Aromatherapy is a natural alternative to medicine that uses essential oils. When inhaled, the essential oils are known to offer various health benefits to the body. Aromatherapy originated in Egypt, and today, it is being practiced in different parts of the world.
How it works
The essential oils used in aromatherapy activate an individual's smell receptors. These receptors send messages to the brain's limbic system. The limbic system is responsible for controlling an individual's emotions, sex drive, memory and learning. The essential oils will therefore stimulate different body responses such as blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing patterns. This results in the following benefits of aromatherapy.
Reducing stress levels
It is nearly impossible for people to avoid stress because it is a part of our lives. The only difference is that it affects people differently, and some people can manage it better than others. Essential oils such as lavender used in aromatherapy have been proven to reduce an individual's stress levels. The oils help by calming the body, lowering heart rate and blood pressure. After aromatherapy, your body will feel more relaxed, and this will reduce your stress levels. Jasmine, lemongrass, and chamomile are some of the best essential oils that will help in reducing stress levels in the body.
Helps with managing anxiety
The number of people suffering from anxiety has been increasing over the years. Therefore, most of these people seek natural ways to help manage this mental disorder. Aromatherapy helps in calming the body and, therefore, is the ideal therapy for managing anxiety. Among the essential oils used are lavender, frankincense, and bergamot. A massage with a blend of these essential oils has very high abilities to reduce anxiety and depression.
Improving focus
Losing focus is one of the things that can make it challenging to carry out your daily activities. If you have focus, you will easily make sound decisions that have enhanced cognitive performance and improved concentration. The essential oils used in aromatherapy will help you in achieving all these. Among the oils used to improve focus are basil, sage, and basil. Regular massages using these oils have been reported to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
Reducing insomnia
If you have insomnia, your body will always feel fatigued during the day. Enough sleep makes us feel relaxed and energetic to carry out the day's activities. The best thing about essential oils is that they have sedative effects on the body. Therefore, if you are having trouble sleeping at night, the essential oils will help you sleep better. You can light a candle infused with essential oils to induce sleep. Ensure to keep in a safe location in the house to avoid accidental fires. You can also massage your neck and shoulder areas using the oils to induce sleep.
Have you ever wondered why smelling the clothes of someone you know evokes certain feelings in your body? Such feelings are evoked by the effect of the smell on your brain. The same case applies to aromatherapy, and therefore, this practice would offer vast benefits to your body, especially if you have health problems.