Online Class: Aromatherapy 101

Introduction to Aromatherapy

 

In this course, you will learn about "aromatherapy": what the term means and ways to use it to improve your life.

Sometimes, when an idea has been around for a while, we can be embarrassed to say, "I don't really know the first thing about what people are talking about, and I don't want to let anyone know!" You already have started to educate yourself by taking this course. This class will get you started, but the only way you will truly learn is to read everything you can about the oils and their effects, take classes, read books, and surf the Internet.

Aromatherapy dates back thousands of years, yet its many uses remain remarkably current. Aromas have an incredible power to connect us with memories and calm our spirits. This course will help demystify the term "aromatherapy," which connects the basic and potent sense of smell to the concept of therapy, a means of providing relief and comfort.

 

 

You can taste only five or six things. The sense of smell helps you differentiate among foods and wines and distinguish them from medicines. Smells trigger childhood memories instantly. For me, for example, the smell of watermelon brings back memories of eating in a school cafeteria, violets invoke visions of my great-grandmother's bedroom, crushed pine or fir needles are reminders of growing up in Seattle, and cigarette smoke conjures memories of my parent's house. Thus, certain aromas trigger certain memories and can make a person happier, but what about the "therapy" stuff?

My interests are in gardening and creating a warm, friendly, living environment, with an inviting atmosphere that depends largely on "the smell." I was sure there had to be more to aromatherapy than a vague idea of it as a New Age thing, or something to do with perfumed oils and lavender, or some kind of sensory therapy developed around sampling different scents to relax, or getting in touch with my inner self, or solving medical conditions, or the young girls in the Body Works and soap shops rubbing different oils on my wrist. Does this sound familiar to you?

 

 

In addition, I was intrigued when the Hollywood stars talked about creating their own scents by mixing different oils and essences. I grew lavender and collected the flowers for little sachets to give as gifts or add fragrance to my linen closets. I thought it would be interesting to maybe make my own lavender oil.

Perhaps you have a similar story. As the subtitle indicates, this course is designed to provide "everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask." Ask anything during the course, and I will try to help you find the answer. 

You will learn how to purchase, store, measure, and blend oils. You will learn how to begin blending oils for massage, baths, skin lotions, and potpourri. Also, because you are beginners, we will not get into the oils used in alternative medicine, and we will only lightly touch on oils for babies and children. It is really important to gain an understanding about oils and safety before you start trying to cure illnesses or treat emotional problems.

The lessons are divided into eight topics:

1. Background on Aromatherapy: Terminology and Safety

2. What Are Essential Oils?

3. How Essential Oils Work

4. Seven Essential Oils for Beginners

5. Your Carrier Oils

6. Turning Your Kitchen into a Lab

7. Ways to Use Aromatherapy

The goal of this class is to demystify aromatherapy and show you how to add it to your life. You should come away with enough knowledge to start trying simple blends and experimenting with your own blends. You will learn ways to add fragrance to your life. You also will learn a little about the plants that lend themselves to aromatherapy and some history of this use of smell. You will learn to identify the essential oils and carrier oils; how to dilute, measure, and blend them; and where to buy the equipment. The course also discusses safety and storage issues and lots of beginning concoctions.

Happy scenting!

The student will learn how aromatherapy works and will gain an understanding as to the differences between perfume oils and essential oils (which are the oils used in aromatherapy).  This course is informative, educational – and best of all, it’s also fun.

In addition to interaction with your instructor, you’ll be given the opportunity to join online forums with fellow students in order to gain more insight into aromatherapy, as well as share experiences and new blends that are created.

Students of this course are encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences, as well as to go outside the teachings of this course and find information from a variety of sources, including books, articles and even internet material.

This course is ideal for students of various medicinal practices, as well as anyone interested in exploring new areas of relaxation and stress reduction.  Even the medical community has come around to seeing the benefits of aromatherapy, and it is actually becoming a multi-million dollar industry. 

We are creatures of scent – and various aromas can trigger emotions within us that range from heightened sensitivity all the way through soothing relaxation.  Students of this course will understand the importance of scent in our everyday lives and learn about the various techniques that have been used in order to help people through the use of aromatherapy.

Students will gain information in the following areas:

·        Introduction to Aromatherapy:  The student will learn about the set-up of the course and will also examine his or her reasons for taking the course.

·        What is Aromatherapy:  A short history and an examination of aromatherapy’s development will be addressed.

·        How essential oils are produced:  The student will learn about the extraction process needed to produce essential oils.

·        How essential oils work:  The student will learn about the workings of essential oils and will also learn how those oils can be used in their lives.

·        Seven essential oils for beginners:  This area of the course will focus on seven of the more popular oils for beginners.

·        Carrier oils:  Students will learn about carrier oils – what they are and how they are used.

·        Turning your kitchen into your lab:  Students will be given directions and told what equipment is necessary in order for them to start creating their oils.

·        Easy ways to use Aromatherapy:  In this section, students will be given useful ideas on how best to incorporate fragrances into their lives.

·        Making your own scents:  In this section of the class, students will be given even more useful aromatherapy ideas and given recipes for creating even more scents.

Whether you’re just a beginner or someone who wants to learn more about the history and the benefits of aromatherapy, this course is for you.  Throughout history, oils have played an essential role in our world – whether it be from the earliest days when oils were given to the highest nobility of the land or through the current trend of finding the medicinal properties of various scents.

Whether you’re looking at this from the point of view of a student who wants to learn more about aromatherapy or someone who might want to start a home-based business selling custom blends for an exclusive clientele, this is definitely a course that you’ll want to take – both in terms of enriching your own understanding of aromatherapy, as well as advancing your own general knowledge.