History Of Aroma Therapy
Aromatherapy dates back to ancient cultures more than 5,000 years. In continents like Africa, certain plants were eaten by warriors before going into battle. Most of the time, the healing powers of the plants or barks were observed after animals had consumed the foliage or fruit. The animal’s behavior was observed and humans found that they, too, could get the same effect.
Horny goat weed is an example of a plant that has been used for ages to increase fertility in men. Despite the funny sounding name this natural derivative was discovered after horned goats were found getting very frisky and having high energy levels after consuming the plant. It has been used for centuries as a product to treat impotence.
While herbal remedies have been used in most countries for thousands of years as a way to stay healthy and combat illness, the concept of aromatherapy, which is using the scented oils derived from the plants to cure and heal, got its roots, so to speak, in the far East.
Lavender is a pleasant scented flowering plant that is grown all over the world although it grew naturally in warm climates. Lavender is grown widely today for the oils that are used for everything from sweetening certain dishes to being used as an antiseptic.
The essential oils derived from this plant can be used to treat headaches, as a cure for insomnia and to promote relaxation. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that is safe to use directly on the skin and can also be consumed. Essential oils are not made for oral ingestion, but lavender buds are sold as a tea in some health food stores. Lavender has been used for thousands of years to treat everything from insect bites to anxiety.
Because it has an antiseptic quality, lavender was also used to disinfect floors in hospitals. Today, most disinfectants are chemically produced and toxic to both those who use them as well as to the environment.
It was the Ancient Chinese who first discovered the many healing powers of the various essential oils and gave it a name. Herbal medicine is still practiced in the far East today and many people from the west travel to countries such as Thailand and Singapore to find relief in natural herbal remedies and treatments.
Thousands of years ago, villagers would visit someone in the village who knew all about the different herbal remedies and would treat them accordingly. Most people also had some knowledge of the different plants that grew around them and how they could be used to benefit their lives. Today, however, most people have no idea how to even use simple herbs to add flavor to a recipe, let alone use them for healing. Most people in the west pay little attention to the plants and nature around them or any healing powers that those plants may contain. This is gradually beginning to change. Many people today, thanks to the internet, are beginning to understand a little about herbal remedies and aromatherapy.
As the ancient Chinese used scents to heal, the concept was delivered to the ancient Egyptians who created mixtures of the scents and made perfumes. The scents were not only used to heal illness, but also as an aphrodisiac. The ancient Egyptians incorporated aromatherapy into their daily rituals and were the first perfumers. In ancient Egyptian, it was once a requirement that everyone perfumed themselves at least once a week and people often took three baths a day in perfumed water.
Sandalwood is used in incense for its pleasant scent and the Ancient Egyptian women would use the oils from Sandalwood in their hair for the scent. Other scents were also discovered that were both pleasant and healing.
Throughout centuries, different cultures used the essential oils derived from nature for a variety of products and healing ointments. Herbal remedies were also very popular treatments for ailments until the discovery of penicillin. Penicillin was derived from mold, also a natural substance, and was used to treat bacterial ailments and infections. Today, penicillin remedies are known as antibiotics and are produced in laboratories with synthetic materials.
The history of Aromatherapy may date back to ancient times, but it was widely accepted in all cultures until chemicals began replacing the natural essential oils. Today, aromatherapy is considered alternative medicine that many people are finding a better choice than a dependency on synthetic chemicals.
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