Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy heals in a easy and gentle way. and what’s more, the ‘treatment’ is not just for your physical problems, but for your mental and emotional problems as well.


¤ Aromatherapy Oldest Forms of Natural Therapy of India

Aromatherapy is one of the oldest forms of natural therapy practiced in India, and also in Egypt and China. Way back in 1000 BC, people used aromatic oils and plants to adorn their bodies and for physical and mental well being, for religious purposes and for mummification.
With a rekindling of interest in the ‘natural way of life’ people are once again turning to aromatherapy, the most natural and beneficial of all forms of naturopathy. Aromatherapy is not to be confused with herbals or nature cure, the latter being the wider domain.


¤ Treatment With Oils

Aromatherapy is the precise art of using Essential Oils. These oils are the distilled vital essence of a plant with complex hydrocarbons, and are present in flowers, leaves, grass, roots, barks, seeds and fruit rind. A single drop of this essential oil, equivalent to an ounce of living plant, is highly potent. The process of extraction is rather slow, laborious and expensive. To give you an example, 30 roses would give only a single drop of rose oil.

Likewise aromatherapy works subtly but steadily. Needless to say, it has a more holistic approach. When you smell something pleasant, the message goes directly to the brain, and then subconsciously it modifies your emotional behavior and physical infirmity. For instance, the scent of sandal paste, which is a must for puja (ritual worship) in the morning – a time when one is a blithe spirit – is bound to bring happy associations. A whiff of sandal at the end of a tiring day is a good thing to refresh the mood. and the smells you gather work on your perceptions and mood.


¤ Oil Treatment Proves Magical

Essential oils are like sacred gifts of nature. Very small amounts can work wonders for our bodies, stimulating, rejuvenating and balancing our delicate life-support system; they literally spring the body back into action. The oils can be applied directly to the afflicted part of the body, or can be heated so that its fumes can be inhaled.
They increase mental activity, stimulate positive feelings and control the negative ones, trigger pleasant memories, deodorize, bring calmness, energize and activate blood circulation and sexual feelings.
All this in addition to their curative properties. The oils are good fighters against bacterial and viral diseases, septic infections, rheumatism, insomnia, anxiety, indigestion and other ailments. They also work well as anti-diuretic, anti-venomous, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-toxic agents. But more than anything else, essential oils are especially great for hair and beauty treatments, what with their enormous rejuvenating capacity.


¤ The Use of Oil In Hospitals

In many places, hospitals have replaced chemical sedatives with essential oil blends which include lavender, marjoram, geranium and cardamom oils.
Firms in Japan are pumping aromatherapy oils through air cooling systems for a unique purpose – to increase employee efficiency! In India, many homes have been into this business of essential oils since long, though not knowing the fashionable term ‘aromatherapy’.
The burning of incense sticks and the use of ittars (traditional perfume concentrates) is something you’d find in many Indian homes.

Today aromatherapy is fast becoming the keyword in beauty and health spas, perfume and cosmetic industries the world over. One can see clearly that it is poised to be the alternative healing system of the future. So whatever be your ailment, let the fragrances of nature be the doctor!