The Olfactory System in the brain picks up aroma almost instantly through the sense of smell, much faster than sight or touch. And what it does to you is sometimes out of your control.
Imagine the aroma of Christmas past or the smell of a fresh spring day as it takes over your whole body in just one light wisp of air. The feelings of warmth and comfort can come over you just as quickly as the memory of being surrounded by loved ones as you inhale the full experience of cinnamon, orange or clove.
And imagine that first time when you know spring is here – you can feel it in the air with sensations that encompass your state of mind with a feeling of hope and excitement.
Some smells can do the opposite and remind you of unpleasant events but we’re going to keep this positive and focus on the wonderful world of essential oils and how they can supplement your traditional health practices.
The extraction of the volatile component of plants is a craft that has developed over thousands of years. The delivery system today has been perfected with easy access in the marketplace to education and the use of the purist quality of oils to provide the best possible care to whomever is exposed.
We are fortunate to have at our disposal everything we need to keep us healthy, motivated, and confident as we journey through life with the practice of topical application, aromatherapeutic methods and ingestion of oils if they are unadulterated.
There are essential oils that lift your mood and others that keep you grounded. Specific blends of oils have been known to manage blood pressure and balance hormones and when taken internally can fight viruses and bacteria at the cellular level.
The citrus line has tangerine, wild orange and a metabolic blend that balances your blood sugar while lifting your mood! What more could you want?
Grapefruit is the scent to wake up to and has brought chaos to calm in many households during morning shifts as families make their way out the door. Diffuse as you awaken and start your day feeling calm and inspired, ready to take on whatever comes your way.
Other oils can help you sleep and clear the air passages so you breathe easier and take in more oxygen. Of course you’re going to feel better!
A detox blend for your body helps you feel clean from deep within your most important digestive tract and with the more recent studies showing the connection with gut health, immunity and brain health, you know your whole body benefits.
The tree oils with cypress, birch and douglas fir diffuse wonderfully to fill your home with the outdoor kind of air you might be craving. It makes you feel like you are in the forest breathing fresh air amongst the trees. And there are blends that help you combat allergies from unseen environmental threats.
And the herbal line with cilantro, rosemary and oregano can flavour any dish with just one drop if you have the purest quality while bringing you the life enhancing properties these plants provide.
That’s where the education comes in. You must have the knowledge to use the medicine. It’s active plant properties in it’s most concentrated form and it deserves the respect with the high potency and healing effects it brings.
Animals have multiple olfactory systems but as humans we have only one. However, we have the ability to detect individuals that are blood-related kin (mothers/fathers and children but not husbands and wives) from olfaction. Mothers can identify by body odour their biological children but not their stepchildren. That’s pretty amazing!
I’m happy to say that essential oils in my life has brought a certain confidence for a healthy future knowing I am supporting myself the best way I know how – naturally!
Please consider joining me for an essential oils class held monthly in the Greater Vancouver area and at the retreat on the Sunshine Coast. Click here for the schedule.