Aromatherapy, the therapeutic use of essential oils extracted from aromatic plants.
Aromatic compounds have a long history of use within most recorded cultures. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional centre of the brain.
Essential oils are made from flower, herb, and tree parts, like bark, roots, peels, and petals. The cells that give a plant its fragrant smell are its “essence.” When an essence is extracted from a plant, it becomes an essential oil.
Aromatherapy has proved to have a profound impact on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and can reduce “fight or flight” distress by activating the calming effects of our parasympathetic vagus nerve response.
The ANS includes sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. When people feel anxious or are experiencing stress the sympathetic activity will increase in turn decreasing parasympathetic activity.
