The AromaTouch™ Technique – Healing Through Homeostasis And Oils
The AromaTouch™ technique is a specific form of holistic healing developed by Dr. David Hill to promote and aid the easy achievement of homeostasis, and wellbeing, in the person receiving the treatment. The treatment takes about 40 minutes from start to finish, and it addresses health issues caused by stress, toxicity within the body, inflammation and autonomic imbalance through the application of specific essential oils within an aromatherapy massage treatment. That is just the short of it though, there is a lot more to it and the benefits it brings, as you progress through this explanation of the treatment will discover a certain amount of that depth. The key to the whole treatment being the balance it brings to the body and mind, i.e. homeostasis.
Why Homeostasis Is The Key To AromaTouch™
Essentially the state of homeostasis is one of balance and stability. The issue preceding it for many people is that life is often imbalanced, through work, relationships, money issues and a variety of mental and emotional factors life goes out of balance and stability and calm disappear. In addition to that there are physical factors, toxicity within food and drink from chemicals, pollution in the air we breathe, and various other factors. Generally for most people, especially when living in cities and towns, life lacks balance as comes from nature. The toxicity that humans have introduced cycling back to effectively poison us on a variety of levels.
The treatment was developed to induce homeostasis so that we can heal our bodies naturally and with relative ease. As many know detoxifying helps us to heal as the body moves into a smoother energetic flow when it is clean and clear. As chemicals and toxicity are released the body and mind can refocus energy into healing tissues effectively and with greater ease.
So through using essential oils which promote the cleansing of the body of toxic elements, including stress, and other factors which inhibit healing you become able to achieve a point of natural balance and stability, i.e. homeostasis, which enables you to heal yourself more effectively. Hence the goal of the technique and the treatment being that state.
What Happens During The Treatment?
The treatment is carried out in specific stages by a certified practitioner. Each stage having its own particular essential oils. Each essential oil being applied as part of an aromatherapy massage, with specific hand movements and flows to aid in achievement of the best results possible. With each pairing of oils, 8 in total with 4 pairing and distinct stages as a result, your body and mind are taken through cycles that aid you to cleanse, rebuild and heal.
Important Note
Whilst many aromatherapists may have issue with the number of essential oils, and subsequently their volume too; 8 pairings at 3 to 4 drops each, thus around 24 to 32 drops of essential oil applied during the treatment. This technique has been in use by a great many practitioners for many years, as such with thousands of sessions being carried out, and has been demonstrated time and time again to yield very good results.
The Stages Of The AromaTouch™ Treatment
Stage 1 – Stress Management
In the first stage stress is the factor being addressed. It is something which has a greater effect on health than many people credit, often it is felt to just be a mental and emotional factor, though things on the mental and emotional levels have a tendency to feedback into the physical body when left unresolved. The result can be a very negative impact on wellbeing. As such clearing stress effectively is critical to achieving good health.
This in mind Lavender and Balance, a proprietary blend containing Spruce, Ho wood, Frankincense and blue Tansy, are applied to the back and shoulders. As the aroma of the oils is taken in, and the effects absorbed through the skin too, the mind can shift into a state whereby the release of stress is easier and flows in a natural way. This stress release mechanism being relatively easier for the person receiving the treatment as zero mental activity is required. Effectively they can just relax and enjoy the ride, so to speak.
In some ways this makes it a little like a meditation exercise where the mind is allowed to wander free. In that the person has put the time aside for wellbeing and health promotion they already have their mind in a state where it is open to release and becoming healthier. So naturally it flows in such a way as to become good and release stress and thoughts which have been accumulating.
The Effects Of Aromatherapy In Relieving Symptoms Related To Job Stress Among Nurses.
"Workplace-related stress has become today's most serious occupational hazard. Aromatherapy is a simple, convenient and non-invasive method of stress relief... Therefore, this study was to examine the effectiveness of lavender oil inhalation in reducing job stress-related symptoms among nurses. The 53 nurses in the experimental group pinned small bottles containing 3% lavender oil on the clothes of their right chests, whereas 57 participants in the control group pinned bottles with no lavender oil. Aromatherapy was shown to be effective in the reduction of the number of stress symptoms for 3 or 4 days. The stress symptoms of the experimental group decreased from 6.1 to 2.8 after aromatherapy was carried out (P = 0.126, 0.159, 0.035 and 0.026). This represented a significant decrease in stress, whereas the stress symptoms in the control group increased from 5.6 to 5.8."
Chen MC, Fang SH, Fang L.
© 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Source NIH.Gov
As a note: If you are experiencing serious mental health issues it is still worth consulting a medical doctor for advice, the treatment will aid you in alleviating a certain amount, please keep in mind that it is a 40 minute(ish) treatment though, and this is just one stage within it.
Stage 2 – Immune Support
One of the knock on effects of stress is the reduction of immune efficiency. When under stress you produce a hormone known as Cortisol, whilst the intent of the hormone is to help you by releasing additional energy its cumulative effect over time through prolonged production is incredibly negative. One of the major effects of Cortisol being the diminished effectiveness of the immune system, hence people catching colds and various other illnesses more easily when stressed. Thus having addressed the issue of stress in stage one it then comes to boosting the immune system in stage 2 and aiding it to work effectively again.
Accordingly Melaleuca (also known as Tea Tree oil) and OnGuard™, another proprietary blend which this time contains; Wild Orange, Cinnamon, Clove, Rosemary and Eucalyptus, are applied. Tea Tree essential oil as many know has very strong health benefits and has been demonstrated to be effective within hospitals as promoting healing and wellbeing, you can find out more via the page on Tea Tree oil. The blend within OnGuard also has strong benefits, especially when in synergy together.
Protective Essential Oil Attenuates Influenza Virus Infection: An In Vitro Study In MDCK Cells.
"We studied a commercial essential oil blend, On Guard™, and evaluated its ability in modulating influenza virus, A/PR8/34 (PR8), infection in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells... Influenza virus infectivity was suppressed by essential oil treatment in a dose-dependent manner; the number of nascent viral particles released from MDCK cells was reduced by 90% and by 40% when virus was treated with 1:4,000 and 1:6,000 dilutions of the oil, respectively. Oil treatment of the virus also decreased direct infection of the cells as the number of infected MDCK cells decreased by 90% and 45% when virus was treated with 1:2,000 and 1:3,000 dilutions of the oil, respectively."
Wu S, Patel KB, Booth LJ, Metcalf JP, Lin HK, Wu W.
Source NIH.Gov
The combined antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal properties along with various other attributes of each oil come together and work through your body and your blood stream to aid in clearing any negative factors, thus reducing the load on your immune system and increasing its effectiveness as a result.
Of note here Wild orange is also known to be a stimulant to the lymphatic system, as such helping it to getting moving more effectively. Whilst Cinnamon and Rosemary are known to have effect against insulin, body fat and obesity, all of which can place additional load on the immune response. Clove is noted as having the highest antioxidant count known, and thus being a strong aid to healing and wellbeing.
Stage 3 – Healthy Inflammatory Response And Autonomic Nervous System Support
When the immune response is reduced due to stress and toxicity factors then inflammation of compromised areas can become and issue. The inflammatory response being a nature bodily reaction to foreign contaminants and various other issues. It is also exacerbated by stress, due to Cortisol. So having begun work on clearing stress, and then improving immune action, it comes to a point where inflammation around and within the body can be healed with greater ease.
One of the major points of action within this stage is that on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the system which governs and regulates your internal organs. Among the things your autonomic nervous system regulates are your heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response and urination. When you are run down, due to inflammation and other things, your autonomic nervous system has to works even harder than usual. So in clearing away toxicity and root causes generating the inflamed response you do yourself a big favour. On top of the soothing anti-inflammatory nature many of the oils have in this stage, certain ones also act as nervines which are beneficial to your ANS.
Within this stage two proprietary blends are applied, AromaTouch (containing Basil, Grapefruit, Cypress, Marjoram, Peppermint and Lavender oils) and Deep Blue (which has Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus oils within it). Some of these oils you will note are present within earlier stages of the treatment, note that all oils have a multitude of properties and can excel in a variety of different ways, Lavender is a very notable example of this. Again the synergies of them in action together creates a stronger effect than each one could have in use alone.
Helichrysum is noted to be about the gentlest of essential oils, suitable for all including use with babies when used properly. It has been noted to be effective in a wide variety treating allergies, plus conditions including eczema, psoriasis and asthma. Its soft action to soothe areas makes it a wonderful selection for easing inflammation. Something else which is worth noting here is the effect this oil has on the central nervous system. It has a very good nervine property to it, and in line with the gentle nature it has in terms of healing, it also has a very soothing effect on the nerves and emotions. As such further building on the work done in stage 1 with stress release, and aiding the person receiving the treatment to move to a yet higher point of positive mental wellbeing.
Effect Of Inhaled Essential Oils On Mental Exhaustion And Moderate Burnout: A Small Pilot Study.
"The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of a mixture of essential oils (peppermint, basil, and helichrysum) on mental exhaustion, or moderate burnout (ME/MB) using a personal inhaler... This was a randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study. Data were collected 3 times a day for 3 weeks (Monday-Friday). The first week was baseline for both groups, the second week was intervention (aromatherapy or placebo), and the third week was washout... While both groups had a reduction in perception of ME/MB, the aromatherapy group had a much greater reduction... The results suggest that inhaling essential oils may reduce the perceived level of mental fatigue/burnout. Further research is warranted."
Varney E, Buckle J.
Source NIH.Gov
Lavender is of course noted as being a good general purpose healer, working especially well with burns where inflammation often occurs as a healing response, its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties being of great benefit here.
Cypress is good as a cleanser and an aid to clearing the lymphatic system, something which is an aid to healing here as when the lymph nodes are clear they can become more efficient, its analgesic action and its ability to improve circulation also aiding the improvement of wellbeing and good feeling within the body. Grapefruit helps to detoxify and clear away toxic elements causing issues, among various other effects. With Peppermint and German Chamomile being good analgesics which aid in calming inflamed tissue, reducing discomfort and stress as a result, and thus aiding greater healing too.
As you will likely have noted there is a very cumulative effect working within the AromaTouch™ treatment. A progression which continues to build and increase in effectiveness with each stage, each one building on the previous one, and being ever more effective for the action of the earlier stages. It is a good example of holistic therapy in that it works across a number of factors as awhole to increase wellbeing.
Stage 4 – Homeostasis
The final stage of the treatment and the point at which the intent of the technique both draws its name and strongest effect. This is when the cumulative action of every prior stage comes together and is built upon in order to generate the inner stability and balance which yields the best healing result possible. Having released, boosted and calmed the body it can come to a point of greater clarity and calm, a point at which the effectiveness of all bodily systems, as well as mental and emotional responses, comes to greatest efficiency. It is your body and mind coming into a state where peak condition can occur with ease due to negative factors being cleansed.
The essential oils used here are Wild Orange and Peppermint. Again you have likely noted that both are present within some of the proprietary blends used in previous stages, here though they are used in their pure rather than blended form.
The use of each particular essential oil in each previous stage is relatively simple in comparison to the action occurring from the oils in use in this final stage. There are a variety of factors that come into action here, and a diversity of properties which combine to yield the intended state of the treatment.
As an example of this both oils together have analgesic, sedative and stimulant actions, the first two being in a way opposing to the later. The action which occurs here being a dichotomy, the actions are in opposition and yet both are valid and work together. They work to bring a balance within the body.
In addition to this Wild Orange has a beneficial detoxification action, further clearing the body such that stability and balance can be present. It also has an antidepressant action which promotes a healthier, more joyful and positive mind. Ever noted how you feel when someone peels and Orange, that instant good feeling which surges through you.
Effect Of Sweet Orange Aroma On Experimental Anxiety In Humans.
"The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential anxiolytic effect of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) aroma in healthy volunteers submitted to an anxiogenic situation... Forty (40) male volunteers were allocated to five different groups for the inhalation of sweet orange essential oil (test aroma: 2.5, 5, or 10 drops), tea tree essential oil (control aroma: 2.5 drops), or water (nonaromatic control: 2.5 drops). Immediately after inhalation, each volunteer was submitted to a model of anxiety, the video-monitored version of the Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT)... Unlike the control groups, the individuals exposed to the test aroma (2.5 and 10 drops) presented a lack of significant alterations (p>0.05) in state-anxiety, subjective tension and tranquillity levels throughout the anxiogenic situation, revealing an anxiolytic activity of sweet orange essential oil... Although more studies are needed to find out the clinical relevance of aromatherapy for anxiety disorders, the present results indicate an acute anxiolytic activity of sweet orange aroma, giving some scientific support to its use as a tranquilizer by aromatherapists."
Goes TC, Antunes FD, Alves PB, Teixeira-Silva F.
Source NIH.Gov
Peppermint has a good nervine effect, that is it helps to dispel mental tension and create a calm mind. Thus working upon the stress relieving action of stage 1 to create a healthier mind, and combining in unison with the mental and emotional effects of Wild Orange to promote greater mental wellbeing. The importance of this being partly down to the feedback which occurs between mind and body. When the mind, and heart, are out of balance, stress and ill at ease then the physical body goes out of balance too. As such bringing the mind into balance helps to bring the body into balance too.
Mental balance and stability helps to induce physical balance and stability. As such a point of homeostasis can be reached with greater ease.
Creating A Deeper Even More Holistic Effect
SurgingLife created the “Homeostasis – Music For AromaTouch Practitioners” specifically to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. Whilst when it is used as a standalone aromatherapy, as it was originally created, it is very effective, when it is performed in conjunction with the specially developed soundtrack the effects go deeper and are achieved with greater ease.
The soundtrack matches with the intent of each stage and more importantly builds to deepen the stability and balance that is desired as the main purpose of the session.
Special brainwave entrainment is layered within the music, using Isochronic tones and Monaural beats, that aid the listener to flow into a specific Theta brainwave state. Whilst in that state the mind can relax and release stress, with proven effects especially in the reduction of anxiety whilst in Theta. The effects go beyond this though with the mind moving to a point where physical healing flows more easily too, partly due to the improved mental and emotional condition.
Many AromaTouch practitioners have begun using the soundtrack as a result of this, with many commenting on its deeply relaxing nature. More can be found out about it via the “Homeostasis – Music For AromaTouch Practitioners” page.
How Long Do The Effects Of The Treatment Last?
This depends on the person receiving the treatment and the factors in their life. If you have a lot of issues and challenges, be they physical, emotional or mental, going on then it will be shorter. If you have just over come illness or other challenges then the effects will last longer.
Expanding The Duration Of The Effectiveness Of AromaTouch And Homeostasis
The duration of the effectiveness also depends on your ability to mentally hold the calm and stability. If you practice meditation, ho'oponopono, yoga or any other technique which helps you to release stress and enjoy calm then you will gain longer lasting benefits. For that reason, amongst others, it is a really wise idea to get into a regular meditative practice, there are lots of things including guided meditations and meditation videos, which can make this easier for you. Whilst practising ho'oponopono on a daily basis is incredibly easy due to its simplicity, one of the reasons it is becoming increasingly popular, alongside the fact that it has been noted as being incredibly effective.
In short the more you do to release stress, ideally on a daily basis, the more benefit you will get and the healthier your can become. As an easy to use option there is an alternate version of the practitioners soundtrack, which is for use at home to relax, unwind and release stress with, labelled “Homeostasis – Music For Relaxation And Restoration” which gives you the opportunity to attain mental and emotional balance while relaxing at home.
Recommendations Regarding The AromaTouch™ Technique
The AromaTouch™ technique as developed by Dr. David Hill offers an incredibly good option for achieving strong holistic health benefits. It works through mind and body and its effects can be extended with relative ease through the practice of meditation, ho'oponopono and various other practices. The achievement of homeostasis through this treatment, or any other medium which helps to promote it, is highly recommended as you can elevate your wellbeing on so many levels in unison as a result.