HMH Times Spring 2017Spring 2017

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Aromatherapy and Massage

Karrie Osborn

What essential oil is your favorite?

When we areunable to findtranquilitywithinourselves, it isuseless to seekit elsewhere.-La RochefoucauldOffice Hours and Contact

HMH Wellness Center, Inc.

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In this Issue

Aromatherapy and MassageFootprints for HealthHot or Cold for Injuries?

Aromatherapy, a process utilizing thepurest essence of a plant, is a4,000-year-old technique that hasenhanced the health of everyone frommodern-day pop divas to the scholars ofancient Greece. The art of massage hasits own deeply rich roots, with even Platoand Socrates touting the value ofhands-on bodywork for good health.

Separately, these two therapeutictraditions hold individual prowess in therealm of personal health and well-being.Together, however, they become aformidable health alliance that canaddress not only a person's physicalhealth, but the health of the mind andspirit as well.

A Natural ComplementOur senses were designed to work bestin conjunction with one another. Oursense of taste would not be as acutewithout our nose lending its support tothe process. Our auditory senses mightseem hollow if we weren't gifted withsight as well. Indeed, there exists a quietpartnership between all our five sensesthat's built on synergy.

Let's see how it works. Essential oils areextracted from herbs, flowers, andplants with the intent to improve aperson's health and well-being.Addressing everything from arthritis towhooping cough, effects of theapproximate 3,000 oils found globallycan range from sedative to stimulatingand antibacterial to antispasmodic. Thebenefits derived from aromatherapyduring a massage come in part from thecontact the essential oil has on our skin,but even more so how it affects us whenit's inhaled and absorbed through thesoft-tissue linings of our nose andmouth.

The scientific explanation suggests thatthe essential oil's molecules, when

inhaled, lock onto receptor cells at theback of the nose, sending anelectrochemical message to the brain'slimbic system. This message appears totrigger memory and emotionalresponses, causing messages to be sent toother parts of the brain and body. "Inthis way," says aromatherapist Danila

Aromatherapy has roots in ancient cultures.

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Mansfield, "the production of euphoric,relaxing, sedative, or stimulatingneurochemicals is stimulated."

Judith Fitzsimmons and PaulaBousquet, authors of AromatherapyThrough the Seasons, say the use ofessential oils creates a multifacetedeffect: "The real beauty of aromatherapyis that it works on a cellular and physicallevel and also in the emotional,intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic areasof your life."

It's really quite amazing when you thinkabout it. Imagine an area the size of asmall apricot pit, a 1-inch square area,filled with millions of sensory neuronsthat can capture, process, and store10,000 odors. This is our olfactorysystem at work, and part of its job is tocreate a personal history for us based onscent, says clinical aromatherapistAva-Marie Lind-Shiveley. "None of ourother senses so well establishes a memorydatabase." She says our response to scentis both physiological and psychosomatic."Within an instant of smelling anaroma, we can be sent back to the firstmoment we were introduced to it."

By enabling us to recognize, revisit,and/or reclaim these various emotionsand memories, aromatherapy allowsanother avenue of access for healingduring a bodywork session. It creates apath through which the somaticexperience can find its full strength.

When the powerful effects ofaromatherapy are combined withmassage, it can take us to another level,say aromatherapy educators Shirley andLen Price. "When, during a massage,the touch of the therapist is combinedwith the mental and physical effects ofthe essential oils, the client is helped toachieve a temporary separation fromworldly worries, somewhat akin to ameditative state." Helping clients reachthis level of relaxation is a primary goalof massage therapists andaromatherapists alike, so it makes sensethat a partnership could beautifullyexist.

A Scent Journey"Scent is not simplistic," Lind-Shiveleysays. "It is voluminous." She illustratesthis point with a quote from HelenKeller: "Smell is a potent wizard thattransports us across thousands of miles

and all the years we have lived. Theodors of fruits waft me to my Southernhome, to my childhood frolics in thepeach orchard. Other odors,instantaneous and fleeting, cause myheart to dilate joyously or contract withremembered grief."

If you decide to do some personalexploration into the world of scenttherapy, proceed with due caution inboth the quality of the oils you buy andhow you dose and administer them.There is a dichotic nature inherent inaromatherapy. It is gentle, yet powerful;subtle, yet intense. There are essentialoils strong enough to cause miscarriage,but there also are many oils safe enoughto use on infants. The key is knowinghow to utilize nature's gifts to providethe best, most effective therapeuticcollaboration possible. Talk with yourmassage therapist about incorporatingthe science of aromatherapy into your

sessions or ask about a referral to anaromatherapist in your area.

Karrie Osborn is contributing editor to Body Sense.

BalancingBay Laurel, Cedarwood, GeraniumClarifyingJuniper, Lemon, PeppermintComfortingBergamot, Frankincense, RoseEnergizingEucalyptus, Grapefruit, RosemaryFocusingAngelica, Sweet Basil, LimeSedatingChamomile, Clary Sage,PatchouliUpliftingLavender, Orange/Mandarin, Pine, TeaTree

Treat your feet, and body, to reflexology.

Footprints for Health

Hot or Cold for Injuries?How to Know Which is Best for YouArt Riggs

You walk on them all day, but did youknow your feet do more than carry youfrom one place to the next? They alsohave a unique connection to balancedhealth and well-being. In a form ofbodywork known as reflexology, the feetare said to contain reflex areas thatmirror and connect to all parts of thebody--and pressure on these points canactually influence your state of health.

Reflexology is viewed primarily as a stressreduction or relaxation technique.Using the thumb, finger, and hand,gentle pressure is applied to reflex areasof the feet in order to decrease stressand bring the body into equilibrium.

Although simplistic in application, theeffects of the treatment can beprofound. Through activation of nervereceptors in the hands and feet, newmessages flood into the body system,changing its tempo and tone. In essence,the foot or hand becomes a conduit forsharing information throughout thebody. Function in the connecting area is

improved and, at the same time, thebody experiences overall relaxation andbenefits to the circulation andelimination systems. When the body'ssystems are at optimal functioning,self-healing is enhanced.

Scientific studies have documented thebenefits of reflexology for a variety ofailments, ranging from reduction ofpain, improvement in circulation, andrelease of tension, to improvedeffectiveness of medication, as well asbenefits for diabetes and headaches.

In this sense, reflexology is not amedical treatment for specific symptomsor diseases, but rather a way to facilitatethe body's inherent healing power.

We all know that treating an injuryimmediately after it happens can helpminimize the pain and damage as well asfacilitate recovery. But after rolling yourankle in a soccer game, or hurting yourback when lifting your toddler, ortweaking your knee when stepping out ofyour car, what's best? Should you ice itto try to control inflammation, or wouldheat be better to promote circulation?

While it's difficult to establish a fail-saferule for when to apply ice or heat, thegeneral directive is to use ice for the firstforty-eight to seventy-two hours after anacute injury and then switch to heat.

It DependsThe reality is that many conditions arenot necessarily the result of a specificinjury. I call these conditions "recurrentacute" and find them by far the most

common: sciatica that occurs when youdrive a car; a back that flares up everytime you garden; or tennis elbow fromintense computer work. In these cases,consistent and frequent applications ofice may prove very helpful over longperiods of time, particularlyimmediately after experiencing the eventthat causes problems.

Conversely, back or other muscle spasmscaused by overexertion rather thaninjury may benefit greatly from heatimmediately upon the onset ofsymptoms or immediately after exercisein order to relax the muscles andincrease circulation. Also, muscle bellypain not resulting from acute andserious trauma generally responds wellto heat, which can break the spasms andrelease the strain. On the other hand,nerve and tendon pain--regardless of

the duration of symptoms, even if you'vebeen experiencing them formonths--benefit from ice.

What Works for YouThe bottom line: different individualswill constitutionally vary greatly in theirreactions. Some people are more proneto the types of inflammation exacerbatedby heat, while others find their bodiescontracting and tightening at the meremention of ice. Try each option and payclose attention to how your body andmind respond, and let your gut be yourguide. Ultimately, what works best foryou is, well, what's best for you.

Keeping yourbody healthy isan expression ofgratitude to thewhole cosmos -the trees, theclouds,everything.-Thich Nhat Hanh

Start the new year out right. Take care of you! MassageMaintenance Programs available for you. Regular MonthlyMassages can help you acheive Balance and Wellness foryou, your body and your mind! Enjoy a full hour massageevery month for just $50 per month. Everybody kneads amassage.....even you!

Please call the office and ask details today. 419-874-4640.

Upcoming Classes:Reinventing HealthcareDate: February 16thCost: Free

Essential PerfumesMake and Take Rollerball ClassDate: February 21stCost $15

Rollerball MentalityMake and Take Rollerball ClassDate: February 28thCost $15

HMH Wellness Center, Inc.

418 Louisiana AvePerrysburg, OH 43551