We are going to begin a new Green Deva series for 2009. The new category is Aromatherapy.
We use pure essential oils in all of our products. So we thought it would be a good idea to give everyone an idea about the ins and outs of aromatherapy.
A Little History of Aromatherapy
What comes to mind when you begin to peel an orange or a grapefruit? You immediately get the pungent smell of crisp citrus fruit. Or if you are walking in someones floral garden, what happens when you get a bit of the aroma of the flowers? Or how about the very subtle smell of Sweetgrass growing in the field beside your house or in the car as you pass by a pasture?
Aroma evokes different kinds of emotions. They may remind us of something or someone. They may give us a sense of peace or agitate us and we don’t even know the reason. When our olfactory system is at work it sends information to the brain which evokes a response. Then the airborne molecules enter the lungs and are absorbed into the bloodstream. Different aromas affect different parts of the body.
Aromatherapy has been used for thousands of years. Essential oils are mentioned numerous times in ancient Chinese, Indian and Arabic texts. They were used for good health and increased spirituality. The Egyptians were the most talented in the field of aromatherapy.
It wasn’t until the 18thcentury that scientists were able to identify the elemental components of a plants chemistry. The word Aromatherapy means “treatment using scents”. Aromatherapy is a branch of alternative healing that incorporates the use of concentrated plant oils, also referred to as “essential oils”, to improve physical and emotional well-being. The term “aromatherapy” originated by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist in 1928. Gattefosse accidentally discovered Lavender oil healed a severe burn on his hand and helped to prevent a scar. He also concluded that pure essential oils were more effective than their synthetic substitutes. The essential oils work on the whole body by restoring balance.
Another prominent French scientist and doctor, Dr. Jean Valnet, used essential oils as a part of a program of medical and emotional disorders. Valnet published his results in 1964 in a book called Aromatherapie.
The work of Valnet was studied intensely by Madam Marguerite Maury. She opened the first aromatherapy clinics in the 1960’s.
The word aromatherapy is a bit misleading because it implies that a form of healing may take place just by smelling essential oils only. But this is not necessarily true. There are three ways in which essential oils interact with our body: pharmacological is associated with the changes that body makes when the essential oil enters the bloodstream, physiological is the way the essential oils affects the body either as a sedative or stimulative. And psychological is the effect that takes place when an essential oils essence is inhaled, the individual response to the odor, like or dislike.
Peace, Tara and Kathy
As always……
Please remember that all alternative therapies are still seen as “alternative” by most health authorities.
Note: We most note that all information listed about herbs, flowers, and spices and their usages is for information only. We caution you not to attempt to diagnose or attempt self-treatment; consult a competent professional assistant. The information here is not intended to substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician.
