Aromatherapy Massage
From the ancient Chinese to the Native Americans , most cultures have a history of using essential oils- aromatic essences extracted from plants- to alter moods and to heal. The ancient Egyptians were perhaps the most sophisticated in this respect, using essential oils as perfumes, healing tools and embalming agents for mummification. Their main method of extracting essential oil was to infuse an herb in castor or olive oil for a few days. Later, the Arab philosopher and doctor Avicenna (980-1037) developed a method of distillation that is very similar to the one used in modern practices today.
Aromatherapy as we know it, and the use of aromatherapy and massage was popularized by an Austrian-born bio-chemist and beautician called Marguerite Maury, who worked in France. She started to use essential oils when massaging her clients and found not only did they find the massage more pleasurable and effective, but that the oils conveyed benefits other than those deriving from the massage itself. Maury continued to research the use of aromatherapy oils, choosing specific oils to suit each individual’s needs, but she did not recommend their internal use. Maury’s work triggered a paid rise in the popularity of aromatherapy massage in both Europe and America as a kind of beauty treatment that also had beneficial effects. Maury herself found that a massage with essential oils was useful in promoting relaxation, treating skin conditions, and relieving certain types of pain, but since then, many aromatherapists have claimed that aromatherapy is a curative treatment in a large number of disorders.