AROMATHERAPY
Aromotherapy was born at the time of the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans, where the world was made of fragrances and essences. It is a branch of phytotherapy that uses volatile and strongly odorant substances called essential oils, distilled from plants to intervene in a wide range of physical and spiritual disorders: from cold to migraine, from anxiety to insect bites. It originates from the use of plant essences, contained in specific structures within various organs of the plant (such as leaves, flowers, petals, bark, wood, seeds, pericarps, roots) and is still widely used with different declinations and purposes. However, health comes from how we treat ourselves and the more we respect our body and mind, the happier we will be.
THE ORIGINS OF MODERN AROMATHERAPY
The word was first coined by the French René Maurice Gattefossè, chemist who in the twenties of the twentieth century, preparing cosmetics through the use of different natural essential oils, He realized that the essence derived from the lavender plant had a soothing effect on burns and wounds, which allowed it to be used in the military during the Great War.
The method of production went through several stages, until it found a remarkable improvement in the Middle Ages. Currently there are many plants that can be used for this purpose, and it is obvious that the best essences from the point of view of the benefits obtained are those totally natural (not artificial!)which are usually bought in shops selling natural foods and in herbalists’ shops, which are contained in small glass bottles.
HOW AROMATHERAPY WORKS
Our senses capture energy and information from the outside at all times. We connect to the world in a primitive way by perceiving what is good or not good for us. Of course, most people are anesthetized because, digitally connected all day, we no longer perceive, as our grandparents did, the magic of matter. Rediscovered and used consciously, the senses can be a direct path to help trigger the body’s healing system.
Aromatherapy with essential oils is very useful to calm the high vibrations from stress and to let go.
When inhaled, the various aromas stimulate the olfactory receptors, which then sends messages through the nervous system to the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that controls emotions.
Surely the mere thought aroused emotions or a memory. There is usually an associated body response, so you may smile or feel a knot in your stomach. The mind and the body are inextricably linked: what affects one, influences the other.
THE BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy is able to bring several benefits to our body: antibiotic effects, local anesthetics, carminative, balsamic-expectorant, dermatological, antispasmodic, relaxing, are just some of the possible effects that the use of essential oils can have on our body… and not only.
Each plant has one or more properties that can be used by aromotherapy: lavender has calming properties on insect bites, bronchitis and sun burns, beneficial effects on sleep disorders, earache, and flu. For the flu, thyme and peppermint are perfect, while for muscle pain or inflammation a useful remedy may be the essential oil of juniper or rose.
And if the lemon is a powerful antiseptic, Roman chamomile, sandalwood and basil are powerful weapons against stress, fatigue and psychophysical tension.
