Harnessing the power of essential oils

Aromatherapy is the practice of using the aromatic compounds of plants to promote physical and emotional well-being. For thousands of years and across many different cultures and peoples aromatic plant extracts - called essential oils have been used to therapeutically treat a large array of physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual conditions.

Aromatherapy involves inhaling the volatile molecules from plants - it can be as simple as breathing in as you sip your morning cup of tea, smelling a wild flower or diffusing a blend of essential oils into your environment. It can also be as complex as creating and using precise blends for specific healing purposes or ritual ceremonial use.

Aromatherapy is very powerful as it simultaneously affects the mind, body and spirit; producing profound effects on the deepest levels of the body and psyche.

The essential oils used are extracted from the leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, seeds and roots of plants and trees. The organic compounds found in the plant parts are separated (most commonly  by steam distillation) into highly concentrated and aromatic oils and water-based complexes called hydrosols. In this concentrated form, the plant compounds possess healing properties that can then be used therapeutically.

The human sense of smell is estimated to be 10,000 times more acute than the other senses and sensitive to an estimated 10,000 chemical compounds.

Once registered, scent travels faster to the brain than either sight or sound. Our olfactory (smell) system directly connects to the emotional center in our brain (the amygdala) and to the limbic system which is connected to the parts of the brain controlling  memories, stress levels, hormone balance, breathing and blood pressure. This means that aromas have a direct effect on us physically and psychologically – and that scent is the best, if not the only way to directly affect our brain's emotional centers.

The takeaway from all of this is that we can influence our emotions, our moods, our energy levels, our breathing and our blood pressure - through scent.

Science is finally 'explaining' what has been intuitively known for centuries - that the small volatile molecules of essential oils easily cross the blood/brain barrier and have dramatic effects on limbic function and as a result, on how we feel

While most essential oils can be used topically in a diluted form  - and even taken internally in some cases  - inhalation using a spritzer or diffuser is the quickest way to obtain their most valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits.

Learning  to incorporate scent - especially through essential oils - into  your  routines and environment can dramatically affect how you navigate your life -mentally, physically and emotionally.

Start simply and learn the main benefits of key essential  oils. You can find  a page on the Pranachic site outlining the healing  properties of the main essential  oils. 

https://pranachic.com/blogs/blog/essential-oils-and-their-properties

Enjoy the process of finding out what scents resonate with you. Yes, certain essential oils illicit specific responses in us all -  but you will also find that you prefer different aromas more than others. Refreshing to me might mean citrus, to you it might mean mint, to someone else pine... There is a lot of therapeutic overlap among the essential oils, so once you learn their basic properties - preference does come into play.

Treat the learning about what you like and what you respond to as a journey of self discovery. Finding the scents that resonate with you can be as important and personal as making exercise or dietary choices. These are also tools in the  support of your mental and physical well-being.

You don't need to jump in and start making your own blends - unless you feel  passionate about it. There are blends available of oils that work together for  specific purposes.

Pranachic Yoga Mists are blends of essential oils  suspended in floral waters to create desired emotional states. They can help calm, invigorate, uplift, center and ground you. The gentle mist you spray on your face - or that fragrant cloud you walk through - instantly changes your mood - it relaxes you, it balances you, it lifts your spirits - it helps you navigate your life.

Pranachic Yoga Blends give you the same oil blends as  the Mists in a concentrated form for diffusers and oil burners - allowing you to fill your environment with the scent you need - and gaining  the effects for a longer period.

Pranachic Intention Mists a have been blended to help you with your intention work and Pranachic Aura Mists have been blended to instantly change your aura and set a specific mood.

Scent is an amazing thing. Full of memory, beauty, potency. Start your scent journey today - your life will become instantly more rich and magical.

 

July 12, 2018 by Laurie Piggott


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