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Aromatherapy is the controlled use of essential oils (pure essence from plants) to enhance our physical and emotional well being
The best way to learn about aromatherapy is to experience its benefits for yourself – but before doing so, you may like to hear from others who have embarked on the aromatherapy journey before you. APA is honoured to have invited the following world-renowned aromatherapy and essential oil experts to share with us their deeply inspiring personal experiences of this wonderful therapy:
(by alphabetical order of surname)
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 For me, aromatherapy is about harnessing the enormous healing potential of aromatic plants that spans all states of vibration, from the most dense and physical to the most subtle and energetic. Through their versatility and ability to communicate, interact with and harmonise each level of our being, essential oils and their related products have much to offer us in this current age of imbalance and uncertainty. They send a clear message to the mind, body and spirit and awaken our healing potential at a cellular level.
I view aromatherapy as an essential complement to modern healthcare approaches, and my passion is to demonstrate where and how these modalities can be successfully intertwined for the benefit of patients and their carers. Hence my focus and promotion of clinical aromatherapy; working alongside healthcare professionals in a range of settings, from clinics to hospitals and hospices, in both in-patient and out-patient care. 
 About Rhiannon Harris
Rhiannon is an experienced aromatherapist, educator, author and editor of the International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy (IJCA). Based in Provence, France, she hosts residential classes near her mountain home as well as travelling internationally to lecture on a range of subjects concerning clinical aromatherapy and essential oil science. The IJCA is the only aromatherapy journal in the world with a clinical focus, taking an evidence-based approach to help and inspire practitioners to use essential oils and related products in a range of healthcare settings. |
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| As we move forward in the 21st century, there are many modalities of treatment that are now helping us open to new ways of being, unexplored ways of looking at life, and fresh ways of relating to all living beings. I believe that aromatherapy holds a very special place among these emerging systems. The essential oils of plants hold a key to accessing parts of our brain, of our consciousness, necessary for our critical evolution at this time. As gifts of the earth and the cosmos, essential oils bring our awareness full circle back to its original context, the articulated web of life itself. In so doing, they are compassionate allies that can assist us, in a sensuous and genuine way, in our own healing as well as that of our fellow beings.
Peter Holmes L.Ac. M.H.
 About Peter Holmes
Peter is a medical herbalist and clinical aromatherapist. He originally apprenticed for two years with Cantonese herbalist Dr. Lee in London, England and graduated from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (U.K.). He went on to complete postgraduate studies in Chinese medicine with Ted Kaptchuk OMD and at the Ecole Européenne d'Acupuncture in Paris, France. Peter then completed Western herbal medicine training at the College of Consultant Herbalists in England and with pharmacist-herbalist Henri Verdier in Paris, France, who trained him in the clinical uses of essential oils.
Peter researches, writes and lectures extensively on the clinical uses of essential oils and herbal medicines, bringing to his programmes over 20 years of study, clinical practice and teaching experience. Peter is author of Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oil Profiles, and co-author of the forthcoming Essential Oil Therapy (with R. Tisserand, C. Hoffman et al.). He is author of three acclaimed herbal medicine textbooks, The Energetics of Western Herbs: Treatment Strategies Integrating Western & Oriental Herbal Medicine; Jade Remedies: A Chinese Herbal Reference for the West; and The T.C.M. Materia Medica Clinical Reference & Study Guide. |
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| Aromatherapy does what it says on the label. It is a therapy using aroma! But what is Aromatherapy really? I believe that Aromatherapy is a tool that we can use to evolve and develop holistically into higher spiritual beings, by interacting with others through the application of aromatic plant material. Firstly we have to recognise that we are all here to make our own journey. This is nobody else's life, but ours. Once we recognise that, we can accept that while we interact with other people, which makes our life journey more fulfilling, we can also make a difference and help facilitate other people’s journey. Aromatic plant materials have an amazing effect that few other media have. They can access past memory and the power of association in such a powerful way that only a few psychotherapists could hope to achieve the same result. Many have studied and tried to explain the chemistry of plant materials; the application of phyto materials through touch and ingestion is explained by many in the field. However, the mental effect of aroma is not comprehensively understood by anyone. It is suggested that certain olfactory sensors and known centres of the brain are involved, but nobody really understands how aroma works in our psyche, only that it does. It is probably the fact that it is not understood that is Aromatherapy's true power. For we do not need to understand, only to experience. This is true of life itself: we do not need to understand, only to experience. We are, after all, spiritual beings on a human journey; therefore we are on an experiential journey – not an intellectual one. Aromatherapy for me is a tool by which I grow and develop. I use that tool with others and together we stride forward in this journey that we call life.
Alan Howell
 About Alan Howell
Alan studied Herbal Medicine in 1985. Interested in the energetics of plant material, he re-directed his study towards subtle energy medicine. Alan studied at the British School of Shiatsu-Do where he qualified as a Shiatsu practitioner. His desire to work holistically means that his body-work is now augmented by nutritional and environmental advice. This combination of Herbal, Nutritional, Environmental and Bodywork is all driven by a desire to harmonise the body’s energetic system. He specialises in a form of Shiatsu known as Shin-Tai. |
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The world is becoming increasingly industrialized and urbanized. Humanity is swelling, while Nature is shrinking. According to a study conducted by the University of Exeter, published in July 2011, one in 10 species could face extinction by the year 2100 if current climate change impacts continue.
People are relying more and more on technology to interpret the world, and less on their bodily senses. All too often, the speed and demands of our modern lifestyle induce stress, anxiety and chronic fatigue.
Aromatherapy counters these trends in a number of ways.
By revitalizing the most primal of our five sensory faculties, the sense of smell, aromatherapy reorientates us back towards our vital origin in Nature - through the fragrant by products, known as essential oils, extracted from the aromatic plants with which we have co-evolved. This I believe encourages human beings to cherish and sustain the plant life on which we depend for our own survival.
By employing essential oils in our daily life, we also of course benefit from their active healing qualities - if we devote ourselves to their proper study, and utilize them wisely and creatively. Whether enjoyed through bathing, massage, or simply through smelling and inhaling, urban stress can be dissipated, anxiety subdued and vitality often restored.
 Gabriel Mojay FIFPA,MBAcC,CertEd, Principal of the Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy (ITHMA)
Gabriel Mojay is a qualified practitioner of aromatherapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture and shiatsu. He is Principal of the Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy (ITHMA), based at Regent's College, London. In 1990 he founded the UK Register of Qualified Aromatherapists, which merged into the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA) at its formation in 2002. One of IFPA's founding Co-Chairmen, he has served as Chair of both Conferences and Publications, and was Co-Editor of IFPA's professional journal In Essence. Gabriel has presented lecture papers at international conferences and seminars in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, the Czech Republic, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Canada and the USA. He is co-author of Shiatsu: The Complete Guide and of Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. The main focus of his work has been on the application of Oriental diagnosis to clinical aromatherapy, including its integration with essential oil science.
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My Aromatherapy Journey began with a life-altering experience with lavender essential oil. From this point my life changed and I began my exciting journey into the Aromatic World known as ‘Aromatherapy’. It may be a new concept to many, but it actually dates back to Neanderthal man. Aromatherapy is both an ancient art and a modern science, and its fascinating historical journey spans the ancient empires and dynasties of the world.
Throughout all cultures, our ancestors relied on plants for food, for health and for healing. Our Stone Age ancestors were the first to use plants for medicines, healing and religious or ritual worship. The Egyptians embalmed their dead with Frankincense and Myrrh. The Greeks are credited with inventing the art of distillation. The Romans used the aromatic essences also for pleasure. By AD 3, Rome had become the bathing capital of the world, with 1,000 bath houses. All bathers were “oiled” and massaged before bathing. The Arabians perfected the art of the distillation process, creating the most potent of essences.
In terms of modern application, we have all found out that at some time or another, our bodies reach a point of no return and say to us, in no uncertain terms, that they are distressed and tired. If we do not listen to the body's subtle messages, the messages will keep getting stronger and louder, until we are forced to take notice via a frozen shoulder, a pulled muscle, insomnia etc...
When we start to take the time to relax and truly listen to our bodies and ourselves, we are able to uncover the true source of our discomfort. Essential oils are the working tools of Aromatherapy. They are the subtle, volatile liquids that have been distilled from plants, blossoms, shrubs, flowers, trees, bushes, leaves and seeds. When you start to use essential oils you realize that they have the ability to support us on many different levels, both conscious/unconscious and physical/emotional. They assist us to relax and revitalize, while communicating a warm reassurance and a sense of self worth that creates an unbeatable atmosphere for the body’s own natural healing systems to heal themselves.
I believe that Aromatherapy is supportive and empowering – focusing on balance, wellness and the wholeness of us all. I invite you to enjoy your own fragrant journey...
Christine Saunders
 About Christine Saunders
Founder and Honorary Principal of Asia-Pacific Aromatherapy Ltd.
Christine Saunders received her Diploma in Aromatherapy in 1994 and immediately began practising privately with clients in Hong Kong. Seeing a need for professional aromatherapy training in Asia, she began work in 1997 to set up a school to offer specialist and professional training in aromatherapy.
Christine has dedicated her life to sharing her passion for and knowledge of essential oils. As a therapist, her goal is to support her clients through the healing process. As an educator, her aim is to give students the foundation they need to become confident and competent practitioners. |
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The Bible contains 33 species and more than 500 references to essential oils and the aromatic plants from which they came...
It is clear from the Bible that God intended that the oils of plants be used for many purposes. The fatty oils, such as olive, almond, and flaxseed, served as food and fuel for light for the peoples of Biblical times. The aromatic or essential oils served for flavourings, perfumes, incense, anointing, burial and embalming. Essential oils were also applied for emotional release, mental clearing, spiritual uplift, physical healing, and prevention of disease... They were considered to be the first medicine of mankind...
Inasmuch as the science and art of aromatherapy is the inhalation, application and ingestion of essential oils for healing and wellness, it appears that God was the first aromatherapist – long before the word or concept was articulated by humans...
God’s intent for us to use plants for our medicines (Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:2) is more than just their oil. God’s intent is for us to take responsibility for our own health care and use the intelligence he gave us, guided by Him through prayer.
Extracted from Healing Oils of the Bible, Dr David Stewart Ph.D.
 About Dr David Stewart
Dr David Stewart, a retired Methodist minister and former university science professor, is a noted authority on essential oils and their healing applications. He is author of 16 books, including <Healing Oils of the Bible> and <The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple – God’s Love Manifest in Molecules>. As President and CEO of the Center for Aromatherapy Research and Education (CARE International), Dr Stewart conducts research, teaches seminars and coordinates a faculty of over 35 Certified CARE instructors who teach more than 150 seminars a year throughout North America and selected countries. Dr Stewart travels the globe giving programmes on healing and anointing with oils. He has appeared on television in 44 countries. |
Gabriel Mojay FIFPA,MBAcC,CertEd, Principal of the Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy (ITHMA)
Gabriel Mojay is a qualified practitioner of aromatherapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture and shiatsu. He is Principal of the Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy (ITHMA), based at Regent's College, London. In 1990 he founded the UK Register of Qualified Aromatherapists, which merged into the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA) at its formation in 2002. One of IFPA's founding Co-Chairmen, he has served as Chair of both Conferences and Publications, and was Co-Editor of IFPA's professional journal In Essence. Gabriel has presented lecture papers at international conferences and seminars in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, the Czech Republic, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Canada and the USA. He is co-author of Shiatsu: The Complete Guide and of Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. The main focus of his work has been on the application of Oriental diagnosis to clinical aromatherapy, including its integration with essential oil science.
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