What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the art and science of using and blending essential oils – concentrated plant extracts with healing properties. Aromatherapy massage is an alternative and complementary therapy that uses essential oils to promote healing and enhance physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. This holistic treatment affects some of our most powerful senses – touch and smell. The therapist will use a combination of cold pressed vegetable oils and top quality, pure essential oils to create a beautiful smelling, highly therapeutic, individualised massage oil.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils differ from vegetable oils in that they are highly volatile and odorous. They are extracted, in various ways, from all different parts of the plant – leaves, flowers, twigs, bark, wood, roots, and resin. Some plants even produce different oils from different parts of the same plant e.g. we get neroli oil from the petals, petitgrain from the leaves and bitter orange from the peel of the fruit, all from the bitter orange tree (not to be confused with sweet orange). For this reason it is important for the user of essential oils to be aware of the part of the plant the oil was extracted from so that they know the differences in the therapeutic effect of the different oils. It is also a good idea to be aware of the method of extractions of the oil as some types of extraction methods produce inferior oils compared to other methods.
Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage
An aromatherapy massage is different from a normal relaxation massage in that it utilises certain techniques to compliment the oils being used. At Healing Strands, an aromatherapy massage uses techniques such as reflexology, lymphatic drainage, acupressure and traditional Swedish movements to create a totally unique massage experience. For this reason, our aromatherapy massage is extremely gentle and relaxing to both mind and body and because of the use of aromatic essential oils, the massage becomes a multi-sensorial experience. Depending on the oils chosen, it can leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed, uplifted, alert, energised or even just plain happy! Aromatherapy massage can be used in more ways than just to feel happy.
Some of the most common benefits an aromatherapy massage can have are:
• induced sense of relaxation & rejuvenation
• relaxes tight muscles
• reduces stress & tension
• encourages natural sleep
• stimulates blood circulation and boosts the immune system
• relieves pain
• enhances mood and encourages a sense of wellbeing
The Massage
Every individual oil is different and while each essential oil has a set of specific properties, they interact as differently with each other as they do with you as individuals. Based on your unique circumstances, a personalised blend of essential oils is created and then applied to your body through a specialised massage routine which includes pressure points, reflexology, lymphatic drainage and Swedish massage techniques.
As the main purpose of the massage is for the oils to be applied to the skin so they can work internally, you may find that the pressure used is lighter than you are used to. The massage is designed to help you relax, so make the most of it!