Student Dialogues - Aromatherapy and Grief

These are some of my feedback notes to a student that turned in the test for the aromatherapy unit. As always, I post these with the idea that all students can learn from each other:

Student answer: (An aromatherapy mixture for grief) Since there is grief and guilt, which is a disappointmentI would make a blend of the following: Rose (disappointment, grief, sadness and shock), Jasmine (disappointment, grief, sadness), and Rosewood (sadness).
I would use these oils because of the ease of administration. As well, they will quickly go to the limbic system, effecting the emotions. I would use this blend as a spray that the client could either spray in the air when needed or wear as a perfume.

My Feedback: This sounds perfect – oils are so good for grief because they surround the body with their healing properties and they work on a strong emotional level too, with scent memory. Rose is perfect for this situation. Jasmine would be a great addition. The rosewood is good too, however, perhaps not necessary. You might want to try it with just the first two before you add more. I tend to stick with one or two and THEN go to three. I don’t like going beyond three ingredients. I like to focus instead on really getting to know each herb to the depth of its being. I think a lot of formulas on the market today use many many herbs because they are only looking at one aspect of the herb’s personality. An herb has a deep personality much like a person – layers and layers of it. Some of them hidden until you know them well. So I recommend using one herb or oil for a while and really getting to know it. Not just what is in the books – but an intuitive knowledge as well.