We were living in England and I
was suffering from a chronic backache compounded by chronic fatigue and going
through a kind of vicious cycle – one problem leading to the other and vice
versa. Being married to an allopath had its advantages of receiving full
medical attention, but I guess my problems were very stubborn and would just
not get resolved. So I took a break and flew to London for a weekend to visit
my aunt. Without wasting any time she pushed me to go in for aromatherapy
sessions.
So my first meeting with an
aromatherapist took place in a lilac-coloured room in southwest London.
Christine Westwood had practised aromatherapy for three years, having trained
under Robert Tisserand. She was also on the council of the International
Federation of Aromatherapists, the governing body of aromatherapists in UK
setting standards for various training schools.
Her treatment began with a
questionnaire on my physical condition and diet and then followed a refreshing
massage. The sessions began with a thorough back massage using geranium and
bergamot oils, an uplifting combination – good for anxiety (and oily skin).
Concentrating on my back she pinpointed a very knotty area where stress had
apparently been building up for some time – areas where the muscles had
absorbed stress turned very tender during the massage. Face down on the massage
table; she put me through what can only be described as a physically refreshing
and mentally uplifting experience.
Although Marguerite Maury and her
husband, a homeopath, developed the modern practice of aromatherapy in Europe,
after World War II, its origins lie in the annals of most ancient cultures and
traditions. Combinations of resins, oils and fragrant plants were used in
various forms for ceremonial, medicinal, or pleasurable reasons in most ancient
civilizations. Aromatherapy (as it is today) was actually stumbled upon at the
beginning of this century when a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse
plunged his scalded hand into some lavender oil that lay nearby and found that
the pain of the burn was eased. Because he experienced almost instantaneous
pain relief followed by rapid healing of the burn, he carried out research on
wounded soldiers during World War I. Gattefosse’s research revealed that
essential oils could penetrate the skin and via extracellular fluids reach the
blood and lymph, which then transports them to the internal organs. In fact the
modern term ‘Aromatherapy’ was coined in 1928 by 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 began to be more widely known in the West.
However, Ayurveda, the traditional
Indian medicine, has been practiced for more than 3000 years and incorporates
aromatic massage as one of its main lifestyle aspects. It is used to strengthen
and rejuvenate the body, as well as therapeutically to detoxify it. Aromatic
massage helps balance the body and mind, by increasing circulation to bring
more nutrition to the cells and helping to remove metabolic wastes and toxins
built up in the system. Essential oils used in the ayurvedic massage
depend on the person’s type (prakriti) and the ailment s/he is suffering from.
Aromatherapy is more of a
complementary than alternative therapy. It detoxifies the body, increases blood circulation, and
boosts the immune system and the lymphatic system. The release of stress allows
the body’s own healing process to begin. These essential oils can be massaged
into the skin, added to bath water or vapourised in an oil burner, to produce a wide range of therapeutic effects in complaints ranging
from all kinds of aches and pains and skin disorders (like eczema) to poor
circulation, digestive problems, rheumatism, sinusitis, insomnia and
depression.
Essential oils are the odoriferous
substance in the roots, leaves, flowers, bark and resin of plants. Some plants
contain several types of essential oils. The orange tree, for example, has one
kind of oil in the flowers, another in the leaves and a different one in the
fruits. Some oils are clear, others lightly coloured ranging from pink to
brown, green to yellow. The main constituents of oils are alcohol, aldehydes,
acids, esters and acetone. Any essential oil that is not pure and has been
treated in any way should be avoided, as its action will be different from that
of the pure oil. In addition, there would be an increased chance of allergic
reactions to such oils. All essential oils are easily damaged by light and
should be kept in dark bottles. It takes about one tonne of rose petals to make
one kilo of essence, which makes the essential oils used in aromatherapy
extremely precious and invariably expensive.
Most oils fall into three
categories: Top ones, which are the fastest acting and most stimulating and
uplifting to mind and body (basil and eucalyptus), middle ones, which are
moderately volatile and affect the functions of the body such as digestion and
menstruation (geranium and juniper), and the base ones, which are slower to
evaporate and the most sedating and relaxing (myrrh and sandalwood).
When inhaled, essential oils
affect our bodies in several ways. The essential oil component molecules enter
the nasal passages where they stimulate the olfactory nerve. This sends
messages directly into the limbic system. The limbic system, located in the
brain, is the seat of memory, learning and emotion. The inhalation of the
essential oils triggers changes within the limbic system which in turn can
stimulate physiological responses within the body via the nervous, endocrine or
immune systems. I remember my grandmother putting muslin pieces dipped in
sandalwood oil under my pillow before my exams, to relieve me from nervousness.
Local application of diluted oils
on various points is also effective. It provides relaxation (muscular) as well
as a physiological action through the nervous system. In addition, when applied
topically, essential oils can exhibit anti-microbial, antiseptic, anti-fungal,
or anti-inflammatory properties.
In a therapy session, the
aromatherapist will first have a chat to find out about your state of mind,
current dietary and exercise habits and any physical problems. Treatment may
take the form of inhalation, where a few drops of oil are put in a bowl of
boiling water and the healing vapours are inhaled. But generally, the treatment
is in the form of massage. The oil is diluted and massaged into the problem
area. Once having decided on the blend of essential oils the therapist will
massage areas of your body, mostly in regions of the head, including the face,
back and feet. The massage has to be performed on bare skin. Tiny quantities of
the oils are mixed with a pure vegetable oil, which is then massaged into the
skin. Due to the highly penetrative nature of the skin, the oils reach the
small blood capillaries in the dermis layer of the skin and begin their action.
The parts of the body untouched are covered with thick towels. A course of
treatment may require between 10 to 50 sessions.
Different oils are used for
different physical and emotional problems and the aromatherapist usually
employs a blend of two to three oils to suit the individual’s specific problem.
A few of
the popular aromatherapy oils are: Peppermint for digestive disorders; Rosemary
for muscular pains and as a mental stimulant; Sandalwood for depression,
anxiety and nervous tension; and Lavender
for headaches, insomnia, burns, aches and pains.
Somehow as I am growing older, and
studying more and more about the various alternative therapies, I tend to
remember my grandmother – she had a therapy for every ailment! It seems I will
spend the rest of my life trying to understand the science behind her prescriptions…
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