THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY

If you’ve read the blog before, you know I love aromatherapy and essential oils. I diffuse them in my home. I use them topically and I love them for a hot bath and even a room spray. Essential oils and the practice of aromatherapy aren’t just to make your home or yourself smell better. There are some wonderful health benefits as well. Have you ever used essential oils? If you haven’t or even just want to dig a little bit deeper, this article is a great one to discover some of the health benefits of aromatherapy.

In case you’re looking for great quality essential oils, my two favorite brands are Rocky Mountain Oils and Aura Cacia. Both brands feature an organic line as well as a conventional line of essential oils and many additions including essential oil blends, diffusers and more. – Margot

THE WHYS + HOWS OF AROMATHERAPY?

Some people might think that aromatherapy is replacing traditional medicine. Although it is an alternative method of practicing wellbeing, let it be known here and now that aromatherapy is in no way a replacement for modern medicine. Instead, see it as a tool that helps enhance your wellbeing both physically and psychologically using scents to stimulate certain responses. When performing aromatherapy, your goal should be to use the essential oils to shift your mental state and assist your body’s natural ability to regulate, heal, and balance itself.

How Does It Work?

Aromatherapy works as you inhale certain scents to stimulate your hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus is what regulates important bodily functions, like sleep and emotional responses. Once it reaches your hypothalamus, the stimulus of the scent travels through your limbic system and into the hippocampus, which is a part of your brain that’s crucial for memory. Not only does this help us associate a certain scent with a specific memory, but this is also what allows the body to react to the healing scents of aromatherapy.

Who Can Benefit?
Aromatherapy has endless benefits and isn’t exclusive to any one group of people. If you’re easily stressed or tend to feel out of balance, using aromatherapy might be a way to combat these involuntary feelings. Even those with respiratory concerns may be able to find an essential oil that soothes them. Overall, aromatherapy can be used by anyone who want to experience the holistic powers of essential oils. Just remember, it’s not meant to replace traditional medicine.

5 HEALTH BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY

If you want to know for sure whether or not aromatherapy is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:

Muscle or Joint Pain – Do you suffer from joint or muscle pain? Oils like wintergreen, peppermint, juniper, rosemary and thyme are great for joint and muscle issues. This joint support blend from Rocky Mountain oils is a great addition to any muscle/joint regimen.
Sleep Problems – Do you regularly have trouble sleeping? Essential oils that relax you such as lavender, ylang ylang and vetiver can aid in better sleep.
Stress + Anxiety – Are you experiencing depression, chronic stress, or anxiety? Lavender, sweet basil and chamomile are just a few oils that can help with anxiety and stress issues.
PMS – Do you experience PMS or menopausal symptoms? Clary sage, lavender and frankincense are among the oils that help with pms symptoms by balancing hormones.
Skin Care – Do you have skin concerns, including acne or cellulite? Frankincense can help even out skin tone while tea tree oil can help for acne.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider exploring your options with aromatherapy. What have you got to lose?

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS

How Can I Use Aromatherapy?

You can get creative with your use of aromatherapy once you understand its properties and benefits. Here are a few ways you can try out aromatherapy in your everyday life.

* Adding it to a diffuser and inhaling the steam.
* In a foot bath and hand bath.
* Direct application onto the skin (always remember to use a carrier oil or other form
of dilution to prevent any discomfort on the skin).
* With a compress.
* As a chest rub to support your respiratory system.
* On a pillow for soothing effects to help you fall asleep faster.

Now that more and more people are becoming familiar with the benefits of aromatherapy products, you can find aromatherapy being practiced almost everywhere you go these days. Spas, massage centers, and yoga studios are incorporating this style of relaxation to further improve the mental welfare of others. Many aromatherapy fanatics claim that it can help awaken your senses and boost your cognitive function, including improved memory and an overall more relaxed state of mind. If you’re looking for these types of effects, you can read more about aromatherapy to better understand the products you can use to get the most out of this holistic practice.

What are some useful aromatherapy products?

Aromatherapy uses essential oils and a variety of aromatherapy products like candles and aromatherapy diffusers. Candles and diffusers are great aromatherapy products and allow you to change the type of oil you want to use, so they’re versatile and convenient.

Before you purchase your aromatherapy products, make sure that they’re made especially for this purpose. This relates more to the essential oils than anything else. There are some products that can be labeled as aromatherapy products but might not actually be built to provide the benefits you’re looking for. Some products might contain artificial ingredients, which can actually cause more harm than good in most cases. Be sure that you’re using aromatherapy products that were built for the purpose of providing the calming and stimulating effects of aromatherapy.

Read Labels – Getting pure essential oils is extremely important. You don’t want to end up with diluted oils or blends that might contain chemicals. Essential oils that are pure will list ONLY that oil/s on the label. There will be no other ingredients listed with it. If you’re concerned with origin, go for oils that are 100% organic or therapeutic grade.

Where can I find aromatherapy supplies?

There is no shortage of places to find aromatherapy supplies. With its popularity surging and no signs of it slowing down, you can grab as many essential oils and aromatherapy supplies as you need, regardless of your budget. There are countless varieties of essential oils that can offer different benefits to you. You can search your local brick and mortar shops or browse any distributor of aromatherapy supplies online to get started on your path to feeling the benefits of aromatherapy. A healthy mind, body, and soul is within reach.

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