Holistic Therapy
Hello readers, and welcome to my first column here at Local Xtra. My name is Rose Washington and I am a qualified ‘holistic' practitioner. The word holistic is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘whole'. If you came in to see me I would treat you and not just the symptom. It's important to try and find the underlying root of any presenting problems, once this has been established I can then deal with any physical symptoms.
If, you told me you suffered from ‘stress,' and had eczema on your body, I wouldn't just massage you using various essential oils in the hope it would get better, I would also be interested in what your diet was like and offer suggestions for you to make changes to see if this made any difference in your energy levels. I would also be assessing your body language to see where your anxiety seemed more prominent. So say you kept holding your head, or tensing your shoulders, I would comment on this to see if there's any relevance as to how you are feeling. Often we are very unaware of what's happening to our bodies when we are feeling low in energy, and only when it's pointed out us do we see the significance in it.
This can be very exciting for you because almost immediately you can recognise a pattern in your stress, once this has been established you can start to take control of your lifestyle instead of feeling helpless.
This ‘one to one' can be very therapeutic and helps you take responsibility for your own well being. It is therefore very important for me when meeting you for the first time to sit with you and get a full detailed consultation of your medical history and the kind of life style you lead, as this gives me a general idea of the type of person you are and how I go about treating you. It also helps you decide if you want to continue to work with me as it's important that both you the client, and therapist ‘get on' as treatment can sometimes continue for some months.
Since qualifying in 1995 as an aromatherapist I've yet to tire of working with essential oils, I've found them to be invaluable for my self when I've been stressed, and almost magical to the many clients I've treated over the past13 years. They have so many uses, it's a no wonder aromatherapy is as popular as ever. It helps relieve pain, alleviate tension and fatigue and restores your equilibrium, because essential oils work by entering into the bloodstream they can influence your nervous system, and are vital for your emotional well-being.
The treatments you receive are unique only to you, and the after care even continues after you leave the therapy room, I will often make up a personalised blend for you to take with you so you can continue your self care programme at home.
Aromatherapy oils are categorised by notes.
TOP NOTES- these tend to be the citrus oils, (Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange) they are stimulating & uplifting, the fragrance usually disappears within an hour or so. They are excellent for depression, exhaustion, & mental fatigue. Top notes are usually reasonably priced.
MIDDLE NOTES- these are the floral notes, (Lavender, Geranium, & Chamomile) the bulk of essential oils are middle notes, they create a balancing affect. They also give ‘body' to the blend.
BASE NOTES -are the heavy oils, they take longer to evaporate, they include Patchouli, Sandalwood, & vetiver, often these oils are commonly used in men's aftershaves. They are also known as ‘fixatives', and are the most expensive of all the oils.
To make a good therapeutic blend it is generally common practice for the aroma therapist to blend a top, middle & a base note, this enhances the individual property of each oil and creates a ‘synergy' a good synergistic blend will often work better than just using a single essence.
Here is a list of some of the most popular oils and their uses.
LAVENDER
This is a colourless pale yellow liquid, and it has a very calming & refreshing odour.
This is one of the most popular oils to be used in aromatherapy it is generally regarded as the most versatile essence therapeutically, and is attractively priced. Always include a bottle of Lavender in your first -aid kit. Other uses for it are
Skin care (most skin types) burns eczema, psoriasis, and depression, painful menstruation, nervous tension & stress related disorders. Lavender blends well with most oils, but particularly Frankincense, Geranium & Neroli.
GERANIUM
Geranium is one of my favourite oils, it is very feminine oil, and is an excellent hormone balancer. It is reasonably priced oil and has a rosy fragrant with a hint of mint; it is used for P.M.T, menopausal problems, infertility & cellulite. It blends well with patchouli, Vetiver, Jasmine & Lavender.
ROSE
Rose is my all time favourite, the smell is just intoxicating, it is up there as one of the most expensive oils. There are two types of rose oil. Rose otto & rose absolute, the difference is the way the oil is extracted from the flower. The process is very laborious and time consuming, and this reflects in the price of the oil. Having said that, you need only a couple of drops so it can last quite a while. It has been said that Rose oil contains oestrogen that is very similar to ours, and so it is very popular for female gynaecological problems. It blends well with Chamomile, Lavender, & any citrus oils.
YLANG-YLANG
Ylang-ylang is very calming oil, it is pale yellow in colour and has a soft floral scent; it is used in Sri Lanka during meditation, and is said to be a tonic for the heart. This oil improves with age, and is reputed to be an aphrodisiac. It blends well with Jasmine, Tuberose, & Vetiver.
I hope I have at the very least, enlightened you and gave you a 'peek' into the wonderful world of aromatherapy.
If you would like more information on aromatherapy, please feel free to e-mail me at
