The power of aroma for your well-being
Have you ever sliced a fresh, sweet orange and felt a little spring in your step? Or walked into a medical spa infused with lavender and wondered why your shoulders felt instinctively relaxed? What you are experiencing are the wonderful effects of aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy: what you need to know:
What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a holistic therapy that utilizes the natural scents and physical benefits of essential oils found in aromatic plants to help improve and balance the mind, body, and overall well-being.
Our fast-paced modern life has become increasingly stressful, and the desire for a natural and healthy lifestyle has never been more sought after. Aromatherapy is a simple and easy-to-use therapy that helps you improve and balance yourself both emotionally and physically, while helping you stay alert and reconnect with yourself, even if just for a few precious moments of self-care.
Essential oils are uplifting, grounding, cleanse the soul and body, are calming, can aid circulation and soothe physical discomfort, and can even be used on the skin. Be sure to follow our dilution advice, as they can be harmful if used undiluted.
In addition to having properties characteristic of the body and soul that tend to be uniform within their aroma family—for example, citrus, woody, floral—we also experience scent very personally. We all have our own tastes and preferences regarding scents, and our sense of smell helps us navigate the world around us and the associations within it.
Our sense of smell is very closely linked to memory, and often the reason why we like or dislike a scent can be traced back to a specific memory association, whether positive or negative.
But how does it work?
When inhaled, essential oils affect our olfactory bulb—a component of the limbic system located behind a very hard, protective bone at the top of the nose. This system is involved in the formation of our emotions, survival instincts, and memory, and is one of the oldest parts of our brain. Clever, right?
Since ancient times, civilizations around the world have highly valued fragrant plant extracts for their medicinal properties. We have taken what people have known for millennia and combined it with our knowledge and expertise in essential oils and blending to create natural, effective, and easy-to-use solutions for modern lifestyles and challenges.
The beauty of aromatherapy lies in the fact that you can experience its benefits anywhere; whether at home, at work, or on the go. By learning about the different properties of essential oils and discovering what you like, you can create simple but personalized blends for inhalation, massage oils, bath oils, or diffusion.
Scents for sleep
Overall, one of the biggest challenges we face today is sleep deprivation. Due to several factors such as stress, distraction, a racing mind, or an unbalanced circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation can create a vicious cycle that makes us feel stressed, irritable, less focused, lacking energy, and ultimately unhappy. This can also negatively affect our physical health.
When essential oils with calming properties, such as lavender, come into contact with our olfactory bulb, they can help us feel calmer. When we are more relaxed, we tend to drift into deeper sleep, achieving better sleep quality, and thus gaining many more benefits throughout the night.
Building a ritual can help prepare the body and soul for rest—try a warm bath infused with soothing essential oils, create an environment for sleep by diffusing oils in your bedroom in the evenings, and be sure to spray your bedding with a pillow spray before going to bed. Find the routine that works for you, and you will see the difference in no time.
Don't like lavender? (We all have our own preferences!) Try these alternative sleep blends:
For a pre-bedtime bath, mix 20 ml of a carrier oil, such as jojoba or sweet almond oil:
• 1 drop of patchouli
• 2 drops of bergamot
• 1 drop of mandarin
Add about half of the mixture to the bathwater, swirl it around before stepping in, lie back, and relax.
For a pre-bedtime diffuser blend, add the following essential oils to your diffuser:
• 1 drop of patchouli
• 4 drops of bergamot
• 3 drops of mandarin
Turn on the diffuser about 30 minutes before retiring so your bedroom is filled with aroma by the time your head hits the pillow.
If you would like a citrus twist to the lavender (because it's really good for sleep!), try this pre-bedtime massage blend, which contains 10 ml of carrier oil:
• 2 drops of lavender
• 2 drops of bergamot
Take the time to massage the mixture into your skin, paying special attention to your neck and shoulders to relax before falling asleep.
Sleep well!
Vitamins for a healthy lifestyle: Holland & Barrett vitamins
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/average-steps-per-day
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-steps-a-day#2
https://www.firstquotehealth.com/health-insurance-news/recommended-steps-day
https://www.healthline.com/health/average-steps-per-day#age
https://blog.blinq.com/just-for-fun/24-ways-increase-average-steps-per-day/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-fish-oil#section2
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