Aromatherapy - Using Essential Oils for Good Health
5637
Health & Fitness > Aromatherapy
Mar 1, 2007
John Morris
Aromatherapy - Using Essential Oils for Good Health
Even before the term alternative medicine was formally used, aromatherapy was already being practiced 5000 years ago by Egyptians. At that time, oil was extracted from aromatic plants through infusion and used for embalming, cosmetics and medicinal purposes. This knowledge was passed on to the Greeks and served as the basis for more discoveries, including the relaxing and stimulating effects of the fragrance of some flowers. Going back further, ancient man's dependence on the environment for all his basic needs and survival led him to discover natural ways of food preservation and the treatment of various conditions using herbs and aromatics.
1. Eastern Roots
The use of aromatics is also reflected in a Chinese herbal book by Shen Nung dated 2700 BC, showing specific details on more than 300 plants and their various applications. Ancient Chinese also burned incense and wood as part of religious practices that a good number of their modern counterparts still observe today. Aromatics was also a part of acupressure, massage and other therapies identified with the Chinese.
2. Modern Health Treatment
Today, many individuals place a high premium on health and well-being. The cost of traditional or conventional medicine such as surgery and medicare, however, has made a high number of people turn to aromatherapy, or essential oils therapy, and other forms of alternative medicine.
3. Basics
- Facilitates an equilibrium of physical, mental and spiritual health through natural means
- In some cases, these alternative treatments are now considered as strong and effective complements to regular medicine
- The main component of aromatherapy is essential oils
- Essential Oils are highly concentrated essences known for their healing effects
4. Essential Oils
These aroma-producing oils come from the flower, as in the case of a rose; leaves (basil is an example); twig; bark; fruit rind and other plant parts. Experts say that the extraction process can be time-consuming, complex and require much patience. Recognition and acceptance of these factors is important: getting about 5 teaspoonsful of oil could entail the use more than 220 pounds of rose petals. This process is what makes pure essential oils costly, although their effectiveness is not compromised because a treatment can entail the use of only a few drops to generate the target effect. An option is the less-expensive synthetic oils, although they do not offer the healing properties of their natural counterparts.
5. How It Works
Essential oils work by stimulating the olfactory system and later the brain or limbic system. The fragrance, other properties and effects of the oil determine how these body systems and their parts are stimulated. During a massage, these oils are inhaled and absorbed by the body at the same time, penetrating the skin and eventually reaching the organs and body systems. The absorption can be as short as 20 minutes and possibly extend to 2 hours or more, making some experts advise to avoid a shower or bathing immediately after the massage to maximize the desired effect.
6. Effects Last Days, Not Hours
The longevity of a fragrance also varies from 3-24 hours to 2-3 days and even longer to about a week. Eucalyptus, peppermint
thyme, and bergamot are among oils with a short-lived scent, while the scent of hyssop, lavender, balm, and other oils last between 2-3 days. Jasmine, sandalwood, ginger and cedarwood are among the oils that take as long as one week before completely evaporating.
7. Achieve A Sense Of Calm
The desired health balance of an individual also requires the creation of a balanced perfume, or a combination of the three types of oils based on longevity. These various combinations or aromatherapy blends can be mixed into a warm bath to relax and calm an individual, eliminate stress and depression, energize and sooth the body or aching part. The healing or calming effect of a massage can be enhanced by applying essential oils. However, this would require the use of carrier oils to prevent irritation or any other negative skin reaction. Some of these carrier oils, which help dilute essential oils, include avocado oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, wheatgerm oil, almond oil, soya oil and hazelnut oil.
1. Eastern Roots
The use of aromatics is also reflected in a Chinese herbal book by Shen Nung dated 2700 BC, showing specific details on more than 300 plants and their various applications. Ancient Chinese also burned incense and wood as part of religious practices that a good number of their modern counterparts still observe today. Aromatics was also a part of acupressure, massage and other therapies identified with the Chinese.
2. Modern Health Treatment
Today, many individuals place a high premium on health and well-being. The cost of traditional or conventional medicine such as surgery and medicare, however, has made a high number of people turn to aromatherapy, or essential oils therapy, and other forms of alternative medicine.
3. Basics
- Facilitates an equilibrium of physical, mental and spiritual health through natural means
- In some cases, these alternative treatments are now considered as strong and effective complements to regular medicine
- The main component of aromatherapy is essential oils
- Essential Oils are highly concentrated essences known for their healing effects
4. Essential Oils
These aroma-producing oils come from the flower, as in the case of a rose; leaves (basil is an example); twig; bark; fruit rind and other plant parts. Experts say that the extraction process can be time-consuming, complex and require much patience. Recognition and acceptance of these factors is important: getting about 5 teaspoonsful of oil could entail the use more than 220 pounds of rose petals. This process is what makes pure essential oils costly, although their effectiveness is not compromised because a treatment can entail the use of only a few drops to generate the target effect. An option is the less-expensive synthetic oils, although they do not offer the healing properties of their natural counterparts.
5. How It Works
Essential oils work by stimulating the olfactory system and later the brain or limbic system. The fragrance, other properties and effects of the oil determine how these body systems and their parts are stimulated. During a massage, these oils are inhaled and absorbed by the body at the same time, penetrating the skin and eventually reaching the organs and body systems. The absorption can be as short as 20 minutes and possibly extend to 2 hours or more, making some experts advise to avoid a shower or bathing immediately after the massage to maximize the desired effect.
6. Effects Last Days, Not Hours
The longevity of a fragrance also varies from 3-24 hours to 2-3 days and even longer to about a week. Eucalyptus, peppermint
thyme, and bergamot are among oils with a short-lived scent, while the scent of hyssop, lavender, balm, and other oils last between 2-3 days. Jasmine, sandalwood, ginger and cedarwood are among the oils that take as long as one week before completely evaporating.
7. Achieve A Sense Of Calm
The desired health balance of an individual also requires the creation of a balanced perfume, or a combination of the three types of oils based on longevity. These various combinations or aromatherapy blends can be mixed into a warm bath to relax and calm an individual, eliminate stress and depression, energize and sooth the body or aching part. The healing or calming effect of a massage can be enhanced by applying essential oils. However, this would require the use of carrier oils to prevent irritation or any other negative skin reaction. Some of these carrier oils, which help dilute essential oils, include avocado oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, wheatgerm oil, almond oil, soya oil and hazelnut oil.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
For more great aromatherapy related articles and resources check out aromatherapy.naturaltherapieshq.com
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
The water ay be your eleent. You ay find the sea quite stirring yet in here you find your own serenity. Yes, the ere sight of the vast sea ay stir in you quite a nuber of various eotional responses. Not a few of people fro all walks of life are
Category:
You have done your share. Now, it is almost your turn to shine and feel relaxed after so many years of toiling and sowing greener fields just to earn a living. The next thing you have to worry about is to how you will put your money to good use so you
Category:
Each etiee has diffeent needs, pefeed leisue, abilities, and financial suppot. Most of them have only one thing in mind: comfotable living. Although many of the etiement homes in Floida offe the same benefits, the diffeence is the kind of
Category:
What is the cause of hearing loss and how can it be corrected with hearing aids? Hearing loss occurs to most people as they age. It can be due to aging, exposure to loud noise, medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital or hereditary
Category:
Stay at home moms, school children or just about anyone who wants to raise some funds for either a good cause or for some personal reasons need not worry about which idea they would use and considering that there are actually a of
Category:
If you are pretty talented at art you might not even consider going to Art College. Why should you, anyway? You can draw like the masters: Boticelli, Michaelangeo, Da Vinci. There wasn?t a landscape scene your brushes didn?t like, and there wasn?t any
Category:
In business, i does no maer wheher you work in a ypical office a shop or a facory. You are buil up of a group individuals wih specific goals owards producing he goods ha he company sells. This is wha defines a eam. From he mos mundane
Category:
Regular, one-on-one assessments with your staff provide an efficient two-way forum with which to set and review realistic achievement targets, provide feedback on performance, and listen to and consider any problems employees may have. For example, a
Category:
Giving gifts is an incomparable scheme, the goal of that is to bring a smile to the person who will receive the gift. In turn, it leaves a lasting impression on the person that tells how much you value him or her. No wonder why people values the idea of
Category:
With an alarming increase on crime rates these days, more and more people are getting cynical about their belongings and how they can protect them against intrusion and the elements. Thus, manufacturers and entrepreneurs came up with an idea on how to
Category:
Customer Retention marketing is a tactically-driven strategy to keep relationships with customers going and customer interest. This strategy relies on the study of customer behavior. Here are the basic tenets of a marketer that seeks to
Category:
A committed employee is extraordinarily valuable. You can gain staff commitment by meeting people?s key needs: paying attention to people at all levels; trusting and being trusted; tolerating individuality; and creating a blame-free, can-do culture. But
Category:
Teeth whitening procedures vary in accessibility d price. It used to be that dentists were the ones solely knowledgeable in the process of teeth whitening, but the popularity of teeth whitening toothpastes have made the practice easily achievable by
Category:
Unforunaely we can? ride our bikes everywhere. Someimes we have o ranspor our bikes from one place o anoher. In he old days, people would use hodge-podge mehods o ie heir bikes o vehicles for ranspor, bu hose days are long over! Wih
Category:
Hair loss (Androgenetic alopecia) refers to the reason of hair loss that is influenced by the androgen hormone, the genetic tendency for balding and aging. Because hair loss is caused by these hormones, treatment is available to immediately and
Category:
There is a saying that the pen is mightier than the sword, and history has proven it true. The ball point pen was invented in 1938 by the Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro. Since then, it has been responsible for changing the annals of history. Wars were
Category:
Sometimes we become aware of leaks at the worst time - when the rains pour. There are, however, different ways to fix these problems. One way of fixing it is to use waterproofing. The concept of waterproofing is based on the premise that all structures,
Category:
Even before the term alternative medicine was formally used, aromatherapy was already being practiced 5000 years ago by Egyptians. At that time, oil was extracted from aromatic plants through infusion and used for embalming, cosmetics and medicinal
Category:
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is characterized by a red itchy rash that is scaly and is oozing in some cases. The condition can appear on the arms and legs, cheeks, forehead, and in body parts such as knees and elbows where there are creases.
Category:
A lot of people nowadays are getting more intrigued by the allure of human hair wigs as compared with synthetic hair. And even if human hair wigs are a lot more costly than the synthetic variety, people still go for these due to their uncomprimising
Category:
Other links at Health & Fitness > Aromatherapy
There are two very indispensable essential ls in aromatherapy that should ideally be present in almost every household - Lavender and Tea Tree. These ls have innumerable uses and can be used with any kind of dilution. Lavender ? This
Category:
Aromatherapy is one of the best ways to treat one self. It is pampering and nurturing and very satisfying experie. Aromatherapy is effective in dealing with stress, depression and its related disorders. Depression is an umbrella term
Category:
Going on a trip is usually thought of as a wonderful experience, that you and your family may have planned and looked forward to for some time. To have the most fun - to get the most out of the experience - it's important that you and your loved
Category:
The origin of aroma therapy can be traced back to pre historic period, in the countries of ancient Egypt, Far East and China. The concept aims at the holistic treatment of the human body by making use of the immensely useful essential oils obtained from
Category:
A universally known fact is that aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from plants. One of the most commonly used essential oil in aromatherapy is that of Basil. Basil got its name from the Greek word ?basileum? meaning ?king?. Considered as "king
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68205
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
