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| Sunday, 9 May 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Aromatherapy : Inhale and relax
Then there are oils such as lemon and lavender, which adapt to what your body needs, and adapt to that situation. (These are called "adaptogenic"). The mechanism in which these essential oils act on us is not very well understood. What is understood is that they affect our mind and emotions. They leave no harmful residues. They enter into the body either by absorption or inhalation.
When exposed to lavender oil fragrance (a relaxant), the keyboard typing errors dropped 20 percent. When exposed to jasmine (an uplifting fragrance), the errors dropped 33 percent When exposed to lemon fragrance (a sharp, refreshing stimulant), the mistakes fell by a whopping 54 percent! ######### How Does Aromatherapy Work?
Studies with brain wave frequency has shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state. ########### What is Aromatherapy?
The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils. Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work. Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine. It is widely used at home, clinics and hospitals for a variety of applications such as pain relief for women in labor pain, relieving pain caused by the side effects of the chemotherapy undergone by the cancer patients, and rehabilitation of cardiac patients. Aromatherapy is already slowly getting into the mainstream. In Japan, engineers are incorporating aroma systems into new buildings. In one such application, the scent of lavender and rosemary is pumped into the customer area to calm down the waiting customers, while the perfumes from lemon and eucalyptus are used in the bank teller counters to keep the staff alert. |
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Each essential oil contains as much as 100 chemical components, which
together exert a strong effect on the whole person. Depending on which
component is predominating in an oil, the oils act differently. For
example, some oils are relaxing, some soothes you down, some relieves your
pain, etc.
A fragrance company in Japan conducted studies to determine the effects
of smell on people. They have pumped different fragrances in an area where
a number of keyboard entry operators were stationed and monitored the
number of mistakes made as a function of the smell in the air. The results
were as follows:
Essential oils stimulates the powerful sense of smell. It is known that
odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with
patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life
without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such
as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000
different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine
hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that
controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.
