Life in the digital times is fast paced. So fast that it has removed us from our very source of sustenance and healing. Technology, growth and development have replaced the green environment in which our parents and grandparents lived, giving rise to a whole range of new age lifestyle ailments. Nobody had heard of carpal tunnel syndrome, computer vision syndrome, hearing problems in young people (thanks to headphones and high decibel music) a few years ago. 

Heard of desk derriere? If you are spending long hours at your desk, you are likely to develop it. Desk derriere is a new age lifestyle disorder wherein fat cells build up in the buttocks of inactive people, forming thick layers of fat deep in the muscle tissue. (Derriere is French for behind, more plainly put it refers to buttocks). It can set off a whole range of related ailments. Given such a scenario, adopting an active healthy lifestyle and healing ourselves with the clean, pure and natural gifts of nature is very appealing and somehow rings true with our inner self. This is Nature’s way, and it is right.

Edward Bach the modern age discoverer of flower remedies tells us that no matter what kind of ailment we may have, we can cure it and no medical knowledge whatsoever is required. Bach discovered flower therapy in the early 1900s. He believed that flowers could balance our emotions which can lead to physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Bach further states the disease is not as important as the patient, more specifically the mind of the patient. The mind is the most sensitive part of the human body and hence the best guide to tell us what remedy is required. But the ancient Hindu scriptures gave us the knowledge of flower therapy thousands of years before Bach, and that deserves a separate article to do justice to it.  

Aromatherapy is a holistic method of treating ailments. It uses the essential oils present in the flowers, leaves, bark and roots of plants to heal. One of the basic principles of all alternative healing methods is that the manner in which the patient reacts to an illness matters the most, more than the illness itself. When we are ill, we are out of harmony with our inner self. Worries, anxieties and fears burden us and take us from a position of ‘ease’ to ‘dis-ease’. The mind becomes ill long before the body begins to display signs of illness. Hence it is important to treat the illness at the mental level. Many illnesses are psychosomatic. Treating the cause is more important than treating the effect.

Isn’t it comforting to know that somewhere unknown to us a beautiful flower, a fragrant leaf, root or bark knows the origin of our ailment and can set it right so that the harmony between the mind and the body is restored? Isn’t it even more reassuring to know that these remedies have been around as long as life itself? They were simply waiting to be discovered by us. Aromatherapy has a wide range of uses, from treating anxiety or muscle pain to improving your general well-being.

Lavender is known for its calming and relaxing properties, lavender essential oil is often used to alleviate stress, anxiety and promote better sleep. Lilies convey purity and innocence. Roses convey warmth, appreciation, beauty and love. Jasmine stands for grace. Champa stands for spirituality and so on. 

It is time to balance technology induced intelligence with some aromatic intelligence to reclaim our health.

Image (c) istock.com