Ayurvedic AromatherapyTERRENCE SHENFIELD BS, RRT, RPFT

Objectives•What is aromatherapy ( Essential oil therapy)

•Science behind Aromatherapy (Western approach)

•What is Ayurvedic Medicine

•Five element theory

•Three Doshas and Subdoshas

•Ayurvedic chemistry and Energetics

•Ayurvedic and Western Medicine approach to Aromatherapy

•Pancha Karma

Introduction What is aromatherapy?

◦ Pure essential oils from different parts of the plant◦ Improves physical and mental aspects holistically◦ Over 150 essential oils◦ Each oil has many healing capabilities because each oil if made of many

different compounds◦ Qualities of being anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, sedative,

stimulant, and antibacterial ◦ Just smells good!

Science behind aromatherapy

Inhalation◦ The sense of smell is 10,000 more powerful than any

other sense◦ Scent is carried by olfactory nerve cells in the nose to the

olfactory system and then to the brain via the limbic system

◦ In Contrast, other senses like touch travel to the brain via the spinal cord

◦ Smell is also the strongest link to the subconscious mind

Science behind aromatherapy

Topical application◦ Oxidative damage caused by free radicals is implicated in

everything◦ Aging◦ Wrinkling of skin◦ DNA damage◦ Cancer◦ Heart disease◦ Premature death

◦ Very high antioxidant properties◦ Measured by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Test ◦ Measured in units ( Trolox equivalent per liter)◦ For example-Blueberries have 2,400 units vs. Ylang Ylang 1,300,478 units

Evidence Based AromatherapyAntibacterial

AROMATOGRAM Primary effects of EO is on bacterial cell membrane

Lavender oil (French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse)- Burns and MRSA

Lemongrass, Oregano, Savory, Red Thyme, and Cinnamon are ranked amongst the best

What is Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic Medicine is the oldest recorded medicine of prevention and healing.- well over 5000 years old!

Stresses importance of physical balance, emotional release, mental health, environmental mindfulness, and spiritual growth.

Western medicine just treats the disease process rather that looking at the body holistically.

In trauma and acute emergency care, Western medicine is second to none.

In chronic illness , Ayurvedic medicine has great potential.

Ayurvedic medicine believes the body should be in balance by the foods we eat, the herbs we take when ill, our emotional state of mind, and the essential oils we use to promote good health and balance.

Five element theory Ayurvedic system believes the body is made up of five elements, earth, water, fire, air, and ether very similar to Chinese Herbal Medicine

Each of these is attributed to a different part of the body◦ Earth manifest itself solid state structures such as bones, cells, and tissues.◦ Water is represented by our blood, lymph, and other fluids of the body. It is

also for the removal of harmful waste. ◦ Fire is a form of energy that can convert solids to liquids and gas. It is what

converts food into energy. It is intimately involved nervous reactions, feelings, and thought processes.

◦ Air is required for fire to burn, in other words it is for transfer reactions such as oxidation needed for energy the cellular metabolism.

◦ Ether is the space between all the elements list above, it separates things.

The Three Doshas What is Doshas?

◦ Each person is born of certain characteristics that make us unique. This is what determines our strength and weakness in health and wellness.

◦ The three Doshas are Vata-Pitta-Kapha◦ The five elements are combined in various ways to create Doshas

◦ Vata- ether and air◦ Pitta-fire and water◦ Kapha-water and earth

Understanding of the Doshas is what is ultimately important to determine what essential oil should be used in what medical condition.

You may asking what Dosha you are?

That will be determined by a questioner that will follow

Vata dominant person Thin framed with possibly protruding joints

If they gain weight, its typically around the middle

Hair is dark, dry, and kinky

Eyes are small, active, dry, and can be black or brown

Prone to constipation with hard, dry stools

Appetites is low and can easily skip meals and when they do eat, leave food on plate

Physically active but depend on coffee or tea as a stimulant to keep going

Restless mind and be anxious and nervous

Good short term memory but forgets easily

Experience intermittent insomnia

Speech is fast and talk with their hands

Spends money impulsively

Dream about flying, jumping, and running

Pitta dominant person Moderate frame with good proportions

Gain or lose weight easily

Skin is oily, burns easily, with possible freckles and moles

Predisposed to acne

Under stress can be angry, irritable, driving, and jealous

Hair is soft, blond, red, and grays early

Eyes sharp and penetrating, maybe green or blue in color

Often very thirsty

Bowel movements are oily and regular

Love competition and are aggressive in nature

Sharp memory and intelligent

Dreams are fiery, passionate, and colorful

High directed energy and commitment

Kapha dominant person Large body and frames

Skin is thick, oily, and pale in color

Gain weight easily and hard to lose weight

Hair is thick , oily, and wavy

Nice teeth, eyes are big and attractive

Appetite is steady and they can skip meals with no effect

When they are ill- water retention and mucous buildup

Rarely thirsty

Bowel movements are once a day

Endurance is good

Slow to learn but never forget

Dreams are romantic and involve water

Speech is slow

Save money very easily

The Three Doshas-Ayurvedic prescribing treatment options

Patient presenting certain symptoms to the Ayurvedic practioner may prescribe essential oils for their treatment with other recommendations such as diet, exercise, herbs, and meditation based upon their Dosha.

This is what separates Western aromatherapy from Ayurvedic aromatherapy.

The suggested essential oil will be based upon your Dosha type / Disease and not just your disease condition as in Western aromatherapy.

Each of us belong to certain Dosha or combination of Doshas.

The reason we experience illness be it physical or emotional is because our Doshas are out of balance (too much or too little).

We must remedy the situation by our diet, exercise, herbal remedies, and applications of essential oils according to our Doshas to bring them back in balance.

Ayurvedic medicine doesn’t prescribe to one size fits all mentality!

The Three Doshas- Vata◦ Comprised of ether and air ◦ Vata characteristics are cold, light, irregular, mobile dry, and rough.◦ A person’s can have too much Vata or too little Vata and as a result have

illness.◦ Too much Vata is characteristic of nerve irritation, high blood pressure, gas,

and confusion. ◦ Too little and we have nerve loss, congestion, constipation, and

thoughtlessness. ◦ Treatment options is to bring the Vata imbalance to balance with the

appropriate therapy and essential oils

The Three Doshas- Pitta◦ Comprised of fire and water ◦ Pitta forces can be described as being hot, light, fluid, subtle, sharp,

malodorous, soft, and clear. ◦ Too much Pitta results in ulcers, hormonal imbalance, acne, and anger. ◦ Too little Pitta results in indigestion, inability to focus, and sluggish

metabolism such as type in 2 diabetes ◦ Treatment options is to bring the Pitta imbalance to balance with the

appropriate therapy and essential oils

The Three Doshas-Kapha

◦ Comprised of Water and earth◦ Kapha has the characteristics of being oily, cold, heavy, stable, dense, and

smooth. ◦ Too much Kapha causes mucous buildup in the sinus and nasal passages,

lungs, and colon. ◦ Too little Kapha causes the body to have dry respiratory tract, burning

stomach, and the inability to concentrate.

Ayurvedic Chemistry In Ayurvedic medicine the terms:

Alternative, antipyretic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bitter tonic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogic, emollient, expectorant, hemostatic, laxative, nervine, rejuvenative, sedative, stimulant ,tonic, and vulnerary

All have meanings in how a essential oil will work.

Ayurvedic energetics Essential oils have either heating and cooling qualities and these qualities to it and that is what determines which type of essential oil to be used

Certain essential oils are heating by nature. For example, thyme or clove oil would be considered heating.

Certain essential oils are cooling in nature, for example chamomile or peppermint rubbed on your arm will have a cooling effect.

There are essential oils that are neutral that are neither heating nor cooling such as lavender oil.

This concept of is in line with the Chinese medicine concept of Yin and Yang whereas Yin is cold and Yang is hot.

Other concept is that of essential oils being moisturizing (wet) or drying (dry) in nature. The science behind this is that some essential oils are moisturizing by nature and hydrophilic and other oils are drying in nature or lipophilic. Examples of wet essential oils are geranium and rose oil and an example of a dry oil would be citrus oils and pine oils. Neutral oils would be lavender and chamomile to name a couple.

Ayurvedic and western approaches to essential oils

Traditional western medicine essential oils are chosen based upon their therapeutic qualities and reliving of the symptoms

◦ Based on experience and research done and published for essential oil research

◦ Not a bad method of treating the patient but is not the best.◦ Drawback from an Ayurvedic view point is that the essential oil choice may

be good for the symptoms but not the patient. ◦ An example might be that for a person who is of the Pitta Dosha type and he

had indigestion and went to a western aromatherapist who suggested that the patient take oregano or coriander essential oil.

◦ Both would relieve the symptoms of indigestion but the oregano oil is heating in nature and will aggravate the patient general health for the Pitta type.

Ayurvedic and western approaches to essential oils

In Ayurvedic practice◦ Patient comes in for treatment for a disorder the Ayurvedic physician would

take into consideration the person Dosha or Subdoshas◦ Based upon what exactly the problem is, the Ayurvedic physician would

recommendation of an essential oil that would put the patient in balance for the disorder as well as keep the person general health at an optimum level.

◦ The difference between the two systems is that the western system treats the symptoms and really doesn’t take a “holistic” approach to the patient.

Ayurvedic systems first defines your body type (Dosha) and then determines what exactly is not functioning properly (Subdoshas) and based upon a thorough work up determines the best treatment plan for the patient.

Ayurvedic Massage and Marma Points

Indian system of massage with essential oils based o application of pressure on certain energy centers of the body closely akin to meridian acupuncture/acupressure.

Used to put Doshas in balance so careful selection of appropriate oil is important.

Stroke are in a circular motion with the thumb first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

Typically 5 “CIRCLES” in each direction and then 5 “CIRCLES” in the opposite direction.

This is done 3 times for each Marma points

Typical mixtures are 50 drops of essential oils with 4 ounces of base oil

Marma points on the body

Marma Points- Choice of essential oils

Vata reducing essential oils Vata’s are cold, dry, irregular, and rough

They need warm, oily, smooth, and nurturing oils

Base oil should be sesame or hazelnut oil◦ Angelica, basil, calamus, camphor, cardamon, chamomile, lavender, lemongrass, ginger, and

sandalwood

Pitta reducing essential oils Pitta’s are oily, hot, and intense

They need oil that are cooling in nature that are calming and relaxing

Base oil should be olive or coconut oil◦ Chamomile, coriander, cumin, fennel, jasmine, jatamansi, peppermint, lavender, lemon balm, and

yarrow

Marma Points- Choice of essential oils Kapha reducing essential oils Kapha’s have sluggish metabolism and lack fluid movement

They need heating oils with rigorous massage

Base oil should be almond, mustard, and canola oil◦ Angelica, basil, calamus, camphor, cardamon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, ginger,

myrrh, sage, and yarrow.

Pancha Karma- Body Tune-up

Pancha Karma is when a person gets a “tune up” to rid the body of all toxins through the application of five different actions to purify the body and it done once a year.

The five actions are oelation, purgatation, sweats, enema, and nasal therapy and all of them involve essential oils.

Oelation (snehana) refers to the external and internal application of essential oils to keep toxins flowing out of the body.

◦ Pitta types would benefit from to use one drop of sandalwood or chamomile oil mixed with olive oil and drink it.

Purgation (virechana) refers to laxative types of essential oils ingested such as two table spoons of vegetable oil with 30 drops lavender oil as an example.

Pancha Karma- Body Tune-up

Sweats (svedhana) refers to application of essential oils to the skin and then the person body temperature is elevated in a wet or dry sauna. The goal is to sweat out toxins.

Enema (basti) refers to the use of enemas except that essential oils are added to the mixture.

◦ For example, the Kapha type would add anise oil to their enema to eliminate waste from the colon.

Nasal therapy (nasya) , this involved putting essential oils in the nostrils to clear the impurities of the head and sinuses.

◦ An example of this would heated vegetable oil ¼ ounce to 1-3 drops of rosemary, basil, or orange oil for the Kapha type.

Summary The study of essential oils is very important and the time is ripe to incorporate them into traditional medicines of the America and Europe. Essential oils have been around for thousands of years and many cultures incorporate them into maintaining health and treating disease processes. The author’s thoughts are that the Western civilization uses the essential oils in limited capacity. The author feels that essential oils can be used in a variety of ways but that a higher degree of understanding them is required. There should be credentialing and minimum educational standard to practice Aromatherapy. The Indian method of Ayurvedic medicine is more comprehensive by taking into consideration a person body type (Dosha) and Subdoshas. There is much to be learned by thousands of years of experience in the treating the human body for diseases process and ultimate health.

What essential oils should I use FOR REDUCING STRESS?

Marjoram◦ Origanum majorana◦ Analgesic, anxiolytic, aphrodisiac, comforting

Rose (Egypt) ◦ Rosa damascene◦ Antidepressant, aphrodisiac, relaxing, sedative, soothing, uplifting

Vetiver◦ Vetivera zizanoides◦ Calming, nerve tonic, sedative

Neroli ( orange blossom)◦ Citrus aurantium◦ Stress reducing

Cost of essential oils(Stress)

Bergamot◦ $33.00 Oz.

Chamomile-Roman◦ $74.00 Oz.

Jasmine ◦ $169.00 Oz.

Lavender ◦ $19.00 Oz.

Marjoram◦ $30.00 Oz.

Rose ◦ $574.00 Oz.

Vetiver◦ $29.00 Oz.

Neroli◦ $316.00 Oz.

Which one should I use? Lavender, Rose, Neroli, and Chamomile are the most commonly used in studies

Rose and eucalyptus combination have been reported to be uplifting and decrease cross infection rates

Price is a factor! Evidence for lavender is huge and the price is right

Dilution and Measurement Chart

For one fluid ounce (600 drops) of carrier oil:

1% dilution = 6 drops2% dilution = 12 drops2.5% dilution = 15 drops5% dilution = 30 drops or 1.5 ml10% dilution = 60 drops or 3 ml

Measurements / Conversions (Volume)

1 fl oz = 600 drops = 30 ml = 2 tablespoons1/2 fl oz = 300 drops = 15 ml = 1 tablespoon1/6 fl oz = 100 drops = 5 ml = 1 teaspoon1/30 fl oz = 20 drops = 1 ml = 1/5 teaspoon

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Technology, and Applications. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN# 9781420063158

Lis-Balchin, M. (2006). Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London:

Pharmaceutical Press. ISBN# 9780853695783

Petersen, D. (2014). Aromatherapy Materia Medica Essential Oil Monographs. Portland, OR:

American College of Healthcare Sciences.

Rhind, J.P. (2012). Essential Oils: A Handbook for Aromatherapy Practice (2nd ed.). London,

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