealingcenter.com