A Whiff of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy utilizes essential oils many of which are sourced from plants. A lot of essential oils have healing properties that serve a lot of different purposes, making them quite beneficial. A few benefits of aromatherapy include helping manage pain, improving the quality of sleep, soothing sore joints, treating headaches and migraines, improving digestion, and boosting immunity. (Cronkleton, 2018) There are various kinds of essential oils. The most popular essential oils consist of: patchouli, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, cedarwood, rose, eucalyptus, rosemary, jasmine, tea tree, lemon, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, etc. The beauty of essential oils is that each essential oil is packed with its very own therapeutic benefits.
I used to think aromatherapy didn’t work but after trying it, I am a believer now. My first experience with essential oils was when I had a pounding headache and a friend gave me some peppermint oil to put on my temples. Before I knew it, my headache had vanished! I was dumbfounded that rubbing peppermint oil on my temples could actually make me feel better. Now, instead of grabbing Tylenol when I have a headache, I grab some peppermint oil instead and it works like a charm for me. Additional benefits of peppermint oil include providing mental clarity and alertness and relieving sore muscles. (Mighty Nest, 2016) Other essential oils I like to use are bergamot and tangerine. I have found them to be helpful in terms of calming me as well as relieving feelings of anxiety and stress. It’s interesting because typically citrus essential oils boost energy, but for me I feel calmer after rubbing on some bergamot or tangerine oil. Whatever works, right?
Experimenting with different essential oils may be a good idea to find which oil suits your needs best. With so many options, it’s definitely easy to get overwhelmed. However, it’s fun to explore and take whiffs of countless essential oils. Happy sniffing!
References
Mighty Nest (2016) The Essential: 6 Uses for Peppermint Oil. Retrieved from: https://mightynest.com/articles/the-essential-6-uses-for-peppermint-essential-oil
Cronkleton, Emily (2018) Healthline. Aromatherapy Uses and Benefits. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-aromatherapy
