Kurt Schnaubelt - The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy

THE
HEALING
INTELLIGENCE
OF
ESSENTIAL OILS

Dr. Schnaubelt shows a cutting-edge aromatherapy perspective in this book and gives us many answers to deeply understand the co-evolution of plants and human beings.

AYAKO BERG, LONDON SCHOOL OF AROMATHERAPY, JAPAN

Kurt Schnaubelt continues his professional validation of essential oils as serious health care products. Using in-depth but approachable science, Schnaubelt shows how humans and plants have evolved together, supporting and influencing each others development and well-being over millennia. Each section of this beautifully illustrated book covers a different area of aromatherapy study, from how to recognize authentic oils to recipes for basic health issues and all interspersed with delightful Essential Oil Journeys that trace the use of plant essences around the world. Suitable for professional therapists of all kinds while still accessible to the home practitioner, The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils is destined to become a well-thumbed classic in every health library.

SUZANNE CATTY, AUTHOR OF HYDROSOLS: THE NEXT AROMATHERAPY

INTRODUCTION

Spices provided the major incentive for voyaging into the unknown.

JOHN KEAY

The initial impulse to learn about aromatherapy is almost always instinctual.Courses, instructors, and books satisfy this impulse, yet learningabout aromatherapy and using essential oils almost always turns into adynamic process. It generally begins with a little experimentation, such asusing oils for relaxation or a herpes treatment. With a little luck there issome success and we feel encouraged to continue. If we are open-mindedand not too dependent (physically, mentally, or psychologically) on conventionaldrugs, we notice that taking care of common ailments withessential oils and other natural means leads to a state of better health.

UNDERSTANDING AROMATHERAPY

Aromatherapy is not a luxury. It isan inexpensive way to maintainhealth and to treat many diseasesnaturally.

In the best case, the process of using essential oils leads to a statein which we have enough self-confidence to maintain our own healthwithout continuously consulting the conventional medical machine.Conventional medicine, with its technology and drugs, is something wegenerally use when we think we must, when we think that more naturalways are not sufficiently effective. Indeed, it has crucial benefits undercertain circumstances. But at the same time, we know it is as overdoneand self-defeating as a Ferrari without gasoline. It disempowers us if weattach too much of our well-being to it.

So it is a real advantage when we eventually reach sufficient equanimityand inner peace to know when to consult the conventional system andwhen to rely on ourselves and on natural healing instead. There is no substitutefor cultivating an understanding of the natural way our soul andbody works and how that precious natural balance can be maintained.

One of the barriers to our gaining that understanding arises fromour cultural norms, which have made us worried about essential oils. They are seen as potentially too strong, but nevertheless we are concerned they will fail us when challenged by serious conditions. Somehow we think medicine when we think of essential oils. We think of doctors who disapprove.

But we can be guided by remembering that there are other plant products to which we have developed a more relaxed relation, such as tea, made by steeping the leaves of Camellia sinensis in hot water. And what diversity there is in tea: Ceylon, Assam, Darjeeling, Japanese, Oolong, Ti Kuan Yin, Keemun, and so on. The list is long and tea enthusiasts know that all these teas taste different and have wildly different physiological effects. The dramatic health benefits of green tea are acknowledged without controversy, probably because nobody ever wrote a book called teatherapy.

But just like we will not discover the wonderful varieties of tea if we stay with English Breakfast tea bags forever, we will not discover the true benefits of essential oils unless we explore the real beauty that lies in their authenticity. As we are inspired to explore essential oils more deeply, it is natural that we do so in ways that correspond to our use of conventional medicines. Connecting the old with the new, we begin to use antibacterial oils instead of antibiotics, because research shows that some essential oils are indeed effective against pathogenic bacteria. By using them we begin to avoid the negative side effects of antibioticsa crucial step to better health, as it leads to a significantly improved immune response. As we move along, more questions arise. A crucial question in aromatherapy is what those essential oils really are.

Here we are constricted by another of the ways in which our culture stifles the experience of refined and complex natural products: the conceptual reduction of everything to onegenerally badsubstance or culprit. Some will say they cannot drink tea because they cannot drink caffeine. Similarly wine is dismissed as alcohol. As a consequence we often remain stuck with grossly simplified concepts of tea or wineor, for that matter, essential oils. This is also reflected in the way these products are homogenized by industrial production. Instead of allowing the enormous variety in flavor and effect that nature presents, white wine in California is made to taste uniformly fruity, no matter what the label claims. Instead of presenting an opportunity to enjoy the breadth of essential oil diversity, the bulk of Rosemary essential oil on offer is a standardized liquid engineered to cost no more than $45 a pound.

This book offers a unique approach by providing the vital context for the use of essential oils revealed by the new insights about aromatherapy arising today, mainly from the different branches of biology. In particular, discoveries about the origin of the physiological activity of plant substances have been very illuminating. Essential oils provide the most benefits for those who like to live in harmony with nature and find moderation and humility vis--vis creation desirable. Like exploring the world of tea, we can experience the refinement and finesse of essential oils instead of constantly talking about their potential hazards.

One of the ways to explore is to read books that tell us what to do with oils and what not to do. In the past, aromatherapy texts mainly instructed an aromatherapist on how she or he should practice. The aim of this book is to make it easier for the lay individual to self-medicate with essential oils. This individualized form of aromatherapy focuses more on exploring essential oil efficacy and less on formulating claims. This book aims to present thisalmost undergroundform of personal aromatherapy with its stunning benefits.

It will also highlight the continuously evolving scientific proof for new therapeutic possibilities.

How to Use this Book

Part 1, Understanding the Language of Plants: The Science of Aromatherapy, presents an entirely new take on the theory of aromatherapy, exploring recent findings at the interface of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, and pharmacology, shedding light on the enormous importance the particular plant substances known as secondary metabolites have for human health. These findings also highlight so far unrecognized qualities of multicomponent mixtures, such as essential oils, which hold distinct advantages over single component substances, such as drugs.