Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that takes the physical, emotional and mental needs of an individual into consideration by using essential oils, which are natural, aromatic plant extracts.
How does Aromatherapy Work?
Aromatherapy can be used in every aspect of our lives: skin and hair care, cleaning, disinfecting, environmental fragrant, holistic health and pet care, inhalations, baths, showers, and massage. Aromatherapy seeks to strengthen the body's own innate self-healing process. The plant essences have the ability to balance, stimulate, relax, invigorate and rejuvenate our bodies.
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The value of natural plant oils has been recognized for more than 6,000 years, for their healing, cleansing, preservative and mood-enhancing properties, as well as for the sheer pleasure of their fragrances. Today, these properties are being rediscovered as we look to the wisdom of past eras and civilizations to restore the balance that has been lost in modern-day life. Stress, pollution, unhealthy diet, hectic but sedentary lifestyles – all these factors have adverse effects on our bodies and spirits. The art of aromatherapy harnesses the potent pure essences of aromatic plants, flowers and resins, to work on the most powerful of senses – smell and touch – to restore the harmony of body and mind.
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 The smell of bread baking in the oven … the scent of a summer barbeque … the smell of freshly cut grass … catching the waft of a rose garden as you walk by …
Familiar and favorite smells bring forward strong memories, without our active participation. Our sense of smell completely by-passes our conscious thought mechanism and travels directly to our limbic system.
Smell is our strongest sense! The human nose can detect up to 10,000 different odors at infinitesimal concentrations. For example, vanilla can be detected at a concentration level of .00000000762 particles per cubic inch. Our sense of smell is so powerful, physiological effects take place simply by inhaling an essential oil.
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 Our sense of smell is an integral and important part of our experience. But what happens when it doesn’t work?
Anosmia is the inability to smell. When we have a cold, flu, sinus disease or upper respiratory infections, we can experience temporary anosmia. Specific anosmia occurs when a particular odor or class of odors is odorless to the normal person.
Hyperosmia is an above average sensitivity to smell which women can sometimes experience during pregnancy.
There are several causes which can impair olfaction classified under two categories:
- Natural causes – related to odor fatigue and / or aging
- Unnatural causes – related to illness, trauma and the environment.
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