The Essence of Therapy

The use of pure essential oils can enhance our mental and physical well-being. These aromatic oils can have many different applications in our lives. It can be used in conjunction with or as substitute for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or it can just be used to make us feel better.

Our lives can be enriched by the sense of smell and through the use of aroma therapy we do just that. Essential oils affect our physical, mental and emotional conditions. Lavender oil, for example, can evoke and increase the release of serotonin which has a calming effect on the body. We can thus experience healing of emotions and feelings. Some oils also have healing properties when applied topically to the skin, like tea tree oil.

It is very easy to use essential oils. You just dilute a small amount of oil in a base. The base can be water or another oil, called a carrier oil. You then just apply the dilution topically or you inhale the aroma.

Typical carrier oils are:

• Almond oil
• Apricot oil
• Grape seed oil
• Jojoba oil
• Olive oil
  

The following is a list of essential oils that can be used to lift the spirit when you are experiencing difficult circumstances:

• Bergamot
• Clary Sage
• Geranium
• Grapefruit
• Jasmine
• Lavender
• Orange
• Rose
• Sandalwood and
• Ylang ylang