The Fragrant Mind

8216;8216;The blind students will learn anatomy and physiology, memorising by touch, and will be given practical experience too,8217;8217; explains Shroff.

Fragrance plays a very important role in my life. I have frequent aroma massages and an aroma-vaporiser keeps me in good spirits.

Of course, aromatherapists use these essential oils not just to smell and apply, but also to ingest just like any other medicine. Do remember to consult a health professional first.

I8217;ve always been fascinated by the use of essential oils the essence or 8216;soul8217; of the plant for healing. Interestingly, the type of soil, rainfall, sunlight and humidity8212;the whole environment, actually8212;influence the quality of oil. This is because the process of photosynthesis produces these volatile aromatic essences. The aroma oil is extracted by steam distillation.

Anecdotal evidence suggests smells affect mood. Your own experience tells you that. One study found that when a a group of adults were exposed to lavender, they felt more relaxed and could tackle math questions faster than the group that was not. In Greece, sprigs of lavender were put in infants8217; cots to induce sweet dreams.

Here8217;s how aroma oils work8212;when you sniff them, the aromatic molecules fit into your olfactory nerves in a very specific way and send impulses to your limbic system, which is the seat of memory and emotions.

All our life experiences may be coded by the aroma that was present during that experience. This is why it is common to recall memories, even distant childhood memories, when smelling essential oils. Aromatherapists use this system to release emotions held in our bodies from past experiences. They also believe that these oils have medicinal properties. Modern scientists are understandably sniffy about aromatherapy. They believe aromas do nothing to us, but when exposed to them, we do something to ourselves8212;we remember a more secure time and feel better or relaxed.

To be classed as aromatherapy, a smell would have to work the first time we smelled it. Otherwise it is just memory, they emphasise.

To Marguerite Maury goes the credit for developing aromatherapy as a holistic therapy in the 1950s. Even now, despite the lack of scientific research, European physicians and aromatherapists frequently prescribe certain oils for various complaints: Eucalyptus for relieving congestion, jasmine for depression, lavender for anxiety, lemon, orange and other citruses for improving mood, peppermint for nausea, etc. These oils are used for massage, vaporisation, hot and cold compresses, and steam inhalation, and as bath and skin oils and skin lotion.

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Phone: 2495-2811 or 2492-5677.