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A friend of mine called Charlene, who runs an aromatherapy course in Lincoln, Nebraska, told me a story about a young man who had just joined the course and was raring to go because he had read so much about aromatherapy. It was Charlene’s practice to light an aromatherapy candle at the beginning of every session and ask the participants what the fragrance reminded them of. As it happened, she was using a lavender candle and asked the young man what he could smell. He took a deep breath, and with a look of great disappointment on his face, said, “Room freshener!”

“I never found out what he was expecting,” Charlene later told me. With apologies for this initial digression, I think the young man got it at least partially right. Aromatherapy candles are a room freshener par excellence, because they keep a room smelling exquisite for hours together. However, what makes them even better is that they have therapeutic effects on the mind and body.

Why is that? Well, aromatherapy candles are made of wax laced with essential oils from certain aromatic plants, so that as the wax melts, the molecules of the plant extract are diffused into the environment, thus creating a heavenly fragrance.

So which are the plants from which aromatherapy candles draw their fragrances? The answer is not exactly straightforward, since any or more than one part of a particular plant may be the source of the fragrance. But that minor complication apart, lavender is the most popular oil when it comes to aromatherapy candles. That does not mean you don’t have a wide enough choice, given the speed with which the popularity of aromatherapy is increasing.

According to aromatherapy practitioners like Charlene, there are candles to suit all moods. So if you are suffering from insomnia, light sage, chamomile, and ylang ylang candles next to your bath. Those suffering from depression should try rosemary and grapefruit aromatherapy candles, while all-purpose aromatherapy candles contain extracts of sandalwood, eucalyptus, geranium, peppermint, and many other plants. However, you may very well find that reactions vary from person to person, so it is best not to generalize if you are using a candle for therapy. Consult an expert first.

In addition to aromas, these candles are also available in a vast array of shapes and sizes. So you can go for a floating, pillar, gel, votive or jar candle. In addition, if you feel up to it, you can prepare a personalized aromatherapy candle at home by mixing and matching several aromas. To get you started, try a blend of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. An alternative could be a refreshing and stimulating mix of peppermint, lemon, and rosemary. Don’t forget to write in with the results!

Aromatherapy massage is the type of massage, which takes in the whole aspect of a person, not just one level. Aromatherapy looks at the mind, body and spirit of a person, and also their natural well-being how they live their day to day lives, what food they eat, and how much time they take to relax! Incorporating how much stress is in their lives due to work, children and social commitments, whether they have large financial burdens, and if they have recently suffered a bereavement, birth or just moved house, if they have a disability, have had disease or are suffering from one, or are in general rundown, these aspects are all looked at, before treatment starts.

Aromatherapy massage is a mixture of using massaging techniques, along side the procedure of selecting a composition of essential oils, which have been specifically picked for the person being treated. Aromatherapy is a unique treatment procedure, because of this unique fact, the combination of the selected oils that have been chosen, will never follow a ridged pattern. The essence of Aromatherapy is, that it is tailored to suit any person seeking help - it is not a production line, every single one of the people treated remain an individual, with personal needs.

Aromatherapy will try to get to the root of the problem, and in this day and age, with the wide -ranging selection of oils to choose from, there is an inexhaustible supply in which to use to treat a certain condition or ailment.

Aromatherapy essential oils are created by using the many different parts of a plant, flower, tree or even fruit, by extracting their natural aroma and using the oil extracted for a particular illness, whether it be physical or emotional, or mental, the oil is used to rebalance the client. Oftentimes one particular plant will have different parts used, for different ailments. Take for example, eucalyptus essential oil helps to heal all kinds of physical ailments, these are as follows, the most common are respiratory problems,such as bronchitis,coughs

The use of aromatherapy incorporated within life, has been around for a very long time in fact its been around for many hundreds of years, but it is virtually new to the modern world. As it is still occasionally regarded with mistrust and scepticism, it is only in recent years with the help of training facilities, and the fact conventional medicine is starting to come around to the idea that the use of essential oils are occasionally of more benefit to a individual, than the use of proscription medicinal aids, that aromatherapy is becoming more mainstream.

Aromatherapy essential oils do not have to be used incorporated within a massage, they can also be used at home, in a hot bath, or a oil burner, used as an air freshener, or mixed with a carrier oil, such as almond, to rub on the body and because of these uses, aromatherapy is becoming more widespread, and is continuing to advance as a fundamentally accepted part of society and the way in which individuals live on a day to day basis. People no longer think twice about going and getting a stress relieving aromatherapy massage, in there lunch break, in fact, many companies are encouraging them to do just that!

So in conclusion aromatherapy as many benefits and uses in today’s stressful environment and can be used in a positive way to treat many ailments, stress at work and in the home, but can also be enjoyed in a hot bath or just to make the home smell nicer. So why not give it a try, have a massage or buy some essential oil from your local health store.