Aromatherapy is the use of fragrances to affect mood and promote health and well-being.

The topic of this newsletter came as a flash of inspiration. Or perhaps "a whiff of inspiration" would be more appropriate. Driving along a busy highway as so many of us do each day, the air coming through my car vents suddenly shifted from faint exhaust fumes to fresh baked bread! I happened to be driving by a large bread-making factory. What's interesting is that I had a profound and immediate positive shift in mood that caused me to smile broadly -- hardly a common sight in rush hour traffic!

Real estate agents use that same scent to make a home more attractive to potential buyers. How do you feel when you smell a pot of fresh coffee? Think of some other smells that elicit a reaction from you.

These experiences are at the heart of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the use of fragrances to affect mood and promote health and well-being. This is accomplished either by applying lotions or, more commonly, by diffusing essential oils into the air. Essential oils are fragrant, plant-derived oils. Here is a brief list of moods and some essential oils commonly used to promote them:

Calm: cedar leaf, lemongrass, orange, spearmint
Energized: cinnamon. ginger, grapefruit, lemon
Stimulated: celery, eucalyptus
Soothed: chamomile, geranium, lavender
Uplifted: jasmine

We all have daily "aromatherapy" experiences. With the right tools and a little knowledge, we can put this natural phenomenon to work for us and our families... in our homes and our places of business. More on that to come!

Keep Well,
Rob VH

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		Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone: robvh@wellness5.com Robert Vanden Heuvel • Tel: 403-710-4369