The story of Aromatherapy begins nearly 6000 years ago in a time when all 'we' had were the natural resources around us to rely upon for nourishment and healing. Over the centuries, many practiced as well as researched the properties and applications turning what appeared to be primitive rituals into modern day practices. Unfortunately with the dominating nature of the Church along with the need for higher levels of Science and Technology, society lost touch with the healing potential available through the use of plants until the 20th century when a French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé became interested in the medicinal properties of essential oils following an accident in his lab formulating perfumes. He experienced a severe burn on his arm and quickly reacted by lunging his arm into the closest vat of liquid which happened to be lavender. Not only did his arm heal quickly, there wasn't even a scar. In 1928 he wrote an article supporting the use of the essential oils as a complete molecule rather than breaking them down into their constituents and ultimatley coined the term Aromatherapy . In 1937 he wrote a book called Aromathérapie: Les Huiles essentielles hormones végétales which was later translated into english called Gattefossé's Aromatherapy.
Fast forward 40 years and we're hearing from the highly respected Robert Tisserand who is introducing and illuminating the field of Aromatherapy to the English speaking world through articles and books like The Art of Aromatherapy. The premise of his work, to this day, is to bring integrity, clarity and understanding to the planet on what Aromatherapy truly is beginning with addressing the misleading nature of the word Aromatherapy as well as the neglectful references made by manufacturers, retailers and journalists regarding 'new' discoveries.
Obviously, the word alludes to smelling and as much as smelling a fragrance may help, smelling synethetics or perfume grade oils is of no use to anyone other than possibly assisting with creating memories. Aromatherapy, or Holistic Aromatherapy, is the use of volatile plant essences for psychological and physical wellbeing. Depending on the reason for treatment, a practitioner will make the appropriate application recommendations.
As an example, let's take a look at lavender. Lavender is widely known for its relaxing properties. It's also highly beneficial for burns as we discovered with Gattefossé. Knowing this, do you think simply smelling lavender will assist with healing a burn? That would be a 'no'. Additionally, lavender has demonstrated estrogen producing properties and is NOT recommended for anyone with breast cancer or the potential for developing it.
Another dilemma with Aromatherapy is the lack of acceptance which appears to be due to comprehending the holistic properties of essential oils.
It has been determined by such geniuses as Bruce Tainio that essential oils have energy ranging from 52 MHz to 320 MHz.. The cells in our body, when healthy, have a frequency between 62 and 68 MHz. Essential oils assist us with maintaining our energy body as we're inundated with stress, chemicals, poor quality food AND negative thoughts. Do they cure our ailments? You'd be kidding yourself if you thought they did. They do however, work in sync with other practices to raise our ability to heal.
So, what in the world is Aromatherapy? It's an ancient practice of using plant extracts to supplement our bodies on a cellular level....working holistically to connect body, mind and spirit