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HAPPINESS >> AROMATHERAPY
EXCEPTIONAL EXTR ACTS
Exploring the Essentials There’s More to Aromatherapy than Meets the Nose!
S TORY BY C A MERON COBB P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y E R I C K A W I N T E R R O W D
A
h, the new year. A time to banish bad habits and vow to become a better you. But while you’re noting what not to do, make the fresh start fun by adopting some beneficial behaviors – like aromatherapy! With so many surprising positive effects for mental and physical health, it’s no question why aromatherapy should make it on your self-improvement list. (But just in case you DO have questions, here’s the what, who, why, where and how!)
THE WHAT:
Aromatherapy is “the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit,” according to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. The practice is also known as “Essential Oil therapy,” and such oils are concentrated extractions from the roots, seeds, blossoms or leaves of different plants, according to 132 |
OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
the University of Maryland Medical Center. In addition to being used in perfumes and cosmetics, essential oils have been incorporated into various therapeutic and healing practices all over the world for roughly 6,000 years. An oil’s purpose is determined by the unique mixture of those plant-derived ingredients, and uses vary anywhere from an earthy room deodorizer to natural health remedies.