Essential Oils for Emotional Well Being
There is a strong and important connection between emotional and physical health. Emotional stress, whether sudden or prolonged can have profound effects upon the body. Grief, depression and anxiety each take their toll on the immune system and can cause a range of illnesses from digestive problems to sleep disorders. Aromatherapy has many practical healing advantages and works in several different ways, but perhaps one of the most fascinating in the relationship that it has with emotional wellbeing.
The Nose Knows
When you breathe in through your nostrils, the air enters your nasal cavity and travels along the roof of your mouth. The inside of your nose is lined with a wet, thin layer of skin. This tissue warms up the air on its way in and moistens it. On the inside of your nose are tiny hairs that catch dust and other things that would be harmful if they were breathed in.Sometimes things get caught in them that your nose doesn't want, so you sneeze to get rid of them. Behind the nasal cavity are cells that kill any nasty germs that you might have breathed in.
Up at the top of your nasal cavity is another bunch of tiny hairs. Their job is to tell the difference between different smells. Your nose is so powerful that it can smell up to 10,000 different scents. When you breathe in, these hairs send signals to your brain. It's then your brain's job to figure out what you smell.
It is a fact that aromas have a direct impact on the emotions, through the olfactory system. Certain aromas can stimulate the hypothalamus - the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system and many body functions. The hypothalamus can then activate the pituitary gland, which produces hormones that can affect both the physical body and the emotions. In addition to their many other functions, Hormones influence emotions and behaviour. This makes aromatherapy a wonderful means for emotional healing and rebalancing moods.
