Aromatherapy

We hardly notice the smells of an ordinary day as we work at our many roles. It’s when an out
of the ordinary scent assaults our limbic system do we consciously become aware that
something is different. By Karen Sturtevant

The science of scent is an idea that is catching on.

We hardly notice the smells of an ordinary day as we work at our many roles. It’s when an out of the ordinary scent assaults our limbic system do we consciously become aware that something is different.

Walking in the bakery on a Sunday morning, we suddenly have a craving for those sinful scrumptious cinnamon buns. Guests may not remember that your living room was a mess when they arrived unannounced, but they will remember the smell of the chocolate chunk cookings baking.

The science of scent is an idea that is catching on. The Sense of Smell Institute, a division of The Fragrance Foundation, based in New York, is a leading resource dedicated to the sense of smell and its importance in psychology, behavior and quality of life. From furniture polish to air fresheners and bubble bath to shower gel, the study of smell is big business.

Smells are made from molecules that enter through the fine hairs in the nose, travel to the brain’s limbic system that control emotion, memory, and learning and stimulate the olfactory nerves.
Have you ever had a long-lost memory recovered because of a scent?

No two people smell the odor the same way and a woman’s sense of smell is stronger than a man’s.
Anacreon (c. 570 B.C. - c. 485 B.C.) said: “The best recipe for health is to apply sweet scents to the brain.” Anacreon’s thinking was centuries ahead of its time. Scents affect our emotions, thoughts, and bodies.
Scents that summon positive emotion are used to relax and rebalance our bodies and spirit. The essential oils are extracted from plants, trees, flowers, bark, and seeds. Specific oils are credited with specific properties: relaxation, stimulation, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and pain relief. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system. Oils can also be applied topically or diffused into an area.

The advantages of aromatherapy date back thousands of years. The Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, and Persians were forerunners in their use of flowers and herbs for medicinal and aromatic benefits. The Egyptians are credited with the invention of the first rudimentary machine used to extract the oil from cedar. These oils along with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and myrrh were used to embalm their dead. When a tomb was open in the twenty-century, traces of herbs were found intact in portions of the body and the scent, however faint, was discernible.

In the age of alternative medicine and holistic treatments, aromatherapy is used in work places, the home, and in clinics. In one study, when subjects smelled lavender, their brainwave frequencies showed an increase in alpha waves, which is associated with relaxation. In contrast, the scent of jasmine showed an increase in beta waves on the front of the brain putting the person in a more alert state.

In Japan, engineers are constructing aroma systems into new structures. In one practical application, the scents of lavender and rosemary are diffused in a customer area to encourage calm while lemon and eucalyptus are used in the bank teller areas to improve alertness.

Another Japan study monitored mistakes of keyboard operators and diffused three different scents in their area. When lavender was used, errors dropped by 20 percent; with jasmine, 33 percent; and lemon oil, an astonishing 54 percent.
Nature has provided us with the essentials oils of aromatherapy that can help with balancing the psyche, energizing bodies, igniting passion, and help in calming for meditation and relaxation.

The Sense of Smell Institute conducted a study with both college and middle-aged men and women and found the same results when it came to fragrance. Women’s feeling of tension, depression and confusion were significantly improved with the use of fragrance. Uses of colognes improved both mood and feelings of tension, depression, anger and fatigue for the men in the study.

The use of peppermint oil, applied topically, has been shown to reduce pain and have a long-lasting cooling feeling. A massage of chamomile oil has an analgesic effect reducing tension, anxiety, and pain.
For those days when your frazzled and running in ten different directions, try lavender for its soothing, clarifying and balancing attributes.

To revitalize and energize, let oils of peppermint, lemon, and bergamot work their wonders. Ylang ylang brings out sensual, romantic, alluring and amorous feelings. Only natural (not synthetic) essential oils deliver true aromatherapy benefits.

Use eucalyptus for purifying and invigorating, sweet orange for a mood lifter and vanilla with its lingering sweet scent for balancing, comfort, and calming. Allspice berry brings feelings of nurture and comfort; ginger with its warm, woodsy scent brings strengthening and anchoring.

For the honeymoon, pack oils of ylang ylang, rose absolute, jasmine or patchouli for passion and romance. Relax with sandalwood, frankincense, and myrrh and purify with tea tree and eucalyptus.

Experiment with different oils to find your favorites to help bring you to a more peaceful, relaxed state or to a more alert and energized state of mind. Oils can beautify your days and promote well-being and joy. Every facet of life can be enchanted with nature’s gift of essential oils. We all can use a little help now and then.

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