There are two ways I utilize aromatherapy with my clients:
1. I use therapeutic-grade essential oils during sessions.
2. As a distributor for Young Living Essential Oils, I show people how to use essential oils at home or work, to benefit their health and happiness. I host little get-togethers from time-to-time where we discuss what essential oils are, how they work, and how to use them. We can discuss specific issues you may want help with, and I can show you how to order the oils. I can even show you how to get wholesale pricing like I pay, without EVER having to sell anything. In fact, if you wanted to skip that whole process, you can order oils right this minute by clicking here.
What is aromatherapy?
The term aromatherapy is widely used to describe everything from scented candles to chemical-laden air-fresheners. True aromatherapy utilizes essential oils, which are very concentrated plant extracts. Think of them like using herbs, only much more potent. It's been said that one drop of peppermint oil is equal in strength to about 28 cups of peppermint tea.
How is it used in massage?
I use essential oils in two ways:
1. I often diffuse essential oils into the air, where you benefit fromt the oil by breathing it in. Some of the oil actually gets absorbed into your bloodstream through your lungs, and can have physical effects. The most noticable effect from breathing in essential oils, however, is how you feel psychologically. Our sense of smell is the only sense directly linked to our limbic system, which is the part of our brain most responsible for emotion and memory. So inhaling essential oils can have a variety of psychological effects from helping you relax, to helping you cheer up. For instance, a study done at Mie University showed citrus oils to be helpful in relieving depression.
2. I use essential oils on clients' skin for a variety of reasons. Peppermint, for instance, can create a cooling sensation when you're overheated, and I regularly use this on women experiencing hot flashes. Peppermint is also known for its pain-relieving properties, and has been studied for headache relief. We can blend essential oils into the massage to address a variety of different concerns. Putting them directly on the skin, in addition to allowing you to smell the oil, some of the oil actually penetrates your skin and enters your blood stream as well. I often use essential oils to help ease pain and also to help muscles relax and "break up" congestion in the tissues.
A Word about Quality
As I've already stated, and in the interest of full-disclosure, I am a distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. That being said, as a massage therapist I have a vast array of choices available to me as far as essential oil brands. Using them in massages as I do, (and I don't charge extra for aromatherapy), it is a business cost. Like most business owners, I prefer to keep costs down. However, even though I could easily use much less expensive essential oils during my sessions, I insist on using only Young Living oils. They reject something like 73% of oils that they test, and they test each and every batch before selling it to consumers. When you're dealing with a substance as concentrated as essential oils, quality is important.
7878 W. 80th Pl. #1H Arvada, CO 80005 303-563-2134