Aroma Wisdom The Canadian Aromatherapy Journal
Fall 2019 The Harvest Edition
education, innovation, growth, support
Distilling in Nepal Marco Valussi shares his experiences
Skintellectualism is Here -
Colleen Quinn discusses curation, creation and branding
Student Case Study Review Learning and mood in the classroom
Akiyo Toji looks at how essential oils can help
Sept-Nov 2019
Announcing our Spring 2020 CE Event Aroma Acupoint Therapy Level 1: a hands-on 2 ½-day workshop with Peter Holmes British Columbia Alliance Of Aromatherapy ISSN 2562-2218 $7.99 CND
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Education Innovation Growth Support
Contents 4 Our Contributors 5 President’s Message 8 Announcements 9 Spring 2020 CE Event Information 14 Featured Writer: Essential Oil Distillation in Nepal Part 1 of 2 - Marco Valussi discusses high-altitude distillation and its issues
21 Guest Writer: Skintellectualism LabAroma Founder Colleen Quinn talks Curation, Creation & Branding
29 Student Case Study Akiyo Toji reviews how essential oils can enhance learning and mood in children
32 BCAOA Safety Booklet Order Form 37 Aroma Wisdom Journal Order Form 38 Hops Monograph The CHA of BC Student Subcommittee reviews the history of Hops
41 The Classifieds
DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE BCAOA, ITS DIRECTORS, THE EDITOR, OR ITS MEMBERS. INFORMATION PROVIDED IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. THE BCAOA, ITS DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, AND EDITOR CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISUSE OF ESSENTIAL OILS OR ANY OTHER THERAPEUTIC METHODS PRESENTED HEREIN. THE BCAOA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT ANY ARTICLE OR ADVERTISEMENT SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY ENDORSE ANY PERSON, PRODUCT, COMPANY, COURSE, OR SCHOOL MENTIONED HEREIN.
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Announcing The British Columbia Alliance Of Aromatherapy is proud to announce our Spring 2020 Continuing Education Event With Peter Holmes LAc MH Aroma Acupoint Therapy™ Level 1 - Using Essential Oils is Energetic Medicine April 24th, 25th and 26th, 2020. The event starts in the early afternoon on Friday and finishes on Sunday; it will include a practicum component so there will be lots of information to learn and hands-on work! The location will be the Coast Tsawwassen Inn in Beautiful B.C. 1665 56 Street Delta, BC V4L 2B2 Ph: 604.943.8221 https://www.coasthotels.com/hotels/bc/delta/coast-tsawwassen-inn/ See more information below.
About Peter Holmes Peter is an English-trained medical herbalist, essential oil therapist and practitioner of Chinese medicine with over 35 years' experience of using herbal and essential oil medicines in clinical practice. His extensive training included studies with Oriental Medicine Doctor Ted Kaptchuk, medical herbalist and pharmacist Henri Verdier in Paris, France; medical herbalist Christopher Hedley in London, England; and Elisabeth Roche-Vallee in Paris, France. Peter brings to his courses and seminars over 35 years of study, clinical practice and teaching experience. He has focused on both the physiological and psychological aspects of using essential oils. He has pioneered their clinical use with acupuncture and bodywork, as well in herbal medicine in general. Peter is the author of several acclaimed textbooks on herbal and essential oil medicine: Aromatica Vols. 1 & 2, Clinical Aromatherapy, The Energetics of Western Herbs Vols. 1 & 2, Jade Remedies Vols. 1 & 2, and The TCM Materia Medica Clinical Reference & Study Guide. Peter will be teaching his Aroma Acupoint Therapy™ (AAT) in a combined lecture and practicum. Harness the Power of Essential Oils to Boost Your Practice! In this completely updated and expanded workshop you will discover... 9
• An innovative, gentle hands-on method of treatment that allies the potency of essential oils with acupuncture, bodywork to dramatically enhance your practice — with practicum breakouts to practice and experience this work • How to select the oils and match them accurately to specific acupoints • How to get transformative results treating the basic energetic imbalances that lead to common conditions such as muscle tension and pain, anxiety, overactive mind, depression, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, etc. • How to perform hands-on the clinically valuable Six-Condition Assessment on a new client • The specific actions of the top 20 essential oils to correct a client’s energetic imbalances • How to practice the detailed protocols for applying the oils selected onto the points Acupuncture or bodywork alone are often insufficient for producing the kinds of results we ideally want to see with our clients. So many conditions involve mental and emotional issues, and many of them present chronic disorders that usually respond better to gentle treatment which ends up being more effective. Genuine essential oils when used with specific acupuncture points can bring a powerful new dimension to our practice. Holding certain oils on specific matching points will modulate neuroendocrine functions by activating peptides, thereby triggering profound energetic changes in the individual. Aroma Acupoint treatment can create truly amazing and lasting shifts in treatment outcome. These can be monitored by often rapid changes in the pulse, affect and complexion, as well as providing rapid relief of physical, emotional or mental symptoms. Aroma Acupoint Therapy proves invaluable for patients presenting mental and emotional blocks; for treating infants, children and the elderly, as well as for those afraid of needles. It also excels at treating patients with chronic conditions who are too weak or sensitive to tolerate acupuncture. It also combines easily, of course, with acupuncture itself. In a bodywork practice, it allows the practitioner’s fingers to take a deserved break while the oils are being gently applied to the active points. This information-packed workshop will present the essential practical information needed to start using this effective, safe and user-friendly treatment modality in your practice right away. Aroma Acupoint Therapy or AAT is a gentle, completely safe and profoundly effective treatment modality that utilizes the energetic treatment potential of pure essential oils and acupoints combined. Treatment involves placing particular oils on specific acupuncture points on the body in order to trigger energetic changes in the individual that will bring the client back to a state of balance. Aroma Acupoint Therapy works on the basis of mutual resonance 10
Essential Oil Distillation in Nepal Experiences of working at high elevations In Part 1 of this article, featured writer Marco Valussi talks about problems distillers encounter at high elevations and how to fix them I would like to start with just a few words about myself to try to frame this contribution and explain where it comes from. I have been working with medicinal and aromatic plants for over 20 years, and one of the many hats I have worn has been that of a consultant for NGOs working in developing countries, for small, local distilleries. Only lately have I made the decision to jump to the other side and become a distiller myself. Thus, much of what I know about distillation comes from field experience. I’ve tried to partially fill-in my lack of formal education in chemical engineering, thanks to some great authors and colleagues who supported me. Hence my decision to illustrate some of the typical critical points in distillation by discussing a real experience I had a few years ago in Nepal. In this way, I hope to help those of you who, like me, have never had formal training in the science of distillation. As I indicated, a few years ago I went on a working trip to Nepal, specifically to the Dolakha district, Janakpur area, in the central-eastern region of Nepal. The area is mountainous but with very fertile land, and is inhabited by various ethnic groups, mainly Gurung and Sherpa. It is a rich area, and it is very difficult to visit there and accept the poverty of Nepal. It is really true, as they say here, that “east is heaven and west is hell�. The trip was partly pleasure, partly work. Together with some Nepalese colleagues I had to visit and evaluate a distillation site for essential oils of Rhododendron (Rhododendron anthopogon) and Juniper (Juniperus indica / J. Recurva). The distillation unit was at approximately 11,482 feet above sea level (asl), while the collection areas were at approximately 13,123 feet asl. In the area there were two other distillation sites at a lower altitude, which distilled Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). We traveled from Singati to the village of Marbu, about halfway from our final destination. The high temperatures and high relative humidity favored lush, green vegetation especially, at the beginning, the gorgeous green of the rice fields.
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senses in the learning experience (p.147).
The sense of smell Aromatic plants have been used historically by mankind for their calming and mood enhancing effects. Moreover, aromas can improve performance and the capacity for memory retention as well as improve alertness and promote relaxation. Odorants in the essential oils must evaporate and disperse into the atmosphere. Once these vapor molecules are inhaled through the nose, they are detected by receptor cells in the cilia extending from the two olfaction bulbs, which are are extensions of the brain. Lv et al. (2013) reported that inhalation of essential oils can stimulate the production of cerebral neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) in the brain to regulate the mood via the olfactory system.
Olfaction and the autonomic nervous system Inhalation of certain types of aromatic vaporous odorants can affect the autonomic nervous functions such as heart rate, pulse rate, skin conductance response, skin temperature, respiration and breathing rate. These types of essential oils are mostly Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Rosemary, Sage (Salvia officinalis) and Thyme (Thyme ct linalool) (Tissarand and Young 2014, p. 112). According to J.P. Rhind (2016), Black Pepper, Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), Estragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.), and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) all elicited an increase in sympathetic activity of 1.7 to 2.5fold. Also, Grapefruit inhalation elicited a 1.1-fold increase in adrenaline and a 1.2-fold increase in noradrenalin. Therefore, Grapefruit, a citric fruit essential oil, is able to cause fluctuations in blood pressure after inhalation. The rise in blood pressure might occur through the presence of d-limonene, α-pinene and methyl chavicol in Black Pepper, Grapefruit and Estragon essential oils (J.P. Rhind 2016, p.165). In this study, the children's emotion and blood pressure were measured after the inhalation of Lemon essential oil for one minute in the morning before going to school. If the inhalation of essential oil can alter the children's emotion in a positive way, aromatherapy might be a useful and safe method to use in the classroom in order to provide a positive learning environment which would lead to increases in learning performance.
Materials and methods Participants A total of 3 male children, aged 5 years (Child A), 8 years (Child B) and 12 years (Child C) were selected. The children had not been reported as having ADHD and/or ADD, are in good respiratory health and have a normal sense of smell. The information on handedness has been included in this study. According to Hummel et al. (1998) in regards to odor discrimination ability, left-handed people performed significantly better with the left side nostril compared with the right nostril and vice versa for right-handed people. Thus, it is only informational that all the children who participated in the experiments are right-handed. Essential oil After studying the safety of all the potential oils (Rosemary, Lavender, Jasmine, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit), organic Lemon essential oil from Rae Dunphy Aromathics Ltd, Calgary, Canada was selected and used for this experiment. The main constituents of Lemon essential oil are monoterpenes, mainly (+) - Limonene (56.6-76.0%). The main properties of monoterpenes are (see Table 1): • • • 31
For the nervous system: slightly analgesic, stimulant For the endocrine system: stimulates secretions particularly bile, liver and gall bladder For the circulatory and immune system: antiviral, bactericidal, decongestant (Caddy 1997, p.1-13)
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Aroma Wisdom The Canadian Aromatherapy Journal is now available in printed format as single, multiple, or subscription orders
This fabulous journal can now be used as a value-added product for your business as a single issue or gift subscription such as: Giving a gift subscription to clients, family and friends($38 incl s/h!) Including it with your teaching modules for your students Adding it to aromatherapy gift baskets Using it as a bonus with treatment for clients Reselling it for the cover price to add to your sales
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Herb of the Year: Hops (Humulus lupulus) This article appears courtesy of the Canadian Herbalist Association of BC Student Subcommittee for the 2019 Herbal Medicine Awareness Week. Most people today are familiar with Hops in the context of beer, but did you know Hops also has a long history of use as a traditional medicine? Hops became popularized in Canada in the 1890s when Henry Hulbert moved to Sardis, BC and joined a community of people growing the bitter flower people were becoming to know and love for its diverse medicinal benefits and flavour profile in brewing. (Chilliwack Museum, 2008). Clemons Horst moved to BC in 1902 and joined the cultivation of Hops. This farm grew to eventually be the largest producer in the area and what we know today as the BC Hop Company. (Chilliwack Museum, 2008) Both Agassiz and Sardis, in the Fraser Valley, grew to be areas producing the most hops within the British Commonwealth by the 1940s. However, as breweries industrialized in the 1990s, the hops industry collapsed. (Botn, 2014) With the growth of craft brewing and people reconnecting with traditional practices, hops has resurged and once again become a beloved taste we know well and connect with. Now, as the industry grows, this creates space for society to also once again connect with the many properties this plant encompasses to support health and wellbeing. (Botn, 2014)
Medicinal Actions and Uses of Hops • • • • •
Relaxing and sedating for the mind and body Soothing and stimulating to the digestive system Mild estrogenic effect Pain relieving Anti-microbial (PRC Monograph) 38