Aromatherapy, the art of using essential oils to enhance our moods, sharpen our minds and awaken our senses, is an extremely important part of the spa experience, from lobby to treatment rooms. When I enter a spa lobby, and treatment room, the aromas I first inhale immediately establish a peaceful mood. Dreamy, relaxed, calm andd restorative describe what a wonderful scent adds to a spa experience.

Spa therapists always invite clients to chose the scent or scents they like, explaining the various uses of each oil. (If the therapist forgets, remind him or her. Don't be shy about this.) Relaxing in a spa, surrounded by sublte aromas I chose puts me in a restful frame of mind before, during and after treatments. It's nice to bring home some oils from the spa, and most sell little portions of them. Most health stores also stock essential oils.

Each essential oil has a different effect on the mind, and each blend creates different reactions. Peppermint oil by itself is invigorating, refreshing, and stimulating, while rosemary oil alone is rejuvenating, strengthening, and uplifting. The two, plus lavender, is refreshing.

Lavender oil is a known antidepressant, sedative, and detoxifier. It is my favorite aroma in the spa, and last week, during a treatment at the Chatham Barns Inn, the soothing scent immediately relaxed me as I prepared for my facial in the treatment room.

Peppermint is an excellent digestive aid, great for the respiratory system and circulation along with being an antiflammatory and antiseptic.
Eucalyptus oil, you won’t want to be without it. Adding a few drops to boiling water and covering your head with a towel while taking deep breaths will work wonders on winter colds, or adding a few drops to your bath water is a wonderful all-over cold treatment. Try using rosemary oil, helpful for muscular tiredness.

To understand a little more about aromotherapy, I have been reading more about the art and science and I found helpful information in these two books. Check them out of the library or buy one. Both are available from online book sellers.

Aromatherapy for Everyone: Discover the Scents of Health and Happiness with Essential Oils, Aromatherapy Book by P.J. Pierson and Mary Shipley. This paperback a good start for those new to aromotherapy, makes the subject easy to understand. Published by Now Foods.

The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion (Paperback)by Valerie Ann Worwood is a detailed guide to essential oils and is written both for the aromotherapist and readers who want to learn how to mix their own oils for massage.