Why Aromatherapy?

As I've been sharing with family members and friends my decision to study to become a certified aromatherapist, I have had lots of questions come my way.  People are curious about two things in particular:

1) What is an "Aroma Therapist"?
2) Why Aromatherapy?

When I announced my intentions, several of my friends assumed I was joining an essential oil company to sell oils.  Other friends probably assumed I had fallen into voodoo practices, and they are praying hard for me.  Neither is true. :-)  {But do pray for me!  I always need it!} 

My ultimate goal is to teach aromatherapy classes to groups of individuals in my community (i.e. essential oil first aid; essential oil safety; using essential oils with children; cleaning with essential oils; using essential oils to support emotional  and mental health; DIY essential oil based projects and products; etc. etc. etc.) and eventually have client consultations with individuals who seek help in supporting their health and well-being.

See, I used to be young and skinny and on-the-go.  Eating healthy foods and regular exercise wasn't really on my radar.  Then our kids started coming along, and I was no longer so on-the-go, in the "physically active" sense.  And then I started to be not so young...and then not so skinny...but I can't blame that last one on our kids.  I did that to myself.  I never had a pregnancy and the weight gain that typically accompanies it.  Our children came to us through adoption--3 amazing kiddos that we thank God for every day.  But I digress.

These are my people. <3

I started feeling sluggish and unhealthy and was struggling to find the energy to be the kind of mom I wanted to be.  I also wanted our kids to be healthy!  I didn't want them to eat the junk I constantly craved!  I started adding whole foods to our diets and removing the "crud" found in packaged and processed food.  I started looking for other ways to remove harmful ingredients from our home, such as the cleaning products we used and the skin care products we applied.  I was looking for natural alternatives to have a cleaner more natural home and lifestyle.

That's where essential oils came in.  In the spring of 2014, a friend at work told me about these little bottles of amazing plant extracts his wife had recently been introduced to.  He said they were already helping his family in several ways.  I was intrigued and attended an essential oil party his wife was hosting at their home.  Oh, what fun we had!  We passed lovely bottles of oils around and sniffed and poured and slathered ourselves in their lovely and intriguing aromas.  We even made a lavender pillow spray to help us sleep better that night.  It was amazing!

Amazing, except for a couple of things.  I developed The.Worst.Headache from inhaling the essential oils flowing from my friend's diffuser all evening.  By the time I got home, my palms were itching from all of the undiluted oils I had put into my hands.  I misted my pillow with the lavender spray to help me sleep...but I slept not one wink that night.  My whole body felt unusually nervous and twitchy and weird and I never could get settled down.

The next day, I realized something very important:  Essential oils are powerful substances and they really do affect the body!

Some people might have been intimidated about using essential oils after that experience, but instead, I decided to look into these substances and learn everything I could about them.  As I teacher by training and profession, and lover of research, I took on the challenge to find safer ways to incorporate essential oils into a healthier lifestyle for my family.

People-- I love essential oils!  I love hydrosols!  I love carrier oils and herbal oils and so much more!  I love what they have done for me, my family, and so many others.

Every week my eyes are opened to the wonders of aromatherapy...as well as the potential dangers.  My shelves are filled with books written by Vintage Aromatherapists (aromatherapy practitioners who have studied and practiced aromatherapy long before MLM* companies made essential oils popular and mainstream), Chemists, Herbalists and educated Enthusiasts.  My facebook is filled with posts from groups sharing new research about the oils and what science shows about their potential in preventing disease, supporting emotional wellbeing, and more.  My phone is filled with podcasts about cutting-edge research that discusses essential oils being used successfully in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.  My mind is an aromatic sponge! lol

I feel grateful to be studying with the School for Aromatic Studies.  Jade Shutes is a highly respected member of the Aromatherapy Community and really "knows her stuff".  I am enjoying the course immensely and wish I had more hours in the day to devote to working through the material.  What started as a hobby and an effort to have a healthier lifestyle may one day become a new career...who knows??

Folks, the field of aromatherapy is expanding like crazy.  Science is proving its validity.  The medical community seems to be awakening to the potential of essential oils in health care.  At the same time, we have to be careful and wise how we produce them, sell them and use them.  Social media pages are flooded with images of pretty amber bottles next to smiling moms and happy kids,,,giving out the message that good parents use essential oils on their kids...every day, for all the things.  Yet do proper usage and safety protocols accompany those lovely images?  Not as often as they should.  Also, do we remember to talk about sustainable harvesting practices so we ensure that the plants that give us these amazing substances can continue to thrive for generations?  Not as often as we should.

Essential oils have become so popular that companies selling them supposedly number in the hundreds!  It would not surprise me in the least.  People want their piece of this multi-billion dollar market, and to heck with actually knowing a zip about real aromatherapy!  This thought strikes me:  An industry can grow so darn fast, that common sense can't keep up.

As the industry does continue to grow, I hope our dialog on responsible use and sustainability also grows.  The issues of safe and responsible usage and sustainability of the plants that provide these oils need to be regularly addressed.  The cheesy, enthusiastic person in me says, "Keep Authentic Aromatherapy Alive!"

Thanks for joining me here, friends.  TTFN!

*MLM = Multi-Level Marketing (companies such as Tupperware, ThirtyOne, Pampered Chef, Plexus, Amway, Herbalife, Mary Kay and many others use this business format)

In future posts, I will be covering the following topics:

~ Discussing respected aromatherapy programs / schools / organizations that provide free or low-cost webinars or online courses for the home user.  I will also list several blogs and websites that have been  (and still are!) particularly helpful to me in my educational journey.  

~ Offering some words of caution in regards to the safe use of essential oils.  There is an abundance of misinformation on the internet.  Some messages either frightening people away from using essential oils or give them scary-unsafe advice to use on themselves of their children.  We'll discuss!

~ Aromatherapy myths and misconceptions...ooooo!

~ Reputable essential oil companies...uh oh! ;-)

~ Fun stuff I learn in my studies...yipeeee!