|
||
 |
 |
Aromatherapy - Part II: Mind and Emotions
The Sense of Smell forms the greater part of our Sense of Taste (note how your sense of taste and smell is affected when you have a head cold or blocked up nose. The sense of smell is also affected by pollution, smoking, trauma to the nose itself and a mucous forming diet). The sense of smell of our ancient ancestors was far superior to ours. They identified one another by smell as well as sight, and could even detect the usefulness of a plant by its smell. They also tracked animals by smell.The sense of smell helps us to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' odours, which tell us if food is fit to be eaten or if there is disease or hygiene present. ODOURS & DISEASE A couple of hundred years ago, physicians would use the sense of smell as a diagnostic aid. Arthritis and rheumatism have an acid smell, a good midwife could tell a post-partum haemorrhage by the smell of blood passed, diabetes gives an acetone smell to the breathe and the urine, perspiration can give us clues as to the health of the kidneys and lymphatic system, the smell of faeces also can tell us the type of disease in the digestive tract. Natural medicine still uses this method of diagnosis. The human nose has the ability to distinguish many thousands of different odours, and the memory of these odours is stored deep in our sub-conscious minds. (See R. Tisserand 'The Art of Aromatherapy" pages 60-73). When we inhale air molecules which, are carrying the 'odoriferous' molecules of an essential oil, these molecules adhere to our Olfactory nerve endings in the back of the nose, producing stimulation of these nerve endings. Sensory stimulation of the Olfactory centre is by a relay of nerve impulses from the sensory nerve endings in the nose to the brain. This is a very rapid and direct pathway to the part of the Brain which directs, controls, interprets and responds to sensory input. This pathway is very different to sensory stimulation of the sensory nerves in the skin which is more complex, being transmitted from a sensory nerve ending to the spinal cord, to the brain, back down the spinal cord, down a motor nerve ending and then to the appropriate organ. For example when we touch a hot object, the heat affects the sensory nerve ending in say the finger. This nerve relays a message along the sensory nerve fibre to its root in the spinal cord. The impulse is carried to the brain. The brain says "ouch !!! that's hot, take the finger off now". This message is relayed down the spinal cord to the motor nerve root, and then to the appropriate muscle(s) organ(s) etc. to remove the finger from the hot object. As you will know from your own experience of touching something hot, there is often a time lag between touching the hot object and recognition of pain. With the Olfactory Nerve there is no relay station - stimuli goes straight to the part of Central Nervous System called the LIMBIC SYSTEM, and the response is instant. Furthermore, the message cannot be blocked by the conscious mind. The interesting and exciting aspect of this use of Essential Oil Therapy is that different essential oils produce different responses. Some affect the higher thought processes in the Cerebral Cortex by altering the electrical activity of different Cortical areas, and some affect the Hormone Producing cells in the Limbic System. These 'Brain Hormones' will then either effect the mental and emotional responses of the Brain itself, or will be released into the blood stream from where they may be carried to distant organs to produce the desired effect on the body chemistry. AROMATHERAPY & THE MIND ANXIETY: DEPRESSION: ANGER: APATHY: CONFUSION: DWELLING ON THE PAST: FEAR: GRIEF: HYPERSENSITIVE: IMPATIENCE/IRRITABILITY: JEALOUSY: PANIC: SHOCK: SUSPICION: EUPHORICS: APHRODISIACS: REGULATORS: MEMORY/MENTAL STIMULANTS: SEDATIVES: INVIGORATORS: About The Author Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you. Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter - it's fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
MORE RESOURCES:
Alternative medicine - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Best Use Your Summer Energy Summer EnthusiasmAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five elements that contribute to all activities: TREE / WOOD, FIRE, SOIL / EARTH, METAL and WATER.Fire is the element of summer ? so how can this help to put more of YOU in summer?The direction of this seasons element - Fire - is upward and outward! It is a great time of year to be very active, take advantage of the extra energy supply of sunlight and have some fun!A good time of year to:? Ready, Aim - Fire!This is the perfect time of year to take a risk and try something new. Use Digestive Enzymes to Reduce Hemorrhoid Inflammation Using digestive enzymes when you have hemorrhoids is a good idea. Digestive enzymes help reduce inflammation, reduce fibrin, and clean the blood of foreign particles. Smoking-Quit with Whispers and Acupuncture Do you want to stop smoking badly enough to try? If you do, start now. Don't wait for what happened to my friend Waleed. Natural Prevention & Treatment For The Flu: What Your Doctor May Not Know Flu can affect 10 to 30 percent of the U.S. Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Old Medicine, New Synergies The terms alternative medicine and complementary medicine are often wrongly used as synonyms. Actually, the termalternative medicine refers to medicine systems likeAyurveda or Acupuncture that are used in place ofconventional medicine, while complementary medicine refersto those therapies like massage that are used inconjunction with conventional medicine. Working with an Intuitive Counselor: Opening the Door to Yourself "Oh, I've had a psychic reading before. They read some cards and wanted to know when my birthday was and then told me I'd meet a man in the next 6 months, but I never did. Cure Arthritis? Right! Arthritis sufferers are daily bombarded with new, better, more exciting treatments. Try Enbrel! Try Humira! Miracle drugs!Get your NSAIDS! Get your DMARDS! Pump more chemicals into your system. Using Asian Herbal Combinations for Treating Hemorrhoids Asian HerbsI have found Chinese herb formulations quite effective in treating hemorrhoid symptoms. It is now easy to find these herbs, since there are Chinese herb store in most cities. Portrait of a Psychic / Intuitive Many people ask me how I started doing this work.As a child, my earliest memory is being 3 years old and telling my mother things that I could not have possibly known. Hypnotherapy and How it Can Help Hypnotherapy is the process of using hypnosis to unlock the capacity of the unconscious mind to bring about therapeutic changes by modifying deeply-held assumptions, fears and misconceptions.The issues that prompt people to turn to hypnotherapy for assistance include:· Phobias· Pain management· Panic attacks· Performance enhancement· Habits - e. Warning! It Is Possible That You May Die Before Your Time! Do you ever think about just how important good health really is? The decisions we make now may determine whether we have choices later.Our bodies are constantly waging a 24 hour war against a myriad of microbes and toxins that continually try to sabotage our health. Limitations You Should Know About When Using the Subconscious For Pain Relief As powerful as the subconscious can be in relieving pain, it has a number of limitations that you should be aware of before attempting to use it to ease your pain.The use of the subconscious to ease pain can be not only helpful but in some cases may be the only thing that seems to produce lasting relief. Just The Tea FAQs: Health Benefits (Part I) Hands up all those who can't get through the day without their shots of coffee.. Plastic Acupuncture? Plastic Acupuncture, abbreviated as (P.Ac) is not really a new development. If Youre Unhappy with Your Pain Relief Meds, Heres a Whole New Class You Havent Tried The 8 That Are Produced in Your BrainWhen you're in serious pain, the medications you're taking are mainly designed to neutralize the brain chemistry that relays pain signals. Here's why your subconscious may be more effective than drugs at doing that. Mud Baths at Your Home Spa- the Pros and Cons "If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere"-Vincent Van GoghMud baths are natural products you can use at your home spa.You are a spa goer and enjoy mud baths at health spas, beauty spas, day spas etc. Benefits of Alternative Medicine With the growing number of people being affected by newly discovered chronic degenerative diseases such as AIDS and chronic fatigue syndrome, Are you worried or wondering.. Aspergers Syndrome and its Symptoms Asperger's syndrome is a condition common in young children who experience impaired social interactions and develop limited repetitive patterns of behavior. Asperger's syndrome is other wise commonly called as pervasive developmental disorder. Headaches/Migraine "Oh, how densely packed your head is, my sweet," sighs Grandmother Growth. "I'm afraid there's no room for new growth. Health in the Self What is health?Is health the absence of disease? Is health a birth right or simply luck? According to Ayuveda, India's ancient art of healing, the meaning of health is a single word: Swastha. Swa = self + Stha = established.
|
| GZZT.org | alternative health home | site map | ||||||||||||
 |