Aromatherapy is the use of plant essential oils for therapeutic purposes. Essential oils have been used in fragrances, flavourings and medicines for thousands of years and there are around 400 different oils extracted from plants all over the world. Each oil has its own special therapeutic properties, and can be used or applied in a variety of ways, the most popular of these being body massage, with the oils blended in a carrier oil.
What to expect
Before you have an aromatherapy massage, Barbara will carry out a full consultation, asking you various questions about your medical history, general health, diet and lifestyle. This will enable her to select a small number of essential oils, appropriate to your individual needs, which will then be blended into a carrier oil or cream and applied to your skin as part of a massage treatment. The areas treated will come down to your personal preferences, but would typically be either a full body massage, or a neck, back and shoulder massage, with towels used to protect your modesty.
Benefits of aromatherapy
Essential oils, which are highly aromatic, are readily absorbed into the body via the skin and lungs, and are believed to affect the body on all levels – physically, mentally and even emotionally/spiritually. When combined with massage, which helps to soothe away muscular tension and improve circulation, an aromatherapy treatment can be either deeply relaxing or uplifting, depending on the oils and massage techniques used by the therapist.
Aromatherapy is used by people for a variety of reasons. Some use it to help them manage or cope with specific physical, mental or emotional problems, while others use it as means of relaxation, or to help maintain good health and a sense of general well-being.
