The Healing Power of Common Scents

Aromatherapy has become one of the most popularUse them in your home to replace unwanted odors,
healing traditions used in many cultures around theor for illumination while bathing. The scent will also
world. Its all-natural elements have been passedpermeate your consciousness and can prove to be
down from one generation to the next so thevery soothing. There are, in fact, several relaxation
traditions will continue to carry on over time. Becausetechniques that use candles.
it is considered safer, it is often preferred over otherHere, almost any candle will work, whether it is made
methods of healing. Various scents have been usedof paraffin or beeswax. You can use candles that are
over time to help rid the body of a number ofunscented, but scented ones will further promote
ailments and conditions, therefore, makingrelaxation, so they are actually preferable. The
aromatherapy a desirable alternative to certainparticular scent or scents you choose will depend on
aspects of modern medicine.your likes and dislikes. Scents that relax some people
Aromatherapy has also been shown to relieve stress,make others want to run for higher ground, so when
a factor that is very important in today's societychoosing, choose carefully.
where many people seemingly never stop moving.You may also decide to use candles throughout your
There are many scents that have proven to be quitehome to give it that fresh, clean scent. One user's
relaxing at the end of a long, hard day. Whethertestimonial stated by using candles, both tasks can
acquired through oil added to a bath, used during abe accomplished at once. I use candles as air
massage, or experienced by a scented candle,fresheners throughout my home, but have also
aromatherapy is everywhere, making the possibilitiesfound the scents I have chosen to be very relaxing. I
both endless and enticing.place them in different rooms for different effects,
The beauty of aromatherapy is that it is organic. Theand they really do work.
essential oils used in baths and for massage purposesIncense provides another form of fragrance and
are taken from plants and herbs, and are able torelaxation. It is widely used in many cultures to serve
perform their magic without the additives manyan array of purposes. In the Buddhist, Hindu, and
synthetic products contain. They are often preferredChristian burning incense can be a way to make
over such products because they are moreofferings of gratitude through scents. For the
concentrated. Use a certain oil for a specificBuddhist and Hindu practitioner, offering scent to
symptom or condition, or combine them to treateveryone is a way to purify karma and release the
several at once.tendency to grasp one's ego by simply giving away a
Essential oils are often used in a bath for relaxationbeautiful scent that will serve for the welfare and
purposes, as well as treat ailments. For example,pleasure of all. While this tradition still exists, many
jasmine is often used to have a calming effect, andpeople have now chosen to burn incense simply to
is recommended for use at the end of a very longenjoy the aroma.
day. One user shared her comments about itsStill, scent through incense is said to be a way of
stress-relieving qualities. I always use jasmine in abringing back good memories, or cultivating good
bath at the end of a long day. It both sooths andthoughts or feelings in the present. It is very
calms me, and I can think of nothing better or morepowerful, and is still widely used for a wide variety of
appropriate.purposes and to meet many needs. Burn your
There are many oils that are useful while in the bath.favorite incense to relax after a long, hard day, or
Certain scents are designed to evoke certain moodswhen you need to make an important decision and
and are also used for different purposes. In fact, theneed to get into a specific mode to do it. One user
pure aromas of natural oils are said to promote ashared her feelings on this. When I need to think
sense of well-being by centering, harmonizing, andcarefully about something, I always burn incense. The
energizing. On another site that sells these products,scent and just the ritual alone makes it easier for me
a user commented, I am just starting out usingto concentrate, and I always feel more at peace
essential oils and love their therapeutic value.after doing it.
Another visitor said she used frankincense andNo matter how you acquire and use your scent,
lavender in a bath to help calm her baby. Afterwhether though essential oils in a bath, oils diffused
following the directions, the effects were verythroughout a room, burning candles, or using incense,
positive. After mixing these two oils together asthere are four main modes of action. While this
instructed, I found them to be very satisfying andpertains mainly to the use of essential oils, it can
pleasant.work in other situations as well.
If you do not wish to use essential oils in a bath, butThe four modes of action help the oils penetrate and
would still like to reap the benefits of their fragrantinteract with your body in order to promote positive
aroma, consider using a diffuser to vaporize themresults. First, there are chemical changes that take
into a single room. One of the most popular ways toplace whenever an essential oil enters the
do this is through a pottery diffuser. Here, a basin isbloodstream. Here, it reacts with hormones,
filled with water, and a few drops of your favoriteenzymes, and other chemicals to help reach the
essential oil is used. A tea-light is lit at the base, whichdesired result. The next mode is the way an essential
allows the aroma to be vaporized throughout theoil affects the bodily systems. This will determine
room.whether you are sedated or stimulated, which
You may also want to combine various oils in orderdepends on the particular oil you choose.
to achieve a desired effect. For example, useThere is also a psychological effect that evokes the
Geranium, Juniper, and Basil at the end of a long dayresponse to the use of that particular essential oil.
to help alleviate stress. Geranium will help balance,This is very individual, and can depend greatly on
while basil is used to strengthen the mind. The overallmood. The last mode is the body's overall response
effect will prove both calming and relaxing.to the essential oil. This includes, but is not limited to
There are many scents that can be used for athe responses listed above. Though there are many
variety of purposes, from relaxation to concentration,scents that are used to evoke a specific mood or
promoting sleep to lifting your mood. It can even helpmode, they may not work on everyone. They may
to place a diffuser in each room of your house,also differ from one person to another. What relaxes
though you may not want to use them all at theyour neighbor may make you jumpy, and so forth.
same time, as mixing all the scents could have anThe trick is to find what works for you in evoking
undesirable effect.various moods and states of being, and go with that.
Candles are another way of enjoying various scents.After all, that is why it is called aromatherapy.