olfactory aromatherapy: Direct or indirect inhalation of essential oils. Olfactory aromatherapy unlocks odor memories and encourages realignment of natural forces within the body.

(See also: Olfactory aromatherapy , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

essential oils

Fluid extracted from botanical sources and preserved in pure form. Some are poisonous when taken internally, and many report irritations when applied directly to the skin. Used in Aromatherapy, usually in blends diluted with basic carrier oils.

(See also: Essential oils , Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

AROMATHERAPY: uses essential oils from flowers, trees, roots, herbs, berries and fruits, to treat emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety as well as a wide range of other ailments and to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. Oils are either massaged into the skin in diluted form, inhaled, placed in baths, or applied on and around the body.

Aromatherapy is often used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic and other wholistic healing.

What is aromatherapy?

It is the controlled use of natural essential oils in the process of physical and emotional healing. You may have discovered that in some ways, you've been experiencing aromatherapy most of your life without even knowing it.

We have all experienced memory recall triggered by a particular scent; perhaps the scent of a favorite flower, or the perfume your grandmother used to wear, or an aunt's linen closet. The event can produce positive or negative memories. Certain scents may trigger negative thoughts of a person or place in your past. Whatever the case, the importance of scent in our lives is quite profound and in some ways, unique to each of us. Aromatherapy is a way to enjoy a controlled use of natural oils to enrich and benefit your life.

What are essential oils?

Whole, pure essential oils come from nature; they are the "essence" of plants. They are droplets of water-like fluid contained in the leaves, stems, bark, flowers, roots and/or fruits of different plants, and give the plant its unique scent. Essential oils are volatile, whereas they easily transfer from a liquid to a gaseous state at room temperature or higher. The amount of essential oil found in most plants is 1 to 2%, but can contain amounts from 0.01 to 10%. They can change in composition and location with a particular plant. For example, orange trees produce neroli oil in their blossoms, orange oil in their citrus, and petitgrain oil in their leaves. Essential oils are also very concentrated and extremely potent, and sometimes 75 to 100 times more concentrated than say, the herb it is present in. This is all the more reason to use these oils with thorough knowledge of their potency.

How are essential oils extracted?

There are two common procedures for extracting true essential oils:

1. Steam distillation
2. Expression

 The process of steam distillation has 5 steps:

1. Steam plant material
2. Collect steam carrying aromatic molecules
3. Cool in cold-water bath
4. Produce floral water and essential oil
5. Separate essential oil, then bottle

This process is also the most popular for obtaining the essential oils from plants. The steam is forced into a vat containing the plant material, which ruptures the oil glands and releases the oil. The volatile oils are cooled, separated from the water content, and bottled. It may take hundreds or thousands of pounds of plant material to distill a single pound of the essential oil. Bulgarian Rose oil requires about 4,000 pounds of hand-picked flower petals to make 1 pound of oil, obviously making this one expensive oil!

The second method, extraction, has 4 major steps:

1. Have citrus peels
2. Machine press
3. Obtain essential oils and fruit waxes
4. Separate oils, then bottle

This method is primarily used in the perfume and food industries, and does not produce a 100% pure essential oil. Solvents are used in the process to pull out the soluable molecules; therefore making them incomplete oils. Resins, concretes, absolutes, and pomades result from this method.

How are essential oils taken in?

Essential oils are absorbed into the body two ways; through the skin and through nasal inhalation. Our sense of smell, controlled by the olfactory system, is some 10,000 times greater than any other sense. The olfactory system is directly linked to the limbic system, which is responsible for our emotional state, memory, and certain regulatory function.

Essential oils also penetrate the skin, or the integumentary system. Because essential oils have a low molecular weight and are organic in nature, they are absorbed through the pores and hair follicles of the skin, and unlike synthetic chemicals, they do not accumulate in the body. Absorption can take place anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours, and take from 3 to 6 hours to be metabolized in a healthy body. Excessive fat or toughened skin may slow down the rate of absorption; whereas heat, water, exercise, or broken skin may speed it up.

How are essential oils used?

Aromatherapy is used to self-heal and soothe common, everyday health challenges. It is by no means a replacement for the opinion of a licensed physician, and should always be used with respect.

As with all things derived from nature, some essential oils are considered hazardous, and under certain circumstances, should be avoided. Some are phototoxic, neurotoxic, or carcinogenic, and safety precautions should always be considered when working with and administering any essential oil.

Here are common-sense safety points to note:

1. Avoid essential oils deemed as hazardous
2. Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children.
3. Remember essentail oils are very potent.
4. Do not take orally.
5. Follow dilution guidelines carefully. Never use an oil without first diluting.
6. Use 1% or less dilution during pregnancy.
7. Be aware of others with sensitivities or allergies.
8. Do not use on or near the eyes.
9. Do a skin patch test if prone to sensitivities.
10. Use extra care on broken or damaged skin.
11. Avoid phototoxic essential oils if history of skin cancer.
12. Keep them away from light and heat sources.
13. Use only therapeutic genuine and authentic essential oils.

(See also: Aromatherapy , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

Of course there are as many ways to perform magic as there are people doing it. This is my own personal opinion and preference. There are no rights and wrongs in magic, so do what feels right for you. Magic should not be performed for fun or to fulfill wishes. It should be performed to improve your life and the lives of those you love by solving NEEDS.

Read more here: » Magic Spells: How To Cast a Spell - A Simple, Easy Guide to Creating Magic for Beginners

 A study at The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, England, demonstrated the health benefits of Aromatherapy through the practice of aromamassage. Thirty-six patients in the ICU and CCU were given massages, some with aroma oils and others without. The results showed a 91% reduction in heart rate for the group treated to aromamassage, a 51% reduction in the other massage group receiving unscented oils, and only 41% in the control group which received "standard care" treatments.

Read more here: » Aromatherapy: It All Makes Scents

Bach Flower therapy is a unique medicine system that can change very subtle emotional and psychological states of being. Terror, depression, anxiety, irritability , intolerance, lack of confidence, hatred or selfishness... two drops thrice a day of the right remedy can uproot such deep-seated personality traits. And, in the process, heal the body.

Read more here: » Bach Flower Remedies: Bach Flower Remedies for spiritual harmony

In Hinduism and Buddhism the chakras are symbolised as flowers. In our human undeveloped state the chakras are like flower buds waiting to be opened. This article by Essential Oil-expert Carol Anne Asher explain the anatomy of the chakras and how essential oils may cleanse and raise the vibration of the chakras.

Read more here: » Essential oil: The Anatomy of the chakras

FLOWER ESSENCES: Elixir of Alchemy

Everyone knows how important flowers are -- for their beauty, their fragrance, their oils in Aromatherapy and perfumes, even sometimes in food. But the most important property of flowers is seldom mentioned: their vibrational essence, and their literal connection to the human electrical system.

This is the true meaning of alchemy: to transmute dross into gold -- to transform suffering into joy, pain into learning, dis-ease to health, and darkness into peace and light. Are flower essences capable of doing this? Yes, and more.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

Read more here: » Indigo Children: Indigo Coach and Flower Essence Therapy

Aromatherapy is a form of herbal medicine, in which healing effects are ascribed to the aromatic compounds in essential oils and other plant extracts. Many common essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied in folk medicine since ancient times and are still widely used today. For example, many essential oils have antiseptic properties, though some are stronger than others. In addition, many have an uplifting effect on the mind, though diffe ...

See also:

Essential oil, Essential oil - Production, Essential oil - Perfumery, Essential oil - Aromatherapy, Essential oil - Popular uses, Essential oil - Dangers, Essential oil - Raw Materials

Read more here: » Essential oil: Encyclopedia II - Essential oil - Aromatherapy

Flower essences are an alternative healing remedy that is used specifically for emotional healing. Flower essences, also called flower remedies, are made from the blooms of specific flowering plants and trees. Flower essences are so useful for emotional sensitivity that it is almost as though they were made exactly for the issue of empathic ability.

Read more here: » Flower Essences: Emotional Healing with Flower Essences

Although yoga is best used as preventive medicine, some of its practices also have great therapeutic value. They can help those suffering from various difficult physical conditions, like back pain, scoliosis, and arthritis. However, ideally, your yoga practice should be an integral part of your efforts to maintain good health and prevent degenerative diseases.

Read more here: » Yoga: Therapeutic Yoga

The Herbal Dictionary

A herbal dictionary with definitions.

Please note that all words in grey, like "yoga", "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

Acupuncture and acupressure are two non-drug therapies which are making their presence felt in the complementary medicine scene. And acupressure and reflexology are getting the crowds because of ease of practice. But how do these gentle systems work?

Read more here: » Acupuncture and Acupressure: How do Acupuncture and Acupressure work?

The pursuit of prosperity is a constant driving force and desire for most of us and most requests for spell-work that come my way involve love or prosperity.

To begin, let me state outright that you can not simply burn a candle and sit back like a couch potato and expect a windfall. You must be taking some action outside "the circle" to draw good fortune to you. While karma does play a role in this as in all matters, you can facilitate the attraction of abundance. Here are some of my favorite ways to draw prosperity into your life.

Read more here: » Prosperity: Spells, rituals and other techniques to attract prosperity

About dreams and how we can improve our dream recalling abilities.

Read more here: » Meaning of Dreams: Remembering Your Dreams

aromatherapy

The art of healing and wellness using essential oils and oil blends. Depending on the remedy, application may be internal, external or as an inhalant

(See also: Aromatherapy , Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

chakra healing (chakra balancing, chakra energy balancing, chakra therapy, chakra work): Subject of The ABCs of Chakra Therapy: A Workbook (Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1998). chakra healing is any means of energy clearing that focuses on or has been geared to chakras, including aromatherapy, hatha yoga, reflexology, and visualization (see creative visualization).

(See also: Chakra healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

aromatherapy (aromatic medicine, conventional aromatherapy, holistic aromatherapy): Branch of herbal medicine that centers on using fragrant substances, particularly oily plant extracts, to alter mood or to improve individuals' health or appearance. The benefits of aromatherapy range from stress relief to enhancement of immunity and the unlocking of emotions from past experiences. Although aromatherapy has ancient roots, proponents did not call it aromatherapy before the 1930s. It derives from the French word aromathŽrapie, coined by RenŽ Maurice GattefossŽ, a French chemist whose book of the same name was published in 1928. After a lab explosion GattefossŽ conveniently plunged his badly burned hand into a vat of lavender oil. He noticed how well it healed, and thus began the development of modern aromatherapy, which French homeopaths Dr. and Mme. Maury revived in the 1960s.

In aromatherapy substances are essential oils (oils that are volatile, aromatic, and flammable) from flowers, fruits, grasses, leaves, roots, and wood resins. Manners of use of such oils include sniffing, ingestion, addition to bathwater, and application to the skin (typically with massage). One of aromatherapy's principles is that essential oils have a spiritual dimension and can restore balance and harmony both to one's body and to one's life. One of its principles, the doctrine of signatures, holds that a plant's visible and olfactory characteristics reveal its secret qualities. For example, because the configuration of the violet suggests shyness, aromatherapists hold that its scent engenders calmness and modesty. Some proponents have characterized essential oils as the soul or spirit of plants.

(See also: Aromatherapy , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Essential Oils Dictionary

Aromatherapy, commonly associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is the use of volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other aromatic compounds from plants to affect someone's mood or health. The word was coined in the 1920s by French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé. The main branches of aromatherapy include: Home aromatherapy (self treatment, perfume & cosmetic use) Clinical aromatherapy (as part of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy) Aromachology (the psycho ...

Including:

• Aromatherapy - Materials
• Aromatherapy - Theory
• Aromatherapy - Application
• Aromatherapy - Therapeutic effects
• Aromatherapy - Criticism

Read more here: » Aromatherapy: Encyclopedia - Aromatherapy

In the ancient systems of medicine and healing, mind, body and soul where seen as interconnected and non-separable. When one part of the whole was stimulated, it also affected the other parts as well as the whole. Health in a spiritual perpective concern both physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being. Alternative medicine is holistic by nature and looks at whole being to understand and correct that which is not in balance.

Read more here: » Alternative Medicine

Flower Essences is a kind of subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, bark and roots of herbs, bushes, shrubs and trees through distillation. It is a form of Vibrational Healing.

According to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using essential oils thousands of years ago to heal the sick. They are the oldest form of medicine and cosmetic known to man and were considered more valuable than gold.

Read more here: » Flower Essences for healing

Spirituality and health is in essence to also look beyond the physical body. In the ancient systems of medicine and healing, mind, body and soul where seen as interconnected and non-separable. Spirituality and Health were not seen as separated but closely connected. When one part of the whole was stimulated, it also affected the other parts as well as the whole.

Health in a spiritual perpective concern both physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being. An approach where spirituality and health are seen as two sides of the same coin is holistic by nature and looks at the whole being to understand and correct that which is not in balance.

Read more here: » Spirituality and Health