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Article by Wisdom of the Earth Essential Oils
March, 2007
Medicinal Aromatherapy…Remembering the Ancient Wisdom of the Plant Kingdom
What is Medicinal Aromatherapy?
People frequently ask me what medicinal aromatherapy is when they see it on my business card, and why they haven’t heard the term before. While this more therapeutically oriented approach is gaining recognition, their questions are legitimate ones. So let’s take a look at what is typically meant by aromatherapy and how medicinal aromatherapy differs from the norm
If one takes the term literally, aromatherapy suggests a healing modality centered around smell or scent.
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There is ample scientific literature associating smells with various emotional or psychological states, and recognition that smell is one of the oldest and most mysterious of our senses, but there are few who would expect our sense of smell alone to address conditions like burns, digestive problems or menopause. So, while aromatherapy is still the most commonly used term to describe healing using plant or tree essences (like Lavender or Eucalyptus), their effectiveness transcends their aromas and relates most importantly to their chemical make-up and their ancient relationship with humankind. |
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While the aroma of these plant and tree medicines (essences) is distinctive and often pleasing, it is their topical application that has the most healing power. For example, if someone is experiencing stomach distress, topical application of essences such as Basil, Tarragon and/or Cardamom Seed on the stomach will typically relieve his or her discomfort – often, in a matter of minutes
While medicinal grade essences can be taken internally, most often they are topically applied as close to the area of concern as possible. So, for a headache originating at the base of the skull, essences such as Niaouli, Lavender (Fine), or Peppermint would be applied there. If the condition were bursitis in the elbow, essences such as Birch (Sweet), Pine (Red) and Lavender (Spike) applied directly on the elbow would be excellent choices for reducing inflammation, pain and swelling.
Wisdom of the Earth, as do some other aromatherapists, teaches the neat (undiluted) application of essential oils on the skin...
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...although many reference books or teachers will recommend mixing them with a carrier oil before use, usually because the quality of the oils that will be used is unknown. Many essences on the market are labeled “pure”, but often they are mixed with other essential oils –usually less expensive essences or carrier oils-- thus lowering the cost, but also the effectiveness. Others are pure, but not produced to a medicinal grade, thus compromising their healing power. Still others are pre-mixed into a “blend” or mixture – “Headache Away” or “Good Night” sleep aid – so they take on a collective aroma and energy that often is mildly beneficial, but not powerful enough to address serious injury or illnesses like cancer or depression. |
"Many of the essential oils on the market may be labeled “pure”, but often they are mixed with other essential oils –usually less expensive essential oils or carrier oils-- thus lowering the cost, but also the effectiveness."
While common in Europe, this medicinal approach is becoming more accepted in the US, as purer, medicinal grade essences increasingly demonstrate their superior healing effectiveness, both in the experience of people using them, as well as in the laboratory. It also needs to be said that many aromatherapists do not practice from a medicinal perspective, either because their training was more “cosmetic” in nature, or because they personally fear repercussions if a client is unhappy with the results. Those who do, however, usually offer suggestions to their clients with the stated expectation that the client is using medicinal grade oils, and that they are taking responsibility for their own health.
Plant and tree medicines…either in herbal form or as essential oils…are the original medicine of the planet.
Plant and tree medicines are the original medicine of the planet. However, the resurgence of essential oils as a means of treating all types of physical and emotional diseases is a relatively recent phenomenon…often traced back to the coincidental discovery of the effectiveness of lavender in treating burns when a French chemist, R.M. Gattefosse, took what he thought was a beaker of water and applied it to a burn he had sustained in the lab. The liquid was actually lavender, not water, and the burn healed cleanly and completely in a very short time. He is also credited with coining the term aromatherapy in the late 1920s…”. |
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Our ancestors knew of the healing power of the plants and trees. “From the beginning of time, human beings have lived in a symbiotic relationship with plants... People knew in an intuitive, comprehensive and experiential way that relationships existed between plants, soil, human beings, the world and the cosmos. They were aware of the plants’ medicinal properties and energetic values. This knowledge has largely been lost in modern times. Until just about 150 years ago, herbal medicine was the prevalent official medicine and most great physicians of the past were phytotherapists.” (Balz, p. 13)
Using essences as our medicine today links us back to this ancient wisdom, helping us to remember and restore this enduring relationship between humans and the plant kingdom.
Our bodies are made from the same chemistries that make up the Earth and her community...so they resonate with plant and tree medicines, without the harmful side effects of synthetic drugs. Using essences as our medicine links us back to this ancient wisdom, helping us to remember and restore the enduring relationship between humans and the plant kingdom.
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The separation and isolation from nature so prevalent in our society today creates anxiety and depression. Many turn to either pharmaceutical or “recreational” (illegal) drugs to try to fill their emptiness or to dull their anxiety or fear. Instead, oils like Chamomile (Wild) and Spikenard can bring calmness to our days, or sleep to our nights by not only addressing physical pain or disease, but also by healing emotional and spiritual wounds. When we bring the plants and trees into our lives via essential oils, we begin to experience a remembrance of who we really are, why we are here, and our intimate connection with Mother Earth.
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When we feel a passion for living, experience our career as a calling instead of a job, and view the earth as a living, conscious entity who deserves our protection …we begin to truly live life and not just exist.
When we feel a passion for living, experience our career as a calling instead of a job, and view the earth as a living, conscious entity who deserves our protection …we begin to truly live life and not just exist. Put your trust in Mother Earth and you will discover a partner on this journey who will help you to remember just what it feels like to be happy and whole. And isn’t that what life is all about?
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Balz, Rodolphe, The Healing Power of Essentail Oils, Lotus Light Publications, Twin Lakes, WI, 1996.
Gattefosse, Rene-Maurice. Gattefosse’s Aromatherapy, Saffron Walden, UK: The C.W. Daniel Company Limited, 1993.
About the author:
Audre Wenzler is a Certified Medicinal Aromatherapist and Partner in Wisdom of the Earth, an essential oils company based outside of Sedona, AZ. She teaches and consults with clients throughout the United States, and shares her time between Santa Fe, NM and Sedona, AZ.
This article is Copyright © 2007 protected by Audre Wenzler and Wisdom Of The Earth Essental Oils. Reproduction is prohibited without express written permission by the author.
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