Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy
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SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME
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As humans we have been using plants medicinally since the beginning of our time on this planet. Humans and plants have an intimate and ancient relationship. Over thousands of years, we have experimented with medicinal plants that heal us physically and spiritually. A 2012 scientific study of dental remains in northwest Spain, revealed the use of yarrow and chamomile - both plants are extremely bitter and have little nutritional value - in the diet of a small group of Neanderthals. Yarrow can be used to treat fevers and chamomile is used to calm nerves and aid digestion. So, even before our present homo sapien incarnation, a medicinal knowledge of plants has sustained and enhanced human life on the earth. (And let’s not ignore the fact that we’ve also been getting high on psychoactive plants for millenia).
Aromatherapy is an ancient medicinal and therapeutic practice; it’s the use of botanics, through the delivery of the olfactory system, for improved health. Its earliest recorded roots are found in traditional Chinese medicine (around 2500 BC), the Ayurvedic medicine branch of the Vedas - quite literally, Ayurveda - in India (around 2000 BC) and the Ebers Papyrus of ancient Egypt (around 1500 BC). These texts describe the use and the application of healing perfumes, ointments and medicated oils for various ailments.
Aromatherapy has been used by all major civilizations since these times. Botanical and aromatherapeutic knowledge was acquired from, and passed down to, culture to culture. Hippocrates (around 400 BC), the ‘father of medicine’, wrote about the efficacy of aromatherapy massage and scented baths for optimum health: “The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.” Yes please. This knowledge then passes to the Romans, the Hebrews and then travels through time to the Europeans of the Middle Ages and to Medieval Islam.
Today, aromatherapy is a popular and trusted form of complementary medicine. Contemporary clinical studies show that symptoms, such as headaches and insomnia, can be treated with specific essential oils. Often these are symptoms, which have been resistant to other more mainstream treatments.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
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Aromatherapy works through our olfactory system. When we inhale a scent, it travels into our nasal passage, which then sends signals to the olfactory bulb and then the olfactory cortex of the brain. The olfactory cortex is part of the limbic system, which is responsible for processing the functions of the formation of memories, our survival instincts and the processing of emotions. It communicates with other parts of the limbic system.
The amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus are also part of the limbic system. The hypothalamus regulates emotional responses and is responsible for bodily functions like sleep cycles and body temperature. Essential oils have a profound effect on the hypothalamus; inhalation produces a particular response in this component of the limbic system. Aroma can be stimulating or relaxing. Specific botanical and herbal aromas have a particular therapeutic effect on the body and mind. Lavender essential oil, for example, relaxes muscles in the body and, in turn, the mind, to promote sleep.
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MIRARI LIFE BOTANICALS
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Smudged white sage
White sage belongs to the genus Salvia, which stems from the Latin words salvare: “to heal” and salvere meaning “to be healthy”.
Smudging is a native American smoke-purification ritual.
The smoke is fanned by feather or hand over a person or space to cleanse forms of negativity.
Traditionally, prayers are said alongside the act of burning sage.
Sage has a multicultural history of usage. It has been used in Europe, as an energetic purification herb, by witches and Druids.
White sage works on a physical, emotional, metal and spiritual level. When used on a person – as opposed to a physical space - it can cleanse and purify the aura; free us of old negative or stuck energies; create connection to a higher or spiritual realm in preparation for spiritual work. Most recently, burning sage has been found to drastically reduce and remove airborne.
Mirari Life’s sage is organic, sourced from ethical and sustainable farms.
Our smudging ceremony includes mantras and crystal intentions.
Vetiver
Vetiver is originally a French word, meaning “the fragrant roots of a species”.
It’s actually derived from a Tamil word, “vettiveru” (“vetti” meaning “to dig up” and “ver” meaning “root”).
The essential oil is derived from the roots Vetiveria zizaniodes.
Vetiver essential oil is called the ‘Oil of tranquility’. It is soothing, calming and grounding. It eases negative feelings and balances emotions. In aromatherapy, it is used to ease depression and anxiety. It helps insomnia: it is both sensual and sedative. It also improves concentration and memory.
In TCM, vetiver essential oil has been used to balance yin deficiency “When patients suffered from a deficiency in their “Yin,” which often resulted in problems associated with the mind such as a dissociative state of depression, they were prescribed Vetiver Oil to use in meditation.”
Mirari Life’s khus vetiver is invigorated in an oil bath, combining the elements in their different forms. The vetiver is sun dried, absorbing the life force energy of the sun.
Greek Lavender
Lavender belongs to the mint family.
The essential oil is distilled from the plant Lavandula angustifolia. And the word stems from the Latin “lavare”: “to wash”.
The healing properties of lavender have been used for centuries.
The plant is thought to originate from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India.
Lavender has a wide range of uses and effects on the body, mind and spirit. It is an essential oil that promotes balance, physically and emotionally. Because it is a mild sedative, lavender is a powerful treatment in relieving insomnia and aiding sleep. It relieves anxiety (is an anxiolytic) and increases relaxation and feelings of calm. It “interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA to help quiet the brain and nervous system activity, reducing agitation, anger, aggression, and restlessness.”
Lavender is uplifting and helps relieve depression. It also eases headaches, muscular aches and pains, helps in wound healing and aids in the relief of respiratory illnesses.
Lavender is one of the best essential oils with which to work with the third eye chakra.
As it is calming and relieves tension, lavender allows us to tune in to ourselves; to sink deeper within and connect with our truth.
Mirari Life’s Lavender is given a mantra and crystal intention ceremony.
