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Imagine that you have just received an essential oil or other aromatic product that you have held dear to your heart in secret. It is one you have longed to experience because you have heard amazing stories about it. You open the bottle and it is simply magic… Your heart melts, you mind relaxes, and you feel at peace. That sounds like a pretty amazing experience, am I right?
What I have just described is a very intimate experience with a single essential oil that has invoked a specific feeling or emotion. When working with essential oilsand other aromatics, most will tell you profound stories and experiences that at times might sound amazing.
These types of experiences can be seen as the core idea behind aromatherapy energetics. As practicing aromatherapists, teachers, etc., we know there is not a simple or black and white explanation for the energetics behind aromatherapy. What we do know is that aromatherapy energetics are directly related to the individual user’s unique and intimate experience with a specific essential oil based on their likes and dislikes.
How Unique Experiences Contribute to Energetics
When we look at something intimately like a single essential oil, we must also look at our likes and dislikes. Often, our like or dislike of an essential oil is tied to a scent memory. In some cases, those scent memories can either enhance or detract from our experience with an essential oil. For example, I have a friend who actually used to like patchouli. After she dated someone in college that wore it religiously, when the relationship did not end well, the scent of patchouli is now associated with a memory that is not overly positive. She absolutely is disgusted by patchouli now. For her, energetically speaking, patchouli brings a type of ungrounding or unsettled feeling.
Now if we look at another individual that does like patchouli, say someone that has always loved it since it became popular in the 70’s, we may find something totally different. I know one individual that experienced patchouli as their very first essential oil. Her experience with it is an amazing one when you hear her talk about it. She is energetically alive, but calm and at peace. We could even say she is somewhat grounded after using it.
Generalized Energetics Based on Plant Parts
Now for someone who likes to generalize, there are a few ways we can learn to connect to essential oils in our own intimate settings when getting to know them. The most basic way to do that is to look at the type of plant and part of the plant that was utilized to obtain our precious essential oils. I won’t go into all of them, just those that I most asked about so you can get a taste for the general direction. *If I have not mentioned it already, the emotional/energetic is individual so these generalizations may not work for every oil for every individual.*
Tree Trunk/Heart wood – In working with the trunk or heart wood of the tree we tend to find that these oils are heavier chemically. They are often used to help ground, soothe, and offer us much needed support during difficult times. They are phenomenal anchors when we are feeling unsteady. Because the part of the trees used to obtain the oils are strong and supportive, the essential oils also lend themselves to be this as well.
Consider Sandalwoodor Alligator Juniper for example. This oil is highly grounding, supportive, soothing, and somewhat protective of our energies when we need it.
Leaves – when we are working with the leaves of trees and consider their job in creating oxygen, we can theorize that the leaves would be associated with respiration. In supporting us with respiration, energetically they can help us to be less anxious, clearer mentally, and also help us to be more creative.
Eucalyptus Lemon Ironbarkis a fantastic example of a tree leaf that offers a gentle and soothing energy that helps us to breathe in deeply, clear our mind, and find our desired creative space. If you consider yourself creative, this is an important oil for your collection!
Flowers – these are often associated with the heart. Generally, the essential oils and other aromatics obtained from flowers are used frequently to soothe the heart, open it, uplift it, and at other times be utilized with our creativity. Most floral aromatics are very emotionally supportive as well. They are very tied to most of our emotions.
A perfect example of one flower that most associate with love or perhaps healing for emotions is rose. Another might be lavender.
There are other plant parts to consider like seeds, roots, grass, and resins, but these few generalizations should help you along your journey in learning about aromatherapy energetics.
Individuality
As I mentioned, every individual will have a different reaction to essential oils regardless of the plant part they are from or how great they smell or don’t from one person to the next. In your own journey, I encourage you to create your own form of intimate learning ritual to find where an essential oil or other aromatic finds you energetically.
You can do this by creating a quiet environment, devoid of any potent aromas beforehand. Sit in a comfortable position. Using a fragrance or aroma stick, put one drop on it. Allow it to soak into the stick. Once it has, breathe it in deeply. Feel it from the lowest point of your belly to the highest point in your lungs. Feel where it moves in your body – do you feel it moving in your head? Your heart? Or perhaps it settles in the low part of your belly where your breath started.
Take note of everything you think and feel. How and where you felt it. Consider any previous experiences with it (do you like it or have a scent memory for it).
I hope this has helped you to understand aromatherapy energetics a little more and allowed you an opportunity to deepen your own energetic relationship to them.