Extraordinary Health Magazine EH Magazine VOl 33_Final | Page 23
Rosemary is less intense than eucalyptus
essential oil but has similar benefits,
especially in the respiratory system and
as a preventative to get rid of germs and
ward off a bacterial infection.
into the science, we are actually able to see proof of what
practitioners and patients have been saying for thousands
of years.”
Galper and Shutes emphasize in their classes that essential oils
are not a miracle to solve all problems, but a profound tool to
raise awareness in the body and reveal what needs to change in
someone’s life, to sleep more, deal with emotions better, or
even something as simple as presenting a different way
of looking at pain. “We do see essential oils can provide
immediate relief. For example, we’ve seen patchouli make nail
fungus disappear and wounds heal as a result of lavender oil,
or putting tea tree oil on a blemish,” says Galper, who has
a foolproof way for anyone to start using essential oils.
Getting Started with Essential Oils
Step one in getting started with essential oils should be to choose a
few to try. Galper recommends lavender, sweet orange, tea tree,
eucalyptus and peppermint for the first kit. It all begins with the
nose, so just take some time to smell each of the oils to familiarize
yourself with them.
“In our culture we do everything we can to try to get rid of odors,
with scented sprays and such because we don’t like the way
things smell—but awakening our sense of smell is the first step
to feeling better,” says Galper. “When you’re nervous or stressed
or out of sorts, close your eyes and see how smelling the oil
makes you feel.”
Galper also suggests experimenting with putting the oils
in a diffuser and adding a few drops to a cotton ball to sniff
throughout the day. As a topical treatment, she recommends
adding a drop of an essential oil to shortening, approximately
one drop to a tablespoon, to rub onto the back of the neck or
chest to feel and breathe it in.
“Scent is 90 percent of the healing process and we know how
powerful olfactory science proves our sense of smell can affect
hormone production and distribution of hormones, along with
neurotransmitter production and activity,” says Galper of the
olfactory nerve bulb connection.
Rosemary is less intense than eucalyptus essential oil but has
similar benefits, especially in the respiratory system and as a
preventative to get rid of germs and ward off a bacterial infection.
Galper says to smell the oils and put a little on the chest in a
ratio of one to three drops of rosemary essential oil into one
tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil. Other uses involve pain
relief, sore muscles, headaches and improving flow of energy,
digestion, energy and breath. Galper is especially excited about
Garden of Life’s new venture into the essential oils market.
“I love partnering with Garden of Life for their essential
oils because their supplier has been growing plants for
essential oils for more than a century providing oils
to the perfume industry and for health and wellness
through a community of farmers,” says Galper. “That’s
what’s so nice about Garden of Life because they are
leaders in their field and now they are working with a
global leader in growing aromatic plants and using pure
extraction methods.”
For people who want to delve into the healing world of essential
oils, Shutes and Galper’s school includes one of the leading
online aromatherapy certification programs in the country
for professional level aromatherapists and novices. Anyone
can take the courses at home, including their introduction to
aromatherapy online course which teaches how to use essential
oils for health and wellness. Tens of thousands of people have
gone through their classrooms geared toward the home user, as
well as advanced training in skin care and chemistry units.
“We also have a beautiful program called the botanical body care
class which teaches students how to formulate their own body
care and they are all online programs,” says Galper, who along
with Shutes and their other instructors, offers three different
ways to learn—online, on-site classes at their New York location
and through live streaming.
For more information on essentials oils and how to incorporate
them into everyday life, visit The School for Aromatic Studies at
aromaticstudies.com.
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