It’s hard to put a dollar amount on
the business of aromatherapy since there are a number of ways to track it. We
don’t really know how many massage therapists or other natural healers use it.
We can look at sales of essential oils used in aromatherapy, but that won’t
tell us how they are being used and whether or not treatment is successful.
There is also the fact that some individuals buy essential oils because they
smell “cool”, not really understanding what aromatherapy is about. One thing is
certain; one need only look on the Internet to realize that there’s a lot going
on with it.
At this time there are no
licensing requirements in the field of aromatherapy. There are however,
certification programs provided by some of the training institutions. There are
two national associations who will recommend training courses taught at
reputable institutions. These bodies are The American Holistic Nurses
Association (http://ahna.org) and The National
Association for Holistic Aromatherapy or NAHA
(http://www.naha.org). NAHA
is the primary body for overseeing aromatherapy education in order to make sure
that certain academic standards are adhered to. They are a non-profit
organization and its members dedicate themselves to promoting the use of true
aromatherapy.
They hope to promote and educate the benefits of medicinal
aromatherapy. Back in 1999 their Council for Aromatherapy
Schools and Educators agreed on
certain guidelines to be followed in the training of aroma therapists. Several
schools in the United States
and Canada have
voluntarily adopted these standards.
It’s important for aroma therapists to have
proper training as erroneous or incomplete knowledge can be dangerous. Although
essential oils
used in aromatherapy are extracted from plants, we should still
look on them as having chemical compounds, and they should be treated with
respect and administered only by knowledgeable individuals. Individuals can
learn how to use aromatherapy, but he or she must learn from a reliable source.
Just because you can buy oils over the counter, doesn’t mean that they can’t be
dangerous.
Aromatherapy can be used in massage, inhalation, compresses, and in
bathing. Before using it in healing or simply to relax, we must be aware of
toxicity levels, how oils interact with drugs we may be taking, any side
effects, and the proper way of preparing and administering each one.
It’s interesting to note that the
2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Richard Axel and
Linda B. Buck, both from the United States.
Separately and together they conducted studies that proved how important our
sense of smell is. Their work was very scientific but the bottom line is that
it would be difficult indeed for humans and other animals to survive without a
sense of smell. Later in the book, we will explain more about the olfactory
system and how it works.
