Aromatherapy Massage - Its Many Benefits

Aromatherapy massage actually does have a therapeutic effect on those being massaged. The reason behind these effects stems from the relationship of the brain's limbic system to the olfactory system. Smells can influence the human's hormone production, their emotions and the responses of the nervous system. When the essential oils used in aroma therapy are inhaled, the limbic system is stimulated. From there the heart rate, breathing, stress levels, digestion, memory and the immune system are affected.

Massage causes essential oils to be absorbed through the skin. The many therapeutic claims that are made are due to the actual results people receive from aromatherapy massage. Aromatherapy has been known to relieve conditions aggravated by your emotional responses. Conditions that are stress related, such as headaches, premenstrual syndrome, back pain and digestive disorders are often relieved with aromatherapy massage. Studies have even been conducted that showed patients having improved attachment to their newborns and a lack of post-partum depression among first-time mothers who received aromatherapy massage. Cancer patients are also benefitting from aromatherapy massage when they are in palliative care settings.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils to create a calming effect when oils from chamomile, geranium or lavender are used. Ylang ylang, rose, neroli or clary sage provide an uplifting effect, while rosemary energizes and cleanses. Pine, tea tree and eucalyptus are all considered decongesting oils. Essential oils can be used quite effectively for pain relief. Because the brain's limbic region controls the body's survival functions, the sense of smell has a great influence on the whole body. Black pepper, ginger, peppermint and thyme produce heat and increase circulation, thus reducing pain. Lavender and lemongrass reduce pain by making the pain receptors less acutely aware of sharp pain. Chamomile, juniper, and tea tree oil reduce pain caused by inflammation with their anti-inflammatory properties.

All essential oils are harvested from plants through the use of steam distillation from the leaves, stems, bark or root of a plant. They are highly concentrated, so you rarely need to apply more than a few drops of the oil to each application. When the oils molecules are inhaled they enter the body through the nostrils or they may be absorbed by the skin through massage. When used in massage they are often diluted by carrier oils such as grape seed oil, sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil.

To overcome insomnia oils of sandalwood, bergamot, clary sage or rose can be mixed with a carrier lotion and massaged into the skin or simply inhaled. The benefits of the massage alone plus the essential oils makes it a preferred application method. The benefits of aromatherapy massage are becoming more and more obvious as more people turn to it as a form of therapy for the countless number of ailments suffered by humans. Now aromatherapy massage can help if not eliminate every ailment from headaches to post partum depression, speed up recovery from cancer, relieve pain and lower blood pressure.

Aromatherapy Room Fragrancing

One of the benefits of aromatherapy is mental well-being. Who can deny that a relaxing or refreshing aroma while you read, sleep or work helps to improve your mental well-being? There are several products available to use for dispersing aroma from the essential oils used in aromatherapy throughout your personal space.

One thing to keep in mind about the aromas of essential oils is that the scent is not as strong as the aroma of fragrance oils. This is neither negative nor positive. Just know that if you are looking for a strong aroma you may want to use products scented with perfume oils instead of essential oils. If you do prefer perfume oils, be aware that while the strength of the aroma may be what you want, perfume oils do not provide the benefits that can be derived from aromatherapy essential oils.

Before deciding which type of product to use for fragrancing a room, you need to decide the mood enhancement you wish to achieve. If you want soothing scents, look for products with floral essential oils such as lavender. If you want refreshing scents, use products with essential oils from fruits such as orange blossom. If you are unsure about what essential aroma you need for a particular benefit, there are many articles and blogs (some that I have published) that provide you with information regarding all the different essential oils and their benefits.

The most popular product used for fragrancing a room is candles. The gently glow of the flickering light alone make candles very relaxing. Relaxing scents include candles the have essential oils of Lavender, Chamomile or Neroli. Refreshing scents include candles that have any citrus essential oils such as orange or lemon. One of the great benefits of aromatherapy candles is that there is such a variety of shapes and sizes that any candle lover is certain to find something to fit their needs. You can purchase pillar candles, jar candles, votive candles, gel candles and tea light candles. As with all lit candles, it is important to use safe candle burning practices which includes keeping the open flame away from flammable materials such as curtains and not burning candles longer than 2 hours at a time, especially if you are using any type of jar candle.

Another popular way to fragrance a room is by using an oil diffuser. The benefit of a diffuser is that you can mix several essential oils together to create your own custom made aromatherapy environment. For example, mix together 8 drops lemon oil, 8 drops peppermint oil and 4 drops frankincense oil to create an energizing blend of oils to place in your diffuser. You can also create soothing blend recipes, calming blend recipes and relaxing blend recipes.

Aromatherapy room fragrancing can also be achieved by burning incense that has essential oils added. For the most part, incense is a very safe product to use as long as you use the appropriate holder to catch the ash of the incense as it burns.

Lamp rings have become a very popular way to fragrance a room with aromatherapy oils. Lamp rings are usually made out of brass and are placed directly onto a light bulb in a lamp. The lamp ring has a ridge in which you place the oil of your choice. The heat from the light bulb gently heats the oil in the ring and diffuses the scent into the room. This form of room fragrancing is very safe. If you choose to, you can forego the lamp ring and place essential oils directly onto a light bulb as long as the bulb is cool. As with the lamp ring, the oils will diffuse the aroma into the air as the light bulb warms.

Essential oil reed diffusers are another safe way to fragrance a room. The oils saturate the reeds in the bottle and once the reeds can no longer hold more oils, the aroma is diffused into the room. Placing reed diffusers near an open window or a slow running fan help to move the scent through the room.

There is such a variety of products you can use to fragrance your personal space. If you are new to aromatherapy or have never tried aromatherapy, room fragrancing is a great place to start. The emotional and mental benefits of aromatherapy can be extremely satisfying and with the variety of products available, you can certainly find a product that suits your personal needs to make it worth trying.