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The rising popularity of
alternative or holistic therapy can be gauged from the fact
that today the sense of smell is also being used as a therapy
to treat an amazing variety of ailments including stress. Flowers,
plants, herbs and spices, everyday items in our gardens or
even our food, are natural antidotes to variety of ailments.
Preventive treatments like aromatherapy are using a
combination of modern science and ancient wisdom to produce
curatives, which also double as cosmetic aids. In fact, the
recuperative and soothing effects of flowers, plants and herbs
have been known for centuries. |
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Rose petals were
considered the secret of Empress Noor Jehan’s fabled beauty. Incense used in
religious rituals also possessed the properties to soothe the
mind, as did Indian myrrh and dhup made from juniper shrubs,
used extensively in temples. All these performed a dual role –
religious and therapeutic. Now, with a growing demand for natural
cures and remedies, aromatherapy is flowering again, this time
packaged in attractive tubes and bottles and promising to cure
everything from rheumatism to diabetes and psychological problems.
Aromatherapy
is a holistic healing process for the body and mind. The basis lies in
the essential oils contained in plant materials. These can be found in
leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, bark and resin. These oils are highly
concentrated and when extracted, can either be used in a pure form or
diluted / blended with other oils to produce the required strength.
Essential oils are medicinal and fragrant and travel through the
bloodstream reacting with hormones and enzymes. Physiologically, the
oils sedate or stimulate the system. When the fragrance is inhaled,
the nerve – ends in the nose transmit pleasurable signals to the brain
which reacts to the positive power of the fragrant aroma inducing
pleasant memorizes, restoring emotional balance and encouraging
relaxation and energisation. Many of these fragrant oils have
antiseptic and antitoxic qualities and often act as an antidote to
viral infection, to inflammation, aches and pains.
In India, Ayurveda
embraced herbs and aromatics as an important part of the philosophy of
healing, using fresh herbs, dried herbs such s tea, or herbs
compounded into pills, using fresh plant juices. In early times
essential oil extraction involved pounding and grinding of fresh or
dried herb and subsequent extraction to the essential oil.
Trade and wars
brought many new herbs to India from the Far East, the Middle East,
Egypt and Africa. Distillation expertise from Arabia allowed for the
making of attars, using a co distillation method in which a very light
volatile essential component, such as jasmine, could be distilled with
a very heavy essential oil component like sandalwood, where the
heavier component trapped the light flowery aroma. Today essential oil
production continues to be an important industry in many small
villages where distillation apparatus designs have not changed for
3,000 years.
Aromatherapy has regained popularity only two decades
back. Various products based on essential oils and natural ingredients
are available designed to alter or enhance moods and treat a range of
ailments from migraine to hypertension and arthritis. At various beauty
saloons a variety of creams, conditioners and moisturizers made from
essential oils are used in beauty treatments.
For
further information please contact us !
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