Scentual healing: find energy—and mystique—-with aromatherapy and flower essences - natural beauty

Better Nutrition, Nov, 2001 by Patti Woods-Lavoie

Christmas trees, old cedar chests, a shirt from a loved one, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, fresh baked cinnamon buns, the musky smell of woods after a rainfall, a just-opened bag of coffee beans--it's been said that smell is the strongest of all our senses. And that's not hard to believe when you think about the different emotions that can surface with just one good sniff of the air. It makes sense, then, that the healing arts of aromatherapy and flower essences have become as popular as they are. Not only are these forms of healing safe and natural, they're also easy to learn and use.

USING FLOWER REMEDIES

The thinking behind flower essences stems from the idea that the mind and body are linked. In an interview with Better Nutrition, David Vennells, author of the newly-released Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners (Llewellyn Publications, 2001), explained that flower remedies are a safe and gentle practice.

"Flower essences can be used by anyone," he said. "They are generally prescribed according to our personality type or the prevailing state of mind during a particular illness." Flower remedies were first "discovered" by Dr. Edward Bach in the early 1900s. "Dr. Bach discovered the technique to harness the healing energy contained within certain plants and trees," said Vermeils. He explained how flower essences work: "All living things possess life force energy. In the East this is sometimes called chi or prana. It is a subtle type of life-giving energy. Some plants and trees carry a particular type of life-force energy which can have a healing effect on the body and mind. Flower essences capture and hold this healing life-force energy until it is needed." To help treat an illness, the appropriate flower remedy is prescribed by looking at mental and emotional symptoms, rather than physical ones.

According to Vennells, flower essences help patients regain good health or manage difficulties with a more positive attitude. He stressed, however, that you don't need to be sick to reap the benefits of flower essences. "You don't have to be ill," he said. "They can just make life a lot more meaningful. Although we may generally feel physically and mentally okay, we might also occasionally feel something is missing from our life, some meaning or purpose. This subtle feeling is a gentle wake-up call."

HOW ARE THE REMEDIES USED?

There are numerous flower remedies available, including Bach Rescue Remedy, which contains five Bach remedies: clematis for faintness or drowsiness; star of Bethlehem for shock; rock rose for fear or terror; impatiens for irritation and frustration and cherry, plum for mental pressure. Individual remedies range from chicory (for overprotectiveness) to vervain (for physical and mental strain).

Pure mineral water works best as a carrier, however filtered water, tap water and even juice may be used. A Jew drops of the remedy (which can be found at health food stores) can be added to your beverage and drunk. The remedies be taken directly on the tongue or rubbed on the skin or placed in a bath.

Vennells offers this advice for the beginner: "Buy a good book and dive in. Don't be put off by the range of remedies available. Diagnosis is so simple and there is never a problem with choosing the wrong remedy as none have harmful side effects. If we decide our diagnosis might be wrong, just try another remedy." Vennells also suggests visiting a qualified flower therapist, who can be recommended by your health food store.

GET A WHIFF OF THIS

Aromatherapy--the use of essential oils for physical and emotional healing--has been around for thousands of years, although its popularity has experienced a resurgence in the last decade or so. How does it work? Scientists have been studying the effects of scent on the brain and have found that certain aromas can actually alter brain waves. Research is still going on to find the link between smell and emotions. To put it simply, when you inhale a scent, the fragrance goes to the limbie portion of the brain. The limbic system is responsible for moods, creativity and sexuality. When scents reach this area, the brain responds by releasing neurotransmitters such as endorphins (which act as painkillers and help in relaxation); serotonin (which acts to calm); and noradrenaline (which acts as a stimulant).

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?

Have you ever gone out in the garden and rubbed an herb between two fingers? If you have, you know that the scent of the herb gets transferred to your fingertips. How does this happen? Each fragrant plant contains its own aromatic modules, which together make essential oils. These essential oils have a purpose in nature: they serve to repel harmful insects and attract beneficial ones, they repel other plants that may crowd growing space and they have antibacterial properties. But for our purposes, essential oils offer even more benefits.

The compounds in essential oils range from aldehydes (which reduce inflammation and destroy bacterial infections), coumarins (which,thin the blood), esters (which soothe irritated skin and kill fungal infections) and ketones (which promote wound healing). But essential oils not only help with physical healing, but with emotional healing as well. The scents work to calm or invigorate just like flower essences.