Aromatherapy has been around for at least 4,000 years, and is known to have been used by the ancient Egyptians for massage, healing, and embalming. But its uses for making our homes enjoyable places to live are just as applicable today as they were during Egyptian times. Scents and Sentiments Although it's not generally known, our sense of smell is the one we human beings use more than any other. We have to open our eyes in order to see; our ears hear only sporadically; we need to eat something to taste it; and we need to touch something to feel it. But we don't have to do anything but breathe in order to smell. With that in mind, we should be able to enjoy any room in our homes just as much with our eyes closed as with them open. Human Reaction to Scents Our olfactory senses have a profound impact on our emotions and can arouse powerful memories. For instance, just close your eyes and remember about how you felt the last time you smelled fresh bread baking in the oven. On the other hand, being constantly bombarded by unpleasant scents will make people irritable and more likely to act out in anger. Human beings have strong reactions to scents, and some people are more sensitive to scents than others. A home's occupants eventually get used to their home's odors, and often aren't even aware of them. After all, humans are territorial by nature, and the scent of our home is reassuring to us. But scents can also be used to enhance the positive feelings we want to encourage within our homes. If you want to promote harmony and good feelings in your home, for your family and for visitors, you must introduce scents that support pleasant memories and behavior while ridding your home of offensive odors that can have a negative effect. Which essential oils will bring about the most desirable effects? Aromatherapists recommend using only natural oils, rather than synthetic ones, even if those artificial oils have been derived from natural sources, because the exact formulation of an essential oil is virtually impossible to reproduce in the laboratory. Essential oils help with virtually every human condition, and aromatherapists have developed a wide array of scents to help their clients cope with whatever situation they may be facing in their lives. Therapists formulated essential oil aphrodisiacs, energizers, and oil combinations designed to help with relaxation, hair and skin care, and even the symptoms of PMS. Your home should be a place of harmony and good feelings, and the use of aromatherapy can be a powerful tool in your quest to bring peace and joy into your interior living space. Copyright (c) 2004 by Jeanette J. Fisher |
