Touch and go: Aromatherapy makes good 'scents' for health<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In a recent holistic aromatherapy seminar, practitioner Rina
\nPoerwadi asked four women participants to sniff an essential oil
\nand give their reaction to it.<\/p>\n
The responses were very different for each woman.<\/p>\n
One immediately pushed the oil away; the others reported a
\npounding heart and migraine, stiffness, chills and even feeling a
\nfresh sensation.<\/p>\n
\"That was neuroli oil, which is extracted from the flower of
\nthe orange tree. It's good for digestive problems, stress relief,
\nbalancing the mood, improving self confidence, and much more,\"
\nRina said.<\/p>\n
The response to the oil indicates a problem the body confronts
\nat that time. If you do not like the oil and reject it, it may
\nremind you of something that you hate, or it may show that you
\nare in conflict with loved ones.<\/p>\n
\"Pounding heart and migraine are indications of fear. You have
\nto find what it is and deal with it. Stiffness, meanwhile, is the
\nresult of fatigue. But when it hits the nape down to the
\nshoulder, it has something to do with responsibility,\" Rina told
\nthe women.<\/p>\n
It might sound more like a session with a psychic, but Rina
\nemphasized that aromatherapy is not related to superstition or
\nmysticism.<\/p>\n
And it's not just about fragrant smells, even though seemingly
\nevery spa and health club now offers an aromatherapy session as
\npart of its services.<\/p>\n
\"It's a body\/mind\/spirit study, something that anyone can
\nlearn,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Aromatherapy is a centuries-old folk practice, but it was not
\nuntil the 1920s that the term was coined by French chemist Reni
\nMaurice Gattefossi to describe the practice of using essential
\noils from plants for healing.<\/p>\n
As with reiki, acupuncture, body conditioning, pilates and
\ncraniosacral therapy, aromatherapy is a natural therapy for
\npsychological and physical well-being, through the restoration of
\nmind, body and spirit.<\/p>\n
\"It can also be called alternative therapy, but alternative
\ntherapy often includes tarot cards, drinking saline, etc., so
\nlet's call it natural therapy.\"<\/p>\n
The term aromatherapy, however, is a bit misleading, since the
\naromas of oils are generally not themselves therapeutic even
\nthough they smell good.<\/p>\n
It is the essence of the oil, or the chemical properties, that
\nare beneficial. In practice, the oil is rubbed onto the skin or
\ningested in an infusion or other liquid.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps it's more correct if it's called essential oil
\ntherapy. Because I apply the oil to the body and massage it,\"
\nsaid Rina, 38, a graduate of Hong Kong's Asia Pacific
\nAromatherapy Ltd.<\/p>\n
Rubbing the oil into the skin, she added, was far more
\ntherapeutic way than inhaling it, as the body will absorb the oil
\nthrough the skin pores.<\/p>\n
Essential oil used in aromatherapy is so powerful that it can
\nbe used to trace the symptoms and overcome the problems affecting
\nthe human body.<\/p>\n
The aroma can brings back past memories, so the problem can be
\ndetected and the patient can find out how to deal with it.<\/p>\n
Rina said that essential oil does not cure or heal a disease.<\/p>\n
\"All of the oils in aromatherapy can be used to overcome the
\nproblems in one's body based on the body's system, such as the
\nendocrine system, cardiovascular, digestive and muscular, except
\nfor people who need surgery,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Rina combines the natural therapy to complement conventional
\nmedical treatment.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, for a patient with cancer. I can do the massage
\nas a stimulant to detoxify the chemotherapy, and also deals with
\nthe psychological effect and the emotional turbulence the patient
\nbears. The patients still needs to go to the doctor, who attacks
\nthe disease from one side, while I do it from another aspect.\"<\/p>\n
It also helps patients who complain of feeling unwell, even
\nthough a doctor's examination and lab tests show nothing wrong.<\/p>\n
\"It's usually caused by unidentified stress. Treatment like
\naromatherapy can help more because oil has the psychological and
\nphysiological elements. Plus, the massage can help them to
\nrelax,\" Rina said.<\/p>\n
When a client comes to her, she asks their medical background
\nand their eating habits before choosing an appropriate oil.<\/p>\n
Through her intuition, she would know whether the problem is
\npurely physical or there are other aspects involved. Although the
\nclient may have never considered them as having a lingering
\neffect, they can be detected through massage..<\/p>\n
\"Our body stores all the memory and the trauma. For someone
\nwho is sensitive enough, s\/he can feel it ... what's wrong with
\nthe leg, what's kept by the back, etc.\"<\/p>\n
According to Rina, people here remain unaware and suspicious
\nof natural therapy practices.<\/p>\n
\"Many think I'm doing a spa thing, which is completely
\ndifferent. The spa weighs more on beauty and lifestyle, while I'm
\nmore into health reasons.\"<\/p>\n
Clients come with different conditions, such as for treating
\nthe skin disease psoriasis, pregnant women, women who want to get
\npregnant, constipation and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n
Others are burned out at work, stressed, have a mild sports
\ninjury, want an oil blend as a mosquito repellent or nonallergic
\ncosmetics, or simply come out of curiosity.<\/p>\n
Rina acknowledged that the fee for natural therapy is not
\ncheap.<\/p>\n
The consultation fee at her place is Rp 150,000 while the
\ntherapy costs Rp 350,000 per session for women clients, and Rp
\n400,000 for men.<\/p>\n
\"We're working with materials that are not mass products. All
\nof the oils, for instance, are imported. But natural therapy is
\nexpensive everywhere in the world. Aside from expensive material,
\nit's not as easy to find clients as doctors.\"<\/p>\n
Furthermore, a natural therapist gives a more detailed
\ninformation and more personal consultation. It's a holistic
\napproach, which treats the whole person rather than just the
\nsymptoms of disease.<\/p>\n
\"You go to the doctor, do a consultation in five minutes and
\noften they don't even tell you what's really ailing you, they
\ngive you the medicine but often don't tell you the side effect of
\nit,\" Rina said.<\/p>\n
One of Rina's clients made the rounds to three doctors -- a
\ngeneral practitioner and two internists, but she was still
\nailing.<\/p>\n
\"One of them even suggested an appendectomy, which I doubt
\nvery much. The last internist said I have colon infection, but he
\ndidn't tell me the medicine could cause a bloated stomach and
\nnausea,\" said the client.<\/p>\n
She came to Rina, who sat down with her, discussed the ailment
\nand browsed through medical and aromatherapy books.<\/p>\n
\"Even from the consultation, I felt better already. As a
\nclient, sometimes all we need is attentive care and power of
\nsuggestion.\"<\/p>\n
In practice for four years now and one of the few certified
\npractitioners here, Rina said she often felt alone in having to
\ndeal with the skepticism of the \"conventional\" medical community.<\/p>\n
\"In Hong Kong, there is an organization of natural therapists
\nwhere they can share clients' issues, and other information. They
\nalso cooperate with doctors,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Here, it's difficult, doctor are still suspicious of a
\nnatural therapist. Whereas if we combine things, they can be
\ncomplimentary.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/touch-and-go-aromatherapy-makes-good-scents-for-health-1447893297",
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