Heather Dawn Godfrey - Healing with Essential Oils: The Antiviral, Restorative, and Life-Enhancing Properties of 58 Plants

To my father, Edwin Charles, my childhood rock and friend. I am so grateful for those moments we spent talking about the things of life; my inner compass eased into the light.

HEALING
WITH
ESSENTIAL OILS

A brilliant and informative must-have book for anyone looking for a natural way to heal and restore and create harmony and balance in their life.

SUE STONE,AUTHOR, TV PRESENTER, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER OF THE SUE STONE FOUNDATION

This highly recommendable book gives grounded scientific knowledge on essential oils and all the practical advice one needs to use them efficiently to restore and maintain health.

CHRISTOPHER VASEY, N.D., AUTHOR OF NATURAL ANTIBIOTICS AND ANTIVIRALS

Acknowledgments

W riting is an insular process, yet it is not achieved in isolation. I could not have written this book without the enduring support and encouragement offered by others: friends and colleagues, incidental acquaintances, strangers I may have found myself chatting with in a caf or on a train, as well as teachers, authors, and researchers who so generously shared their own knowledge, experience, and expertise. The list of people I could thank is almost endless. I appreciate everyone, and every situation, for the gifts brought to my perception, perspective, and experience of life and learning. Briefly, but not exclusively, I especially wish to thank Sophie and Simon Olszowski, for their ongoing encouragement and support; Pamela Allsop, for her wise counsel; Vicky Dixon, for the perspective she brings to my endeavors; and as always, my godmother, May Copp, for her sensible, steadying advice and belief in me, and my brother, Stephen Godfrey. I would also like to thank the Inner Traditions team for their professional support and diligence in producing this book from manuscript to printed page. A heartfelt thank you!

Contents

Foreword

Janey Lee Grace

I first became aware of the power of essential oils when I had my first aromatherapy massage. It was the most amazing experience, and I now realize I was fortunate to have found an aromatherapist who really knew her craft. This was very different from a pampering massage experience, and I quickly learned that the different aromas had very different therapeutic effects.

If there were a queen of essential oils, Heather Dawn Godfrey is that person. Its clear that this form of plant medicine is her passion and life purpose, and she is incredibly knowledgeable about how we can all benefit from it.

Essential oils, with their delightful array of scents and intriguing qualities, are found in households throughout the world now. They are present in our food, hygiene products, medicine, beauty and skincare remedies, and incense and perfumes. Essential oils are especially valued for their antimicrobial, skin-care, and psycho-emotional properties. They have been used both therapeutically and aesthetically for thousands of years, as testified in various ancient medicinal canons and scriptures.

But perhaps you have wondered: What exactly is an essential oil, how do essential oils work, what is it about their properties that lends credence to their therapeutic qualities, and why, when they perform similar roles in plants, are their scents so diverse? Heather answers all these questions and more as she invites you to join her in diving deep into this subject to discover why and how essential oils are so much more than just lovely scents. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the properties and qualities of essential oils so that you may effectively hone your use of them and maximize their benefits. You will learn how essential oils evolve within a plant and how the type of plant and the environment that plant grows in determines the chemical composition, qualities, and characteristics of its essential oil. I found this fascinating, as I once had an opportunity to smell lavender oil from lavender grown at high altitude in the Languedoc region of France, and it was quite unlike the lavender oils I had used before.

This book is easy to navigate, too. Information is gathered and summarized in succinct, easy-to-read charts and diagrams, which makes references clear and accessible, so the book is valuable as a practical tool and guide. Heather integrates her own insights and experience, gained through practical application and research, with that of other experts to provide a breadth and depth of knowledge about essential oils, their botany and organic chemistry, and their safe and effective use.

Like Heathers previous books, this book is aimed at those who use essential oils in their everyday life, students and professional practitioners alike. We dont all have the time or resources in our busy, demanding lives to engage in professional training, but here we have a beautifully illustrated, highly accessible resource that provides a sound foundation to support your understanding and use of essential oils.

Essential oils are one of the many gifts provided by nature. They can be used in many waysas health remedies, to enhance beauty, and in various forms of artistic expression. The aim of this book is to provide a valuable reference to enlighten your awareness of the abundant qualities of essential oils. Whether you already use essential oils at home for your own pleasure, integrate them into your beauty, wellness, or health practice, or use them as artistic and aesthetic ingredientsor if you are simply intrigued by and want to know more about essential oilsthis book is for you.

Janey Lee Grace is a well-being presenter and the author of Happy Healthy Sober, and she runs the recommendations sitewww.imperfectlynatural.com.

INTRODUCTION

Essential Oils in Context

L ife is precious, a gift. Nature is a beautiful expression of this gift. The awe and wonder we experience when we observe a golden red sunset kissing the clouds, a harvest moon suspended in a velveteen starlit sky, or rainbow light reflected in drops of dew glistening in the grass touch and resonate within every cell of our body and in our whole being. Everything in life and in nature is interconnected, like the glistening threads of a spiderweb. Our very first breath as we emerge from our mothers womb fills our lungs with life-sustaining oxygen that in turn awakens our conscious experience of the sensual world into which we are born. We are breathed into life, and with each breath, it seems, we are gifted. Indeed, we are graced with many tools and gifts with which we traverse this life, and in turn we each have gifts to share with one another. And just like a magnificent sunset or a raging waterfall or a pollinating honeybee dancing from flower to flower, we each express and contribute our gifts in our own unique way.