Birthday Thoughts

Today is my birthday, and I always spend my birthday engaged in activities (alone and with people I love) that I want to see dominant in my life for the entire year to come. I think of it as “setting the stage” for the year ahead. I began the day as I always do, in gratitude. Thinking of all the blessings I have allowed into my life led to thoughts regarding the remarkable gifts that plants offer us in the area of nutrition, beauty and health.

I am so grateful for the plant knowledge I have that allows me to maintain good health and take care of myself when I’m under the weather. And I love how the easy application of essential oil therapy with my clients speeds their recovery and sets my practice apart from others.

Aromatherapy is so much more than many people realize. The chemicals in the plants and flowers are nature’s pharmacy – as strong and effective as pharmaceuticals – and without unwanted side-effects. They’re inexpensive and pleasant to work with. It just takes a little training to reap their numerous benefits.

I recall a young mother who hobbled into my office on a cane, just barely out of a lower leg cast. She had been in a frightening car accident that had to that point kept her in recovery for already six months. She was experiencing a lot of pain in her foot and knee, as well as a lot of tissue damage in the lower leg from the trauma and resulting surgeries.

I set about doing Thai reflexology to restore circulation and range-of-motion to her lower extremities, focusing my attention on reflexes relevant to all her complaints. She asked me to help her heal her leg tissue, so I created a personal blend of cicatrisant (skin-specific), anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial essential oils that we used in the session and that she religiously applied at home 3 times/day. It was gratifying to see her steady recovery in both areas over the short eight weeks we worked together.

The other person who comes to mind is a woman with a stubborn fungal infection on one of her toes. A number of over-the-counter remedies had failed; she asked me to intervene. I made up a strong blend of anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory essential oils and instructed her to apply at least 3 times/day. When I saw her the next week, she excitedly reported that the fungal infection had cleared up after only two days of essential oil use!

If you have been thinking about adding essential oils to your practice and personal life, consider taking a short formal training to determine your level of interest. A qualified instructor can communicate safety considerations, offer an introductory foundation in the science of essential oil therapy and instruct on blending guidelines in a relatively short period of time. After a concise introduction of this kind, you can determine whether or not you wish to pursue a path to certification.

The Academy has only one aromatherapy class scheduled this year: a 4-hour introduction during the national conference of the Reflexology Association of Canada in Winnipeg. Participants will leave this class with product they make and the knowledge and skill to begin safely introducing essential oils into their reflexology practice.

In the left side-bar are the names of two excellent essential oil training organizations with whom I have studied. Both offer a variety of classes, from introductory to full certification.

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