Essential Oil Therapy
Clinical Aromatherapy is the use of natural and high quality plant essential oils to enhance the health of body and mind and to treat disorders of these should they arise.
Like other holistic therapies, clinical aromatherapy aims first, to enhance and balance the individual constitution and thereby prevent the development of disease. Second, it aims to treat actual sickness when it arises. Because of the nature of essential oils, clinical aromatherapy s working method is essentially nondualistic, addressing the individual body/mind as a whole. Where the origin of disease is in the psyche, the oils as fragrance will work through the neuroendocrine functions down to the physical body to heal and re establish harmony. Where the origin of disease is in the body, it will work through the body s physiology up to the mental/emotional levels to heal and harmonize the whole person.
Effects of the oils
- Affect the body’s physiology, ie stimulant, relaxant, anti infective
- Affect the skin and superficial tissues when applied topically to moisturize, hydrate, stimulate, as well as treating muscular conditions
- They affect the psyche and soul through the release of the fragrance.
Natural vs. Synthetic Oils
Oils should be 100 percent natural and high quality grades. The reason for this is that only the natural, living plant extract carries the healing potential, not its dead, synthetic analog. The natural plant oil will give and create more life energy, whereas the synthetic will drain life energy as the body tries to eliminate something alien and unacceptable to itself.
Why essential oils in Chinese Medicine?
The pivot of Chinese herbal and dietary medicine has always been the warming and cooling natural qualities of herbal remedies and foods. Disharmony and disease is seen mainly as a dynamic of imbalance between warmth and coolness both in the environment (changing seasons and long-term climates) and in the individual organ functions both changing and constitutional.We heat the cold and cool the warm.
Essential oils also have the qualities of warming and cooling.
A Chinese Medical Practitioner will treat the meridian that is out of balance through medicinal or needles. The oils also have a selective affinity for particular meridians or channels. Based on the information that essential oils also enter the meridians the oils can be placed directly on the acupoints pertaining to that meridian. Thus affecting the disease within that meridian.
A hot stone essential oil treatment with acupuncture is an extremely effective way to harmonize and heal your body.The oil will directly affect the acupoint in a way that is synergistic with the needling. The patient can then take the oil home and apply to the acupoints as shown by their Chinese Medical Practitioner as a powerful way to continue their treatment.
Examples of Oils and their Uses
Rosemary: *Tonifies the Lung and Spleen Qi, it vaporizes phlegm, making it valuable for colds flues, asthma and rheumatism, strengthens the mind (excellent to use while studying for exams), opens the sinuses, muscle relaxant.
Jasmine: The smell of this oil brings balance, connectedness and confidence.It is very attracting to the opposite sex, and balances both male and female hormones. Jasmine nourishes the blood and regulates menstruation, making it useful for dysmenorrhea, pms or menopausal syndrome.
Neroli: *Tonifies heart blood and settles the heart and calms the mind. This makes it useful for neurocardiac deficiency with fatigue, palpitations, chest oppression, nervous depression, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, restlessness and hypertension.
*note: The use of the the organs function pertains to the meridian system of that organ as used in Chinese Medicine. Essential oils can be incorporated effectively and safely into one’s health care regime. There are few oils that have contraindications, depending on one’s condition. Just as you would research the right vitamin or herb, so should you with essential oils