Aromatherapy is one of the oldest methods of holistic healing, equipped to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit with the use of fragrance or aroma. Alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health.
Aromatherapy is the treatment or prevention of disease by use of essential oils. Two basic mechanisms are offered to explain the purported effects. One is the influence of aroma on the brain, especially the limbic system through the olfactory system. The other is the direct pharmacological effects of the essential oils. While precise knowledge of the synergy between the body and aromatic oils is often claimed by aromatherapists, the efficacy of aromatherapy remains unproven. However, some preliminary clinical studies of aromatherapy in combination with other techniques show positive effects. Aromatherapy does not cure conditions but help the body to find a natural way of helping itself and build a better immune system.
Benefits and Effects
Aromatherapy treatments have both physiological and psychological effects. The combination of massage and the medicinal and therapeutic qualities of the essential oils (molecules both inhaled [aroma] and absorbed through the skin) can soothe, revitalise, uplift the spirit, encourage positive thinking and boost the immune system enabling the body to heal itself.
Physiological Benefits
- enhance lymphatic drainage - this helps to reduce fluid retention and prevent oedema
- induce a feeling of deep relaxation in the body
- help to restore balance in the body
- stimulate the body’s natural immune system
- increase the oxygen and nutrient supply to the tissues by increasing the blood circulation
- help to increase energy levels as blockages and congestion in the nerves are eased
Psychological Benefits
- promote a general state of well-being
- calm and soothe the mind
- help to reduce nervous tension
- help to lift the mood and reduce feelings of depression
