Ahhh, the sweet perfumes of nature. Spearmint, sandalwood, eucalyptus, cedar, thyme, rosemary, lime, and lemon – enough luscious scents to make your head spin. There are more amazing aromas in nature than there is time to explore them. These days, they can be reproduced in your home at the drop of a hat through essential oils. Because these essential oils are so available, it is easier now than ever before to enjoy the health benefits each and every one of them offers. Many of those benefits can be achieved through aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy and Plants
Long before Walgreens and CVS came along, there was a drug store of sorts in every grassy or wooded area and along every stream – it was nature’s pharmacy. Literally for centuries, people have been using seeds, pods, petals, bark, roots, stems, and leaves from plants which were said to hold therapeutic properties. Both research studies and ancient wisdom support many of the beliefs surrounding these beneficial characteristics. Today, essential oils are the best way to access the natural health benefits enjoyed by ancient civilizations.
Essential oils work for us the same way that the essences of the plants work for the plants themselves. They foster well-being and provide protection. These oils can have calming effects, be emotionally stimulating, immune strengthening, have anti-inflammatory properties, and antiviral, antifungal, or antibiotic characteristics. Their therapeutic properties go on and on. Many contain vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Aromatherapy Throughout History
Aromatherapy uses these essential oils to promote overall well-being and to enhance relaxation. Renée Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, coined the term ‘aromatherapy’, reportedly, as early as the 1920s. It was being used to describe the use of plant derived essential oils for purposes that were therapeutic. Long before that, however, well-being derived through the use of essential oils was being enjoyed by multiple cultures.
As of late, aromatherapy has enjoyed a resurgence. People are opting for more natural treatments, cleaners, clothing, energy sources; you name it. In today’s particular climate, stress reduction is a major concern. In fact, as many as 80% of modern chronic diseases can be attributed, at least in part, to stress. Fortunately, aromatherapy is the perfect way to combat anxiety and stress.
Enjoying Aromatherapy and How It Works
You don’t necessarily have to go to a specific aromatherapist to enjoy aromatherapy. With the availability of essential oils, you can now enjoy the basics of aromatherapy in the privacy of your home. In fact, you already have, possibly without even knowing it. Soaps and candles are an informal but highly utilized form of aromatherapy. If you want to get more serious about it, essential oils can be used to distribute your favorite scent throughout a room via a diffuser. And, of course, applying creams and oils directly to the skin also allows the user to enjoy the aroma as well as the topical benefits.
Stimulating a person’s sense of smell activates the limbic system. This system is involved in functions such as the regulation of mood and emotion as well as memory storage. So it’s no wonder that aromatherapy does what it does!
A 1995 study even found that some aromatherapies assisted certain people with weight loss. It has been discovered that during MRIs, enhanced relaxation and reduced anxiety were achieved through the use of heliotropin, vanilla, and lavender essential oils. And at the Mayo Clinic, anxiety and depression are being lessened through the use of aromatherapy.
You can begin to enjoy the benefits of nature’s healer by ordering your essential oils today from Plant Guru. We offer the highest quality products at affordable prices so that you can take full advantage of all those vitamins, minerals, exotic aromas, and the enhanced feeling of well-being you are bound to experience through their use.