What is Aromatherapy? The Miraculous Benefits of Essential Oils | Yogic Blogging

Some of you might have heard about Aromatherapy for most of you it might be new. Aroma means fragnance. It is known as suganta or suganth in Hindi. When talking about aroma therapy most of the people think that it has a western origin but this statement is completely wrong. Aroma therapy was widely used in India during the past times. Aromatherapy involves use of Essential oils.

The essential oils are diffused into the air and inhalation of this diffused air promotes whole body healing and uplifts our mood. Although now only few people are aware of it. It is proven that Aromatherapy can be effective in treating various diseases such as anxiety and depression.

The process is pretty simple. All you need is a OIL DIFFUSER aka OIL BURNER and some ESSENTIAL OILS. Oil diffuser is usually made of ceramic material. There are two types of diffusers available in the market one is electric one and other one is the manual version which works on flame. The choice is yours you can buy whatever you want. Essential oils are the oils extracted from plants. It is available in various flavours such as rose, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, Clove, tea tree, and many other. Each oil has its own benefits.

HOW AROMA THERAPY WORKS

First you have to lit up a tealight candle or a diya in the diffuser and fill the cup of the diffuser with distilled water and add about 5- 8 drops of essential oil in it and leave it. Let the oil particles diffuse into room and fill your room with the pleasant fragnance. That's how simple it is.

THE COMPLETE PROCESS

1. Take the Oil burner and place it in of the corners of your room. 

2. Lit a tealight candle or a diya (oil lamp) and place it under the oil burner. 

3. Add some distilled water (15 - 25 ml) depending upon the size of your oil burners cup. 

4. Add 5- 8 drops of Essential Oil into the water and let the oil diffuse. 

5. After about 5- 10 mins the oil will diffuse and your room will be full of good smelling fragnance.

SOME PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY MEASURES

Since burning of oil involves flame so you should always keep an eye on the diffuser. It is advised not to keep any electrical appliances near the oil burner. For best results close all the windows and doors while using Oil diffuser. Aromatherapy works well in air conditioned environment.

Although Essential oils are of natural origin but they also contain natural chemicals and it may not be suitable for everyone. And if not used in the right way it may cause serious damage to your health. Some people might be allergic to essential oils.

 We should always look for the right brand before buying essential oils. Many brands add artificial fragnances in their products. It is always recommended to take an expert  opinion before using essential oils.

SHOULD WE REPLACE AGARBATHIS OR INCENSE STICKS WITH AROMA THERAPY

Agarbathi or Incense sticks are very commonly used in Indian homes for pujas. It is a common part of the hindu ceremonies. In most of the Indian homes agarbathis are used twice a day. There is nothing wrong with incense sticks but are you using the right one ? 

Today most of the brands use hazardous chemicals in incense sticks and inhaling the fumes of these incense sticks could be as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. The fumes released during the burning of these agarbathis can even cause cancer and airway dysfunction. And people who have respiratory problems or people who are prone to cough, cold and other respiratory diseases should clearly stay away from these fumes. Aroma Therapy is a good alternative to this as burning of oil causes less or almost no smoke because the particles present in the oil are diffused ( broken down ) directly into the air. 

THE MAGICAL BENEFITS OF AROMA THERAPY

Inspite of giving pleasant smell and uplifting your mood aroma therapy also helps in reducing anxiety, stress, pain, headaches, agitation, migraines, respiratory decongestion, disinfection. It also kills bacteria and virus from your room. Keeps insects and mosquitoes away. When used at night it helps in sound sleep. Adopting aroma therapy improves the quality of our life. You should give aroma therapy aleast a try. Iam pretty sure you will love this and get addicted to it. 

TYPES OF ESSENTIAL OILS AND THEIR BENEFITS

Essential oils are naturally occurring essence which are extracted from the roots, barks, leaves, and herbs. You can get 15ml of essential oil for anywhere between 150- 250 bucks a little bit expensive than incense sticks but it is worth the price. There are different variants of essential oils available in the market such as sandalwood, lemongrass, rose, eucalyptus, clove, peppermint, lavender, tea tree, lemon, citronella, and so on. I will discuss the benefits of a few essential oils in this blog.

1. LEMONGRASS OIL

Relieves stress, reduces pain, Keeps insects and mosquitoes away, helps in headache.

2. SANDALWOOD OIL

Gives mental clarity, reduces anxiety, depression and hypertension, also works as an antiseptic.

3. TEA TREE OIL

Helps in treating acne and dry skin, insect repellent, can be used as a natural hand sanitizer, reduces inflammation.

4. PEPPERMINT OIL

Good for cough and cold, gives relief from headache and muscle pain. Reduces itching, eliminates bacteria.

5. EUCALYPTUS OIL

Helps in reducing cough and cold, relieves muscle pain, prevent hair fall, reduces nasal congestion, has anti inflammatory property.

6. ROSE OIL

Good for digestive system, reduces anxiety, natural moisturizer, fights inflammation, promotes circulation.

7. CINTRONELLA OIL

Keeps away biting insects like mosquitoes, has antibacterial and antifungal properties, reduces stress and anxiety.

8. CLOVE OIL

Helps in reducing cough, gives relief from sore throat, a natural and powerful insect repellent, prevents ageing, reduces nausea.

9. LEMON OIL

Reduces stress and anxiety, good for uplifting mood, acts as a great detoxifying agent for the skin, keeps bugs away.

10. JASMINE OIL

Helps to maintain good skin health, may reduce insomnia, increases alertness and concentration, mood enhancer, rich in anti inflammatory properties. 

DOES AROMATHERAPY REALLY HELP IN GETTING GOOD QUALITY SLEEP ?

Essential oils if used in the right way can treat everything from common cold, cough to depression and anxiety. Use of essential oils such as rosemary and lavender has shown to improve sleep quality. since most of the people today follow a hectic routine they are not able to get quality and sound sleep which leads to many diseases such insomnia. Though Aromatherapy can't cure any disease but it can definitely help in improving it.

WHICH WOULD BE BETTER TEA LIGHT CANDLES OR DIYA (EARTHEN LAMP) ?

Tough, tealight candles gives much more burning time than diya. But if you are using candles for Aromatherapy on a regular basis then it may harm you since candles are made of parafin wax (a petroleum product) and when burned parafin wax releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into air along with carcinogens such as benzene and acetone. 

Thus it is not advised to use tea light candles on a regular basis for Aromatherapy. You can either use an earthen lamp or an electric oil diffuser which requires no flame. 

WHICH IS THE BEST TIME TO DO AROMATHERAPY ? 

The great thing about Aromatherapy is that it can be used anytime and anywhere. You can use it whenever you want to uplift your mood. Aromatherapy can be used at the bedtime to get a good quality sleep. It can also be used during yoga sessions and while doing meditation to calm the mind and increase concentration.