What is aromatherapy? A pleasurable way to find out is to put several drops of lavender essence into your next tub bath. As you slip into the warm water, notice the relaxing, fragrant herbal aroma surrounding you. You'll feel peaceful and tranquil soaking in the soothing fragrance. For centuries, healers have used lavender, as well as other herbs, spices, and essences to evoke memories, alter moods, and promote well-being.
Even the business world uses aromatherapy. Realtors showing homes often tell clients to simmer cinnamon sticks and allspice to entice potential home buyers. Fragrances create receptivity, attraction, and relaxation. Conversely, foul odors anger and repel us.
Office managers recognize that the fresh, invigorating aroma of peppermint helps keep office personnel alert and productive.
Good cooks understand that the smell of onions gently sautéing stimulates appetites. Remember how appealing chocolate-chip cookies smell while baking? How about that first pot of freshly-brewed coffee? What about familiar aromas that bring back childhood holiday recollections? Aromatherapy works because the most primitive part of our brain, the limbic system, responds immediately to the messages that fragrances send.
Let's explore some of the fragrances that can enhance our personal lives:
You can begin your aromatherapy adventure by purchasing a few outstanding essences. Be sure to include calming lavender, a general all-purpose aroma that is said to help allergies. You can use your aromatherapy diffuser, or even lightly inhale lavender essence from its vial. Chamomile is also useful for both respiratory and digestive allergies. Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces respond very well to lavender and chamomile.
If you feel cold and sluggish and have a diminished appetite, inhale or bathe in ginger, fennel, rosemary, or basil. These herbs warm and stimulate you. Capricorns, Scorpios, and Taureans respond well to ginger baths, especially in cold weather. Never apply ginger directly to your skin, mucous membranes, or wounds because it will sting.
If you're nervous, sleepless, or agitated, try lavender, rose, clary sage, sandalwood, hyacinth, carnation, vetiver, jasmine, orange, or geranium. You can combine these fragrances or use them separately. It's best to test each individual aroma to discover which one is most effective for you. Aries, Cancer, Leo, and Aquarius respond quite well to these aromas.
If you're a Libran with romantic problems, surround yourself with the scent of roses and lemons. This could put a smile back on your Libran face and help you feel more receptive and social.
Do you want to feel babied and pampered? Use heliotrope in your bath. It'll bring back pleasant, comforting memories of baby lotion. Again, never apply heliotrope directly on your skin.
Some of you may be bothered by PMS, cellulite, and tension. Try a brisk massage using oil scented with fennel and geranium. Some women swear it works. If skin blemishes appear, you may get help by using tea tree oil directly on blemishes. Tea Tree oil is widely recognized for its anti-fungal and antiseptic properties. Lemongrass astringent is also recommended, especially for Geminis. After a workout, refreshing lemon astringent is recommended for problem skin.
To add a rosy glow to dry, mature skin, sensuous jasmine oil is an aromatic tonic that feeds and softens your skin. If your mature skin is rough and chapped, try the ancient resin Myrrh to promote healing. Sandalwood is also a wonderful and sensuous moisturizer for over-40 skin.
Recently, scientists experimented with various aromas and found that the scent of pumpkin pie has an aphrodisiac effect on men. Rather than baking pies every time your loved one is around, simply simmer or diffuse pumpkin pie spice for the same result.
The sweet, luscious smell of vanilla says, "welcome home". It brings back childhood memories of sugar cookies and pound cake. Vanilla calms some people, but arouses others sexually. For obvious reasons, it's one of the most popular aromas today.
Orange and lemon scent is frequently used to dispel stale odors. But aromatherapists recognize citrus is a powerful mood elevator.
Bathing, inhaling, diffusing, and massaging with a bit of citrus is said to alleviate depression. One well-known addiction treatment center uses citrus diffusers during group therapy sessions.
Aromatherapy works in powerful and subtle ways. Try it on yourself
and your loved ones.
Scents that Soothe
Apple
bergamot
cedarwood
cypress
hyssop
lavender
marjoram
opopanax (or myrrh)
orange
peach
rose
violet
Uplifting Aromas
bergamot
clary sage
grapefruit
jasmine
lavender
lemon
lemon balm
lemon verbena
neroli
orange
petitgrain
rose geranium
sandalwood
tangerine
ylang-ylang
Energy Boosters
angelica
benzoin
black pepper
camphor
cardamom
cinnamon
clove basil
cypress
eucalyptus
fennel
lemon
peppermint
pine
sage
spiced apple
Sleepytime Aromas
cinnamon
cloves
frankincense
hops
melissa
myrrh
neroli
nutmeg
orange
petitgrain
rose
valerian
vanilla
violet
ylang-ylang
