April 8, 2009
A Guide To Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is an alternative medicine technique that makes use of essential oils, and other plant compounds that are aromatic. The health and mood of the person is effected favourably by these oils. These oils are cold-pressed or steam distilled from fruits, flowers, roots and bark. Aromatherapy is the art of using non-oily and volatile essence of plants for healing the mind and body. Essential oils have been used to heal the body, soothe the psyche and revive the skin tone for many years.
There is no doubt that there are perceivable benefits of aromatherapy but only if you use natural herbal aromatherapy products. It is important to use top quality ingredients and that to buy aromatherapy supplies from reputable sources.
Aromatherapy Massage Types
Oils are applied easily to the skin for a light, even glide and smooth workability. Pure cold-pressed oils are ideal for therapists looking for natural products.
Aromatherapy massage can be extremely relaxing when one is down with stress. Massage is a technique to apply the essential oils to right places on the body. This massage is quite easy and can be done by anyone.
The aromatherapy massage is carried out toward the heart, which is the natural flow of the body. If massage is being given to children using this methodology then use soft and comforting movements. Most beneficial movement during aromatherapy massage is effleurage, which is a series of soothing, gentle strokes that enable essential oils to penetrate the pores of the skin. To spread the aromatherapy oil, make use of whole hand and not only the tips of the fingers. The strokes should vary between firm or gentle, and long or short. This will help in muscle relaxation, and nerve ending will be soothed. Right massage also help increase the blood circulation and relive stress.
Petrissage is the massage that imitates the movements of kneading dough gently. When using this technique for aromatherapy massage with essential oils, movement should be careful and slow. These movements are especially helpful in body parts with fat accumulation, and on backs. It helps increase the blood circulation, relax the muscles and release the toxins that get trapped in the body. Applying slight pressure with the thumb also helps.
Use of essential oil aromatherapy for head massage is also quite popular. After putting oil on the scalp with the help of fingertips, use the finger to work all over the scalp. Massaging around base of the neck and moving upwards to the base of scalp is quite beneficial for people suffering from headaches and migraine.
It is possible to make the aromatherapy essential oils as per your own choice. This can be done by blending eucalyptus, rosemary, neroli, lavender, peppermint or nutmeg to the base oil. These aromatherapy oils can be added to the water while taking bath or diffusers can be used to dispense the oils into the air.
If aromatherapy massage is done properly and if spa is being taken, it can give great benefits by calming the stressed mind, and healing the physical discomfort. This massage is stress relieving and make the entire body very relaxed.
October 23, 2008
Aromatherapy is making a positive impact in the world today, and as it becomes popular more and more people are starting to believe in the power of aroma and smell to heal illness and disease. So by using liquid plant extract (essential oils), we can change a persons mental or physical health in a very positive way. The different plant extracts can be blended together to help many types of illness, including stress.
The three basic styles of aromatherapy:
- Home aromatherapy.
- Clinical.
- Aromachology
We will discuss each of these 3 types of aromatherapy in this article and this will hopefully serve as an overview of this topic.
Clinical aromatherapy:
A knowledge of plant extracts and their synergistic effects on the body is required for making decisions in the clinical use of aromatherapy. It is very important to know the correct dosage and duration of the oil in terms of which essential oils to use for a treatment.
However, aromatherapy it is regarded as an "alternative or complementary treatment" to the main stream medical practices, and is not seen as valid healing science by many doctors. It is also very unlikely that aromatherapy will be used as a treatment in any major clinical facilities, It is more likely you will find it in use at some of the more holistic healing centers in your area. At this time it would probably be better to only use aromatherapy as a complement to excepted medical treatments, until the medical proof is established to enable it to be used as a comprehensive treatment.
Using aromatherapy in the home:
The statement “home aromatherapy” is used to describe the use of the essential oils and other materials in a very basic way. This is often the technique used when a person is stressed and is in need of relaxation, aromatherapy massage will most definitely help here. Some of the oils used in home aromatherapy include essential oils such as lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, grapefruit oil and also absolutes. Absolutes are oils extracted from aromatic butter’s, one that is very well-liked and successful is rose absolute. Rosewater is a further well-liked essence used in aromatherapy at home. This is known as a hydrosol because it is the by product in aqueous form from a distillation process.
Aromachology:
This is described as the study of how a variety of plant extracts used in aromatherapy actually affects the brain and the physiological makeup of the human body. Simply put, it is about how we act and react to individual fragrances and how our body and brain reacts when we experience them.
For that reason, by studying the effects that smell and aroma has on a individuals behavior, aromachology can verify what benefits will be presented to modern medicine in the future. The medical field already know that some plants act as stimulants while other create a relaxing affect.