How Aromatherapy Entered My Life

REPOST FROM 28 JANUARY 2019

Please kindly note that the below blog/content is a direct 'cut and paste' from my former AROMACRAFTS website, which is now officially shut down... I did not want to lose my blog content from that page and so, I decided to move it across to my Honest Flow website (here) for my own personal memories of the "journey" I travelled to finally get here. :)

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I still remember my first ever “aromatherapy experience” back in 2002. Within seconds of entering my former partner’s room, I was brushed by this elegant aroma. From memory, I think it was Jasmine? Delicate and sweet. It instantly put a smile on my face and I felt at ease. I curiously glanced around the room to try to locate where the scent was coming from, and there it was… this little ceramic tealight oil burner that was designed to look like a mini teapot sitting on a stove. It was blue and white. A very cute little contraption indeed!

Upon reflection, I believe he was using fragrance oils (the ones you buy from the local reject or one-dollar shop) and not essential oils. Nonetheless, that initial experience got me hooked on diffusing fragrances and aromas into the air ever since and so, I’d like to thank “J” for my first aromatherapy experience.

Now it wasn’t until about 2006 whilst studying my Diploma of Beauty Therapy that I really understood the true benefits and healing powers of aromatherapy. (Yep, I am a qualified Beauty Therapist and worked in the industry for a couple of years before moving on). As part of our Massage course, we had to learn about aromatherapy and all the benefits and properties of the various essential oils. I felt that we were extremely blessed because we had a really cool and quirky massage teacher that made the subject so much fun and captivating!

Did you know that we’re all wired to naturally associate certain scents with different memories, places and even people? How many times have you walked pass a restaurant and smelt a “familiar” dish and suddenly your brain is thinking about home-cooked meals by your beloved mum? Then you’re suddenly hit with thoughts about your family and you find yourself missing them.

Scents have an unbelievable power to trigger your thoughts and emotions. They can bring upon feelings of familiarity and comfort or on the other end of the spectrum, feelings of anguish. We also carry our own unique scent (pheromones) that will either attract or deter the opposite sex. Random Fact: Did you know that one of the first senses we develop is our sense of smell?

Now one of the most interesting things I learned from our massage teacher was how she and her husband would never wear perfume. They believed that perfumes would mask their scent (their pheromones) which would cause confusion in their brains/bodies. So they refused to wear perfumes to ensure that they always remained in love and attracted to each other’s scent. As strange as that sounds, it’s also kind of sweet.

In our teacher’s opinion, she thought a likely reason for affairs in relationships was because of perfumes. I know it sounds outrageous, but let’s hear her out…

So let’s say for example, your partner wears, "Perfume X”. There will most likely be thousands of others wearing that same, “Perfume X”. Now imagine you bump into/meet someone wearing that same fragrance. You instantly recognise the scent (either consciously or subconsciously) and while you are speaking to this person, something is happening chemically inside your body. Your brain/body feels this strange attraction and familiarity towards the person. It’s linking the scent with certain memories or feelings and suddenly, you find yourself feeling at ease and very comfortable around this person (or possibly quite the opposite if the scent reminds you of a douche bag). Moving on, imagine you continue to bump into this person or actually start spending time with them. It could be just a matter of time before something happens… A growing attraction that could possibly lead to an affair…? It could be possible, and to think, it all started with that one familiar scent...

Mind you, this is just her perspective. I honestly don’t know if there is any scientific facts behind the story, but I personally feel that there is some logic to it. I mean, how often have you met someone and immediately recognised their perfume/cologne and thought to yourself, “Oh that reminds me of my ex…” and suddenly you’re stuck thinking about them. It’s quite thought-provoking right?

Aromatherapy is a truly intriguing topic and I honestly hope that I will be able to share more stories and interesting facts with you as time goes on. My blog will be a place for sharing all sorts of information to help others learn and grow.

And so, that concludes my little story on how aromatherapy literally “drifted” into my life and has been lingering in the background for the last 17 years (and will continue to do so for the rest of my life).

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read my very first blog post. Oh and I almost forgot, WELCOME TO AROMACRAFTS! I’m “Tee”. (Yes, I like to do things backwards. I’m a bit unconventional like that). Until next time, please take care, stay positive and don’t forget to LOVE YOURSELF!

Forever Grateful,

Tee