SCENT OF LIFE

AROMA THERAPY IS AN ANCIENT FROM OF TREATMENT THAT UTILISES NATURAL OILS AND FRAGRANCES TO CURE A VARIETY OF AILMENT. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHAT A SNIFF CAN DO FOR YOU!

A Correspondent

Centuries ago Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and other wise men and women cherished the secrets of precious oils yielded by plants, flowers and herbs and applied them with great skill. Not only were the oils used to cure a variety of ailments, but it also form an essential part of daily beauty treatments. The various fragrances put one at ease at subconscious levels, which released subtle energies, which would heal, provoke, arouse passion or give peace.

Different people have used flowers and their oils and fragrances in diverse methods over the past few thousand years, and its healing properties are well known. While the Romans massaged them- selves with sweet-smelling creams before taking nourishing baths, the Greeks had assigned divine virtues to diverse plants. They believed that if they inhaled the fragrance of the poppy, a flower sacred to the god of war, exemplary courage would be theirs during the difficult times of war. Violets, on the other hand, were used for soothing hyper tensed people, as it has particularly calming effect.

Baths that were taken with water mixed with particular, fragrances which were enjoyed by the ancients to enhance their beauty and health, is now out of favour due to ignorance, time, or other influences. Adding a few drops of aroma oils to your bath water can now make the process of bathing more enjoyable and healthy. If you are fortunate to have a bathtub, then it is good to relax in this treated water. But even if you do not, a few drops added to your bucket when you soak your feet or gently pour the water over your self will work wonders. This application is now only being used during Diwali, when baths are taken with rose or sandalwood water, and a h aldi paste is smeared on the body one day prior to the wedding.

Says Dr Vinayak Paranajpe, a practitioner from Thane, "In certain cases the patient needs to inhale some drops before sleeping. In this case the Patient inhales the fragrance all night, which works upon his subconscious and the soul, correcting the system. Aroma oil massage is another application, which is as old as the hills. All aromas blend with a carrier oil mainly to increase absorption, and to remove the effects of irritants in the combination specially when it is used for local application in the form of massage for physical ailments. Today, soaps are being prepared with a variety of fragrances like sandalwood, lime, jasmine or rose to name a few, establishing the role of fragrances for health.”

He adds, "Oils generally work on different levels. For example eucalyptus oil is a good decongestion of colds. A whiff of this either plain or used in a steam inhalation results in the ejection of the mucus, which will bring down the levels of cold of the patient, which will make him feel much better. The same oil at the emotional level will result in the patient in being more open in their relationships, which will bring about transparency and thus reduce problems and friction in the relationships.

“Another great example" he adds "IS that of the simple Bay leaf Apart from being used all the time in cooking, for enhancing the taste, little does one know that the same leaf has the properties and imparts these to improve the digestion while relaxing the muscles. It also aids breathing, helps combat in somnia, clears the eyesight and adds energy. These properties are inhaled while cooking by the person who is most often lady of the house. After its prepara and upon being served the aroma effects every one present.”

Another great favourite is the beautiful rose. This elegant and highly distinctive flower imparts a fragrance, which upon inhalation has a calming effect on the user and upon those who are around. While mesmerising every one, it is also reduces pain and inflammation on the physical aspect. On the emotional aspect it produces harmony and eases jealousies. This is probably from where the custom of sprinkling rose water in the beginning ceremonies originated.

The right combination of Juniper, lavender and lemon can be used as a general massage and has all the properties needed to reduce fats. On the emotional level Juniper removes obsessions; lavender gives peace and comfort, while lemon can be used as a general massage and has all the properties needed to reduce fats. On the emotional level Juniper removes obsessions, lavender gives peace and comfort, while lemon does the job of cleansing. It is by this three-pronged effect that one reduces the fat content of the body."

Today aroma therapists like homeopaths and Ayurveda practioners seek to treat the cause, rather than the ailment. In the belief that the mind Plays a vital role in certain bodily ailments, powerful fragrances are used to adjust the patient's emotional state and thus open the doors for a permanent cure.

Aromatherapy is useful in the treatment of stress-induced illnesses, such as asthma, headache, and depression. Skin ailments, respiratory diseases, digestive problems, and backaches sometimes respond to aromatic oils as well. Usually inhaled or massaged into the skin, the oils are always extracted from plants and the dosage is measured very carefully.

The medical fraternity has not yet endorsed aromatherapy-with the exception of many French physicians, who use if conjunction with orthodox medicine. However, for most people aromatherapy remains a fringe medicine and a costly treatment.

Meanwhile, many ordinary people are practicing a time honoured form of aromatherapy each time they take a bouquet of fragrant to cheer up a friend or relative who is ill!