Natural Body Guru

I am answering a question from one of our blog readers today. I will start doing this in the blog as questions come up.

Q - I would really like to know more about aromatherapy. What is it, what are the benefits, what are some of the things that could be detrimental or harmful?

A - Aromatherapy has been used for thousands of years. Our whole existence is based on aromas. If we disconnect our societal hang-ups and ourselves and went with just odors, we would see how important it is in everything we do. Our olfactory system is the fastest system in our body next to the brain’s system of thought. It registers on a level below conscious thought in less than a millisecond. We go into flight or fight even before we consciously recognize the odor. Our body is already reacting because this is what has kept us alive. There are some people on this planet that are as sensitive as dogs at hunting other people. There is a tribe in the Philippines that can literally hunt a man by his scent. Everybody is different and everybody has their own scent and so does every animal and every plant. So aromatherapy means treatment-using scents. It is a holistic practice dealing with the body using pleasant smelling botanical oils.

Most essential oils are safe to use but there are a number of  them that should only be used under the guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner or not at all. There are some that will cause abortions and historically, that is what they have been used for. Some can cause irritation to the skin and mucus membranes. Here is a list of those oils.

Oils That Are Used With Caution Or Avoided In Aromatherapy