This time of year is full of lovely scents, from pine and cinnamon to frankincense and myrrh. But did you know that these Christmas aromas can also boost your wellbeing?
Forest Bathe at Home
Phytoncides are organic compounds produced by plants. One such phytoncide is terpene, which is also in essential oils we use in diffusers. Essential oils can provide forest therapy for us at home.
Phytoncides: Plant Powerhouse Molecules
If you have been to one of my sessions, you may remember that phytoncides are produced by plants to protect themselves from pests and diseases. And when we breathe in these plant powerhouse molecules, especially abundant in trees, our bodies react positively.
Research by Dr Qing Li in Japan found that when his subjects participated in forest bathing sessions, there was an increase in serotonin, NK cells (natural killer cells, which are white blood cells that attack viruses and other foreign cells), anti-cancer protein and decreases in cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline and blood sugar levels. And finally, stabilised blood pressure and improved quality of sleep.
HINOKI Essential Oil
And guess what? Dr Li also conducted research using aromatherapy at home too. For this, he used Hinoki essential oil. The subjects who breathed the cypress oils had a 20 per cent increase in NK cells compared to almost no change in the non-Hinoki breathers.
Diffuse the Situation
Filling your room with these lovely aromatic molecules is an easy way to forest bathe at home. All essential oils are anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal, and they all have a concentration of terpene.
Hospitals are beginning to use aromatherapy. Vanderbilt University Medical Hospital’s emergency department took the lead in forming an aromatherapy pilot program aimed at lowering the staff’s stress and increasing energy levels. Diffusing oils throughout the hospital naturally cleaned the air of microbes, bacteria, mould and viruses as well as increased negative ions in the air. In a survey, both 30 days before and 30 days after, produced persuasive results:
Stress: Before the programme started, 41% of staff reported high stress levels. 30 days after, stress levels dropped to 3.
Tiredness: 40% reported feeling tired at work. This dropped to 13% after breathing diffused oils for a month.
After this experiment, some of the hospital staff started using diffused oils at home and the hospital administration is working at using diffused oils for patients.
This Christmas, diffuse your home with aromatic oils. And remember, you can always walk in the forest yourselves to breathe this for free!
I wish you and your family a lovely, warm and aromatic Christmas!
