AROMATHERAPY

What is Aromatherapy ?

Aromatherapy is the inhalation and bodily application of essential oils from aromatic plants to relax, balance, rejuvenate, restore or enhance body, mind and spirit. Pure essential oils are extracted from many parts of the plant including the flower, leaf, resin, bark, root, twig, seed, berry, rind and rhizome.

A basic principle of Aromatherapy is to strengthen the self-healing processes by indirect stimulation of the immune system. The depth of use of essential oils is quite wide, ranging from deep and penetrating therapeutic uses to the extreme subtlety of a unique fragrance.

Aromatherapy is considered by some to be an ancient yet timely and modern approach to total well being that is in tune with nature. Aromatherapists, armed with a technical understanding of an oil's constituents, artfully blend essential oils to produce new aromas.

The results of Aromatherapy are very individual. While there is general agreement about the actions of certain oils, Aromatherapy texts may vary in their descriptions of the properties and characteristics of an essential oil. In addition, no two people are affected by the same essential oil in exactly the same way. Even the same person can be affected differently by the same oil depending on surroundings, time of day or mood.

What is the history of Aromatherapy?
The use of Aromatherapy actually predates written history. Combinations of resins, oils and fragrant plants were used in some form - for ceremonial, medicinal, or pleasurable reasons - in most ancient civilizations. Perfumes and aromatic plants were the basis for many of the early trade routes established among ancient civilizations. Some of the earliest documented uses of Aromatherapy were in Ancient Egypt. There, 3000-year-old papyruses have been discovered containing remedies for many types of illnesses; some of the methods of application are similar to the ones used in Aromatherapy today. The Ancient Egyptians used aromatic plants and their essential oils to create massage oils, medicines, embalming preparations, skin care products, fragrant perfumes and cosmetics. There are other written accounts of aromatic oil use in Ancient Africa, Mesopotamia, Greece, Babylon, and China. In fact, the Chinese Yellow Emperor Book of Internal Medicine, written in 2697 BC, is the oldest surviving medical book in China; it contains information on over 300 plants and their properties.

Greek and Roman civilizations later adopted the use of aromatic oils for both medicinal and cosmetic reasons. The Western world's standard medical reference for over 1200 years was a book on herbals written by the Greek physician Pedacius Dioscorides. In fact, many of his remedies are still in use in modern Aromatherapy. Aromatics were used in early Rome, where massage with oil would often follow a typical bath. The Romans, who were also voracious explorers and conquerors, expanded trade routes to East India, Arabia, and beyond. This enabled them to add a wide variety of new aromatic products to their repertoire.

Other examples of ancient cultures using some form of Aromatherapy abound. Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, has been practiced for more than 3000 years and incorporates aromatic massage as one of its main aspects. Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans used aromatic plants and oils in ceremony and in daily life. The Aztecs specifically were well known for their plant remedies, and a wealth of medicinal plants was found in Montezuma's botanical gardens when the Spanish conquerors arrived. North American Indians also used aromatic oils, smudges, and aromatic plant-based remedies.

The modern term Aromatherapy was coined in 1928 by the French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. Decades later, another French medical doctor Jean Valnet, inspired by Gattefosse's research, published his own work in 1964, The Practice of Aromatherapy. In 1977, Robert Tisserand released his book The Art of Aromatherapy and was successful in capturing American interest in this ancient healing art. Through Valnet's, Tisserand's, and other scientists' work of the current era, the healing science of Aromatherapy has begun to be more widely known in the West.

Today in the West, the popularity of Aromatherapy as an alternative or complementary therapy is growing rapidly. According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, in the US Aromatherapy is a $300 million dollar business, and they project it to be a $1 billion dollar business by the year 2000. (Health Foods Business 12/98, p.26) Already, in areas of Europe it is common to find mainstream doctors who practice Aromatherapy and health insurance companies that reimburse for treatments.

By Janna Ignatow