Lesson 1: The Journey Begins
Welcome to Aromatherapy for Life! The use of essential oils to promote emotional and physical health and beauty is an age-old practice, developed thousands of years ago.
This lesson will take you on an exciting journey in time, from the ceremonial rites of the pre-Christian era to today’s aromatherapy.
After examining some basic safety guidelines in the use of essential oils, we’ll also learn how exactly essential oils work and what physiological mechanisms make them so effective.
Our first lesson will then guide you through the different kinds of extraction, and unveil some tips for a do-it-yourself at home!
Aromatherapy: A Journey in Time
The use of aromas and fragrances dates back to the dawn of mankind. The word perfume comes from the Latin "per fumis", by means of smoke; it refers to the ancient practice of burning wood and scented material in religious ceremonies to deepen and enhance the connection between men and God. The ancient Egyptians were the first great civilization to have used essential oils for mental and physical health, beauty and well-being. In their long and complex religious ceremonies, they used benzoin, cedarwood, juniper and thyme to dispel evil spirits, which in modern times might be equated to healing emotional or psychological problems. They also anointed their bodies with aromatic oils to keep their skin healthy and beautiful and to protect it from sun damage. Perfumed bodies were, for the Egyptians, particularly alluring. Story has it that Cleopatra soaked the sails of her boat in jasmine oil, a potent aphrodisiac, when she went to meet Mark Anthony...
While the Egyptian civilization was developing, Ayurvedic medicine started in India. Based on Vedic texts, it utilized the healing properties of many aromatic plants such as ginger, sandalwood, rose and myrrh. Besides burning aromatic plants during religious ceremonies, scented woods and aromatic oils were part of wedding rituals. A Hindu bride would have her feet anointed with aromatic oils while sandalwood would be burned to dispel evil spirits and ensure a long and happy life to the newlyweds.
In the ancient China and Japan, aromatic woods and plants were burned during funeral ceremonies, providing a connection between this world and the after-life. Like in the rest of the world, fragrances were used for health and beauty purposes.
Greeks and Romans believed that mind and body health were closely interconnected and utilized fragrant aromas and aromatic plants for mental and physical healing. In Greek mythology, the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, spread perfume on the Earth from Olympus, the mythical abode of the Gods.
During the Middle Ages, spirituality in the Western world became very austere and botanical plants were grown only in monasteries and strictly used for medicinal purposes.
The Renaissance saw a revival in the use of essential oils. Under the reign of Henry III, in France, fragrant water would spring out of public fountains during festivals and special ceremonies. The only problem, I guess, is that the use of perfumes was much more widespread than the use of soap and water!
Modern Aromatherapy started in the 1920s with the work of Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. A French perfumer and chemist, Gattefosse was working in his lab when an explosion took place which severely burned his hands. He plunged them in a bowl filled with lavender oil and, to his surprise, he found out that his hands would heal very quickly and without scarring. ‘Aromatherapy’ was born...
Scientific research is under way both in Europe and in the United States, to investigate the deep effects essential oils have on our psyche and our physical health.
