Aromatherapy Oils, Massage and Recipes

Aromatherapy can be used to sooth away tension, help relieve depression, improve concentration, fight infection, reduce inflamation, speed the healing process and, whats more, can even revive a loss of interest in sex! Must look that up, I suppose it works on bunnies ... ah yes, what you need, it seems, is cinnamon and ylang ylang oils.

This aromotherapy business goes back a long way. The ancient Chinese were supposed to have set the ball rolling, but the Indians also used it in their traditional medicines some three thousand years ago.

Then there were the Egyptian pharaohs, they liked to dabble and the Greeks loved a good sniff as did the Romans.

We've even got a bit of history of it ourselves in England. In the 14th century, when the bubonic plague was doing the rounds, fires were lit burning aromatic frankincense and pine to fight off the ... well, whatever it was that spread the disease.

So aromatherapy isn't just massage. Though it sounds the most interesting to me - it's so nice to be soothed and pampered, no matter what you may think of the oils.

As well as massage the oils in aromotherapy can be inhaled, used as a vaporiser, in the bath or on compresses. They can also be taken by mouth but this is not advisable as it is possible to damage the mucous lining of the throat or stomach if used incorrectly.

The essential oils used are extracted from plants, herbs, resins and spices.

In plants there are highly scented droplets found in minute quantities in the flowers, stems, roots and barks of aromatic varieties.

The oils are extremely volatile and can easily evaporate, so they are best kept in dark, airtight bottles away from sunlight. If the oils are full strength they have to be diluted with a carrier oil before using on the skin. Preferably vegetable, such as sunflower, grape seed or almond.

Frankincense Aromatherapy Oil
Essential Oil Beginners Kit

Anyway bunny had hopped into the bath and afterwards had calmed down and appeared quite floppy eared. I told him I'd give him a massage with my oils. Pine, sage, rosemary and geranium are said to alleviate stress. He gave me his superior, don't be silly smile. I smacked him in the teeth. No! No, I didn't really. I don't believe in any sort of violence and hey, I was still relaxed!

"Bunny wunny let Flopsie Popsie give you a likkle rubby wubby". And, of course, like all good bunnies, he lay down on his tummy (wummy) and did as he was told.

I started to give him a massage using smooooooth but firm strokes as this is supposed to warm the skin and aid the penetration of the oils - absorption can take between 10 and 100 minutes.

Bunny tried his best (bless) to have an intellectual discussion on aromatherapy while my hands did their bit. I explained that why it works isn't really known. It is thought that the odour molecules are perceived by lots and lots of tiny nerve cells in the nose. These are connected to the part of the brain which deals with emotional drives, creativity and sexual beahviour.

This is why perfumes make us react differently. Some make us happy but unpleasant smells can sometimes make us feel depressed. There are some essences like jasmine and rose that are supposed to act as aphrodisiacs.

"Oh that was naughty, what a messy bunny!"

The Complete Book of Massage and Aromatherapy: A practical illustrated step by step guide to achieving relaxation and well-being with top-to-toe body treatments

Some oils are said to have an effect on the nervous system. There are two parts to the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves.

These have opposite functions but are designed to work in harmony with each other maintaining a perfect balance within the body. If this balance is upset we can get lethargic or tense.

Essential oils can redress the imbalance. For example, by smelling peppermint, someone with fatigue as a result of nervous tension, can be calmed and also stimulated at the same time. Think I've got that right!

The actual phrase 'aromatherapy' was coined by a chemist called Rene Maurice Gattefosse. The story is that he burnt his hand quite severely while working in his laboratory so he plunged it into a jar of lavender oil - that just happened to be nearby. He was amazed how much quicker his burns healed and without leaving any scarring.

He came to the conclusion that some oils speed up the process of cellular regeneration making skin heal faster. They can, therefore, be used on burns and bruises and for arthritis and rheumatism.

Peppermint Oil on Amazon
Lavender 100% Pure Essential Oil

There are so many uses for aromatherapy. Here's four recipes picked at random as examples:

Muscular Pains
Mix 6 drops of eucalyptus oil with 6 drops of lavender

Invigorating Morning Bath
Into your hot water use 2 drops of rose, 2 drops of tangerine and 6 drops of lavender

Protection Against Colds
Put peppermint oil onto damp cotton wool and place this on warm radiators.

Soothing Back Massage For Pregnant Mothers
Tangerine oil (as with all oils to be massaged mix with a carrier oil). Tangerine can also be used to help restore health following illness.

Now bunny slept that night like a ... well a bunny I suppose ... an old bunny! Fortunately he was much bouncier in the morning and managed to do what all good bunnies are supposed to do. Flopsie Popsie was well pleased.

We aren't always aware how much smells influence us and how they effect the way we feel. We use perfumes, buy flowers and potpourri, scent rooms and so on and never question why. We are all aromatherapists but don't realise it. Bunny, for instance, only has to get a whiff of ... but that's another story!

Get sniffing. Let oils permeate your skin and find out what they can do for you. Like my bunny, you may be pleasantly surprised.