Organic therapeutic grade essential oils can assist us to heal our bodies physically and emotionally.
Essential oils have been used for eons as a healing tool.
They are mentioned many many times in ancient sacred texts for anointing and healing the sick. The Christ child was rubbed with frankincense and myrrh at birth. Moses used “aromatic substances” to protect the Israelites from the plagues that decimated the ancient Egyptians.
And it wasn’t only the ancients who knew of the power of essential oils, as the notorious band of thieves during the 15th century, reputed to be spice traders and perfumers, protected themselves with a magical blend as they robbed the dead bodies during the Black Plague!
Diseases occur when the body’s vibrational frequency drops below a certain point.
Essential oils work by raising the body’s vibrational frequency. This can only be achieved by organic therapeutic grade essential oils. There has been much written about the healing abilities of essential oils on the physical body but more and more over the last few years research has shown that most physical ailments have an emotional counterpart.
The challenge here is to access the cellular memory and change the automatic response to an emotional charge. Our emotional patterns control our life experiences.
If there is anything we don’t like in our lives we have the power to change it, by changing our limiting beliefs.
The challenge is not only to change our conscious thoughts but our automatic responses and therefore our dna or cellular memory, and this can be greatly assisted by the use of therapeutic grade essential oils!
What makes essential oils such potent healers?
The most powerful part of the plant is the essential oil and since there is a strong trend towards natural healing and plant based medicines, it makes sense that essential oils are one of the most powerful healing tools we have. They have been used to kill viruses, fungi and bacteria.
Essential oils have a chemical structure that is similar to that found in human cells and tissues. This makes essential oils compatible with human protein and enables then to be readily identified and accepted by the body. They work as the defence mechanism of the plant and as essential oils and human blood share several common properties: they fight infection, contain hormone-like compounds and initiate regeneration; they do the same in our human bodies.
As the molecules of essential oils are relatively small they the have the unique ability to penetrate cell membranes and diffuse throughout the blood and tissues, allowing them to carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells, hence their ability to stimulate the regeneration of tissues and nerves. When applied topically (feet or elsewhere) they can travel through the body in a matter of minutes.
Because of their complex chemical makeup, essential oils do not disturb the body’s natural balance or homeostasis, as this allows for a counteractive reaction if the effect may be too strong. Synthetic chemicals on the other hand usually have only one action and often disrupt the body’s homeostasis.
Research done by Dr Gary Young at Weber State University, as well as other documented research, shows conclusively that most of the harmful viruses, fungi and bacteria cannot survive in the presence of most essential oils.
The key to producing therapeutic grade essential oils is to preserve as many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the essential oil as possible and the method that the oils are processed may have a dramatic effect on their chemistry and medicinal properties.
Oils are made of many chemical constituents, and these constituents can be affected by a vast number of different variables, including: the part of the plant used, soil condition, fertilizer (chemical or organic) geographical region, climate, altitude, harvesting methods and most importantly the distillation method.
High temperatures and pressure as well as contact easily destroy fragile aromatic chemicals with reactive metals such as copper and aluminium. It is also very important that the plant material is grown organically; otherwise there are residues of poisonous pesticides, herbicides and other agrichemical chemicals.
These react with the essential oil during distillation to produce toxic compounds and because many of the pesticides are oil soluble, they can also mix into the oil. Furthermore is it essential that the fertilizer is of an organic nature to ensure that the plant is complete in its chemical makeup.
As essential oils are not simple substances and are made of hundreds, even thousands, of different chemical compounds, it is necessary to have essential oils tested for their therapeutic quality. The average essential oil may contain anywhere from 80 to 200 chemical constituents. An essential oil like lavender can contain even more and to understand these would take years of study.
One of the most reliable indicators of essential oil quality is afnor (Association French Normalisation Organisation Regulation) or iso certification. This standard is more stringent and differentiates true therapeutic grade essential oils from A Grade essential oils with inferior chemistry. For example the afnor standard for Lavandula angustifolia (true lavender) dictates that the level of linalool should range from 25 to 38 % and linalyl acetate should range between 25 and 34 %. As a general rule if two or more of the market compounds fall outside the prescribed percentages it will not meet the AFNOR standard and will be classed as A grade and will still be of a relatively high quality.
Adulterated oils and their dangers
There are huge chemical companies on the eat coast of US that specialise in the duplication of every essential oil that exists. For every kilogram of pure essential oil that is produced it is estimated that between 10 and 100 kilograms of synthetic oils is created!
Much of the lavender sold in the world today is a hybrid called Lavandin.
It is grown in China, Russia, France and Tasmania. It is shipped into France and cut with synthetic linalyl acetate to improve the fragrance, then propylene glycol, dep or dop are added to increase its volume and then sold in many part of the world as Lavender oil!
Frankincense is commonly adulterated oil. A great deal of time is needed to distil this oil, often more that 12 hours, making it very expensive. The cheaper version is invariably distilled with gum resin, alcohol or other solvents, which is much cheaper but leaves the essential oils laden with harmful chemicals. Adulterated oils that are cut with synthetic extenders can be very detrimental, causing rashes, burning and skin irritations, besides being devoid of any therapeutic effects and people wonder why the essential oil is not working!
Different schools of application
There are basically three different models of application the English, French and German. The English advocates dilution of small amounts of oil in a vegetable oil for use in massage, more for stress relief and relaxation.
The French prefer the ingestion of the oils. A common form of ingestion is via a few drops on a piece of bread – I prefer to add a few drops to a teaspoon of apple or orange juice and swallow it down, be sure to lick the spoon clean!
Many French practitioners have found that taking the oils internally yields excellent results. The German model recommends inhalation.
Research has shown that the effect of fragrance and aromatic compounds on the sense of smell can exert strong effects on the brain, especially on the hypothalamus (the hormone command centre of the body) and the limbic system (the seat of emotions).
Some essential oils are high in sesquiterpenes, such as frankincense and myrrh, can dramatically increase oxygenation and activity in the brain. This may directly improve the function of many systems of the body.
I have used therapeutic essential oils on myself, family and friends for many, many years and have found them to be the single most potent healing tool in the physical realm. I now combine this with sound and the results are awesome.
Since birth, both my babies were rubbed with neat lavender oil to calm them and whenever teething troubles began (which were invariably accompanied by a runny nose) I rubbed it behind their ears. They never got an ear infection.
As we begin to understand the power of essential oils in the realm of healing on many levels (physical, emotional and spiritual), we appreciate the necessity for obtaining the purest essential oils possible, there can be no substitute as the alternatives can be toxic and ineffective as a healing tool as the extraordinarily high vibrations of the oils are reduced. ?
References:
Essential Oils, Essential Science Publishing
Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils, Carolyn L Mein