Aromatherapy

The Best of Well Being "Coping with Stress"

by Barbara Chopin Lucks

International Aromatherapy Journal 2002

Relaxed plants don't make much essential oil. They have little need to do so. Plants produce essential oils as a way of coping with environmental stress. Some plants respond to wind, cold disease, and drought by manufacturing essential oils that act as antifreeze, antibiotics, or as a water retention mechanism in the plant. The bitter taste of essential oils, along with their strong aroma, deter animals from eating the plant. Aromatic resins close wounds in trees, and prevent infection. Sweet seductive aromas convey the critical information that the time for pollination is now.

Put an aromatic plant in a patch of perfectly prepared rich soil and it will have a scent about as exciting as iceberg lettuce. However, let the plant thrash out an existence on a rocky wind-scoured hillside with foraging goats and it will produce a perfume of rare vintage. Even commercial production f aromatic plants does not use much artificial irrigation or pesticides. Moderate stress makes for more and better essential oils.

We humans distill these specialized stress busting essences to help us manage the stress in our lives. While a little stress can be a good thing for us, providing motivation and challenge, too much stress can be a killer. Here is what happens:

• Environmental Toxins (including the ones we choose to ingest), cultural/relationship stresses, and poor personal choices create an excess stress load in our bodies and minds. We simply load ourselves up with more than we can handle.

• The brain produces stress hormones in response to a steady dose of anxiety. These add to the pahysical and emotional toxins that accumulate in our bodies. The load impacts not only our enjoyment of life, but all of the systems of the body.

• Day to day stress tax the adrenal glands that were designed to respond to true "fight or flight" situations, not a grinding daily commute to an understaffed workplace. Adrenal exhaustion trashes the immune system.

• With our defenses down an all body systems strained by the stress, we e sick in our souls, mind, heart, guts, veins, joints and skin. The entire organism reflects stress overload.

• Essential oils can intervene at all levels of stress to "sickness" decline, and are most effectively used before physical illness manifests itself. However, we can not expect essential (or any other substantive therapy) to do the whole job. Truly effective stress management demands that we make good choices in our diets, rest, exercise habits, finances, and especially in our attitudes. With this in mind, lets look at the ways essential oils can support our own smart choices.

Relaxing Flower Oils

These sweet voluptuous aromas act directly on our central nervous system as we inhale them. They are a fast way to take the edge off the day. Our olfactory receptors are hard-wired to the limbic area of the brain.  

Clinical tests have shown that simple inhalation of genuine Lavender oils (synthetics don't work like natural oils) triggers the brain to release serotonin, promoting relaxation during the day and restful sleep at night.  

Ylang Ylang (oil) is used clinically to lower high blood pressure and Neroli (oil) is an excellent anti-panic oil. Rose and Jasmine are respectively tonic to the female and male reproductive systems. Not surprisingly, these natural botanical sexual attractants hellp to balance our own sexual hormones and can enhance sexual response, a great stress-reducer in it's own right.

Next Month: Protective Leaf and Needle Oils to combat stresses