The Health Benefits of Aromatherapy

>nervousness. Peppermint will make you happy, and so
on.
The use of fragrances for the well-being of manWe all know the power that smell can have on our
dates back to pre-historic times. Oils and incense hasmind. Meeting someone for the first time in a place
been used for thousands of years to calm nerves,that stinks might make you actually dislike the person
heal wounds, achieve a higher mental state and evenyou are seeing, even if the foul smell does not
to call for the attention of deceased relatives.originate from him or her. And if it wasn't for the
Although modern science can't prove thatpower our noses have over our logical brain we
aromatherapy will bring back the dead, there is nowouldn't be spending billions of dollars on perfume and
doubt about the effect on the human psyche.eau de cologne each year.
Everyday, millions of people are made to feel betterSeeing a photo from your daughter's wedding might
by the burning of incense sticks, scented candles andmake you remember the actual events that took
other ways to enjoy the large variety of fragrancesplace on that day, but smelling a drop of rose oil will
available.actually take you back to the state of mind you had
Although modern science can't prove thatthen. You can re-live the moment of happiness over
aromatherapy will bring back the dead, there is noand over again.
doubt about the effect on the human psyche.So how do you go about taking advantage of the
Everyday, millions of people are made to feel betterhealing powers of aromatherapy? First of all, you
by the burning of incense sticks, scented candles andmust decide for what you want to use it. If you
other ways to enjoy the large variety of fragranceshave an important exam tomorrow, you probably
available.need something that will calm your nerves. Then
The term aromatherapy was coined in 1928, whenorange or coriander could be a good choice. If a
French chemist R. Gattefossé, by a stroke of badloved one just passed away your grief can be
luck (or luck as it turns out), accidentally burnedrelieved by bergamot or jasmine.
himself on the hand in his lab and instinctively put hisYour local health store should be able to assist you in
hand into a bowl of lavendar oil in order to reduceselecting the best fragrance for you.
the pain. He noticed that the burn wound healed veryThe next thing to decide is what method of
quickly and left almost no scarring. From then on hedispersion you want to use. There are incense sticks,
devoted his life to investigating the healing benefitsessential oils and scented candles. Which one you use
of essential oils.is up to you, although oils are probably the most
For the last decades the physical healing powers ofversatile of the three. Oils can be vaporized, rubbed
aromatherapy has been somewhat pushed aside inonto the skin or put into the bathtub, all according to
favour of the effects on the human mind. Someyour preference.
fragrances can reduce stress, others can helpThe third and final thing to do is... well.. take a deep
over-coming a depression. Lavendar, bergamot, rosesbreath through your nose and relax!
and violets, for example are said to get rid of