What is aromatherapy all about?

What exactly are essential oils and how are they extracted? Here Yogi Tea present us with the principles of aromatherapy and tell us how you can use natural fragrances for your mind and spirit.

In aromatherapy, natural fragrances are purposefully used to mobilise the body’s innate powers of self-healing. This is achieved by using the essences of plants, encapsulated in essential oils. Aromatherapy is a form of herbal medicine and is regarded by experts as a safe and reliable natural remedy. We at Yogi Tea view aromatherapy as the symbiosis between efficacy and a sense of wellbeing. Essential oils are essences containing a concentrated form of the plant’s medicinal properties. The essences are made from a great variety of plants using steam distillation, extraction or pressing processes, and are therefore especially intense in aroma and very precious. They exert their effect on mind and spirit via their fragrance, and can thereby influence our mood and sense of wellbeing.

Essential oils vary greatly in quality. Only pure essential oils should be used in aromatherapy. Organic is the best choice to also help protect the environment. Synthetic oils and products labelled as “nature identical” should in turn be avoided.

The range of applications for essential oils is as diverse as nature itself. For example, lavender oil can have a calming effect and help with insomnia; the tangy fragrance of lemon oil is stimulating and can have a mood-enhancing effect; fruity mandarin oil relieves stress and is warming; while fresh mint inspires the mind. Whether it’s for relaxation or general wellbeing – the use of concentrated plant-power in the form of essential oils is an important part of naturopathy.

Did you know that aromatherapy dates back to Antiquity? The ancient Egyptians regarded the fragrances of plants as gifts to their gods and as symbols of godliness, purity, power and might. In the 11th century, the Arabs then brought the knowledge of aromatherapy with them to Europe and people began to cultivate medicinal herbs in the gardens of monasteries and abbeys. In the early 20th century, the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé began to study the medicinal properties of essential oils. Aromatherapy thus became an important component of herbal medicine.

Thank you to the Yogis of Yogi Tea for this fascinating article about the beautiful scents of aromatherapy. You can read the original article here.