9. Rx: aromatherapy:
Rx: aromatherapy: the sweet smell of an ancient therapy helps heal body and spirit - includes resources information
Jacqueline Y. MetcalfeIf the aroma of fresh flowers or of your mother’s baked bread soothes your spirit, you’ve already experienced aromatherapy. This centuries-old healing method relies on the power of scent to influence moods and emotions, relax or stimulate the mind and soul, and alleviate the symptoms of certain ailments.
Dating back to the time of the ancient Egyptians, the art of aromatherapy is based on the healing properties of essential oils - fragrant, highly concentrated extracts of flowers, leaves, fruits, roots and bark. Applied topically, the oils are absorbed through the skin. When released into our environment, they stimulate the olfactory nerve and send signals to the brain’s limbic system, which plays a key role in regulating our moods.
Although some dismiss the therapeutic value of essential oils, many English and French doctors have been advocates of this aromatic “medicine” since the 1920’s. Today aromatherapy, may be applied in a variety of settings. Psychologist Abena Asantewaa prescribes African peach-oil blends to lift the spirits of her depressed patients in South Bend, Indiana. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, physicians recently used heliotropin, a scent akin to vanilla oil, to relax patients who are preparing to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Marcel Lavabre, the author of Aromatherapy Workbook (Healing Arts Press, $12.95), believes that essential oils can even directly affect the condition of our internal organs. “Rosemary stimulates the liver, while peppermint, ginger and caraway will strengthen a weak digestive system,” he claims.
The following are ways that you can tap into the power of essential oils: Bask in an aromatic bath. For a relaxing soak, add six to ten drops of chamomile or lavender oil to warm bathwater. Wrap yourself in a special scent. To focus your mind, add three to five drops of rosemary oil to humidifier water and let the scent fill the room. Whiff a wonderful aroma. Clear upper-respiratory congestion by adding two to three drops of eucalyptus oil to four cups of hot water in a bowl. Leaning over the bowl cover your head with a towel to form a tent. Close your eyes and inhale the vapor for five to ten minutes. Mellow out in a scented massage. Try alleviating menstrual cramps with a blend developed specially, by Danila Mansfield, a certified aromatherapist in San Jose, California. Mix two drops each of clary sage, marjoram and lavender oil with one ounce of almond or safflower oil. Gently rub the blend on your abdomen or lower back.
Though the vast majority of essential oils are safe, some can be toxic if used improperly. Mansfield warns that many, oils should be avoided by pregnant women or those with high blood pressure. Essential oils should never be ingested.
To learn to use essential oils properly, consult an aromatherapist. Consultation costs anywhere from $75 to $150. Essential oils cost anywhere from $15 to $400 an ounce, depending on the rarity of the plant and the method of extraction. Aromatherapy should not be a substitute for traditional medical care but rather a complement to it.
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