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It may be difficult for the modern mind to grasp how a perfume may be embued with a healing power or how healing the air from 'injury' (an ancient Greek way of describing bad smells or polluted air) with scented plants could possibly be true. The ancients may not have known the science behind the phenomenon but they certainely understood the relationship between plants, scents and diseases and understood that some great healing principle was at work. Today we take for granted much of the medical knowledge such as, many of the most feared infectious diseases are airborn and it makes sense that the volatile essential oils of plants may help clean the air with their many antiseptic and anti-bacerial properties. From a spiritual perspective, what could be more pleasing to the soul than the delicate scent of a flower such as a rose or the invigorating scent of the pine tree, one of the eldest tree on the planet. Beautiful natural scents seemed to please the psyche and often work as catalyst in soothing and pacifying the soul and the senses. All of this is what contributes to wellbeing.

Prevention of Illness:

Prevention of illness is the best form of medicine there is. The increasing pollution of the environment, undoubtedly, puts the human body under attack and in many instances makes it harder to recover quickly from some diseases. This re-enforces the need for a preventive medicine that promotes natural healing, whenever possible. Nature in its wisdom has provided many plant remedies that can help maintain or restore wellbeing. Essential oils,the fragrant substances from aromatic plants used in aromatherapy, have prophylactic and antiseptic properties that can strengthen the body's natural defences. The essential oils also have many other physiological and psychological therapeutic properties and are known to be well assimilated by the body.

Essential Oils, the 'moderators' of Emotions & Stress

Essential oils can help reduce stress and ease mental problems of anxiety, anguish and anger as well as help diminish the acuteness of certain stress-related ailments (e. i. asthma, eczema, indigestion, etc.).

The natural release of stress-hormones from the 'Fight or  Flight' mechanism helps free extra energy when in difficult or dangerous situations. Once the crisis is past, the 'fight or flight' mechanism does not automatically go back to normal and in many instances, it takes a personal effort on the part of a person affected, to bring the 'stress mechanism' back to normal.

If reflexes stay in constant 'crisis-mode', it may lead to on-going release of stress-hormones, which can lead to a vicious cycle of hyperactive stress-responses (irritability, defensive attitude, irrational emotions, etc) and unwanted restlesseness. People's life can become deeply affected as they find it more and more difficult to ease acute anxiety, properly relaxe or sleep through feeling always 'on-the-go'.

Aromatherapy is known to gently energise the body and combined with Massage and other Therapies, it can help improve immune defence and optimise health and wellbeing. The versatility of the essential oils gives aromatherapy a truly holistic treatment for both Mind

and Body through the power of its wonderous scents. 

Furthermore, smells are the 'memory anchors' that map-out daily events. Long term memory, emotions and the olfactory system are closely associated as they are all controlled by the limbic system. Memories of stressful events or shocks are usually accompanied by an underlying emotional ‘charge’ that can add to existing inner tensions.

The scents of essential oils are known to ‘moderate’ difficult emotions arising from current and

past events and can help ease inner tensions by providing a deep sense of relaxation. Some of the essential oils have calming and hypnotic properties which are helpful in trying to reduce acute anxiety, panic attacks and related umpleasant stres-related physical symptoms.

Eco-Concerns

The use of essential oils in aromatherapy is also 'eco-friendly' as many of the plants can be cultivated by means that respect the natural growth process of plants (organic and permaculture cultivation). However, there are now a number of wild plants on the list of endangered species such as Sandalwood (Mysore-India), Rosewood (Rain Forest/Brazil) and Cedarwood (Morrocco) and others rarer plants which aromatherapists should avoid using. SoHA supports the ethical use of essential oils for aromatherapy.