Essence of Arcadia – Aromatherapy Essential Oil Expert Round-Up
Exciting times! I was recently asked by aromatherapy suppliers Essence of Arcadia to be an expert in my field – one of 25 aromatherapy professionals worldwide requested for a round-up of their opinions about their top 3 uses of essential oils.
To be asked to express my opinions alongside such established aromatherapy experts as Deby Atterbury, editor of Aromatherapy Today in Australia; Gill Farrer-Halls of the IFPA; Carol Preen, Julie Quinn & Julia Wood of Complementary Health Professionals; and the well-known aromatherapist to celebrities, Suzanne R. Banks was quite something – I feel very privileged to be amongst this company.
The Roundup
“There is sometimes a lack of understanding when it comes to aromatherapy essential oils. We wanted to find out their top uses and clear up any uncertainty to information surrounding these oils.
That’s why we reached out to 25 top aromatherapy experts and asked them:
“WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE USES OF ESSENTIAL OILS?”
For the full article with all the expert opinions from around the globe please click here or the link below. There are some fantastic blends & uses with really intriguing suggestions.
http://www.essenceofarcadia.com/aromatherapy-expert-opinions-roundup/
For my particular article though please do read below – it feels so good to be published & I feel very humbled to think that my opinions are considered to be those of an expert. Personally, I think that I need years more experience for that. I hope & believe that I will always be learning, but it is still absolutely wonderful to be asked! 🙂
SIAN O’FLYNN
Holistic & clinical therapist – nature-to-nurture.co.uk
BIO:
I initially trained at Neal’s Yard Remedies School for Natural Medicine as an aromatherapist & am a member of IFPA. Upon graduating I joined NYR Therapy Rooms in St. Albans & set up Nature To Nurture working from my home in Hemel Hempstead. I dove straight into therapy work with a position for a well-established Physiotherapy & Osteopathy Clinic so I like to consider myself both a holistic & clinical therapist. I always mix techniques to provide relief & support but in a caring & as relaxing a way as possible for my clients.
My aim as a therapist is to treat & serve everyone to the very best of my abilities, using my skills and knowledge to help them to feel better, as effectively & carefully as possible. I really consider it a privilege to practice & be able to bring the incredibly beneficial power of touch to people, volunteering at local hospices and hospitals. I believe that good mental & physical health can be obtained by holistic massage, treating as a whole person and my wish is to create a personally tailored blend & massage based around personal needs each time.
My top three uses of essential oils are:
- Musculoskeletal aches & pains
- Inflammation
- Stress relief/anti-anxiety (depression & panic attacks etc)
I am a holistic & clinical massage therapist & aromatherapist working with my own company from home & also at a physiotherapy/osteopathy clinic. So due to the nature of my work I see a lot of serious conditions, both mental & physical, as well as people looking for timeout & stress relief. This can range from supporting people with serious long-term illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia & lymphoedema etc. to physical conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) & tendinitis, to sports injuries & work-related such as RSI & shoulder pain from long hours of desk work.
So my number 1 use is for pain relief, whether that be excruciating pain from a trapped nerve or more general aching. For this I use oils with analgesic properties such as Sweet Marjoram, Peppermint, Lavender (various chemotypes depending on the pain) & for deep/strong pain essential oils such as Clove Bud & Valerian.
My 2nd use is for inflammation as this tends to go hand in hand with aches/pains. I use anti-inflammatory oils such as Cinnamon Leaf, Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Yarrow, Turmeric & particularly Plai, a relative of Ginger with very strong anti-inflammatory properties. Also Rose & Immortelle/Helichrysum if the condition is skin-related.
Finally, my 3rd use is very much a sign of the times – essential oils that help with stress, anxiety & depression. These can range from euphorics & anti-depressants such as May Chang, Melissa & Ylang-Ylang to anxiolytics such as Nutmeg to calmatives & relaxants like Lavender, Bergamot, Frankincense, Neroli, Mandarin & Petitgrain.
Conclusion
So there it is! Please do have a look at the main article if you can. I love the inspiration & new ideas, & found the articles by those abroad especially interesting for mentioning some essential oils of which I am unaware – I strongly suspect I may be buying a few of them to try! For example; Audre Gutierrez in the US talking about her use of White Spruce, Picea glauca (I currently only use Black Spruce, Picea mariana), Ocean Pine (Pinus pinaster), Buddha Wood (Eremophila mitchellii), Cornmint (Mentha arvensis) & Guaiacwood (Bulnesia sarmientoi) – what are these?! I am now VERY curious to find out. Do let me know what you think or if you have any opinions, questions or indeed what you use your essential oils for – I even use mine to clean the house sometimes! (Lemon is particularly good for this) 🙂
Aromatherapy essential oil experts & suppliers Essence of Arcadia
