Essential oils benefits shown at Bartlett Library program
On Thursday, April 6, Dawn Duffy, a certified clinical aromatherapist, of Healing Hands showed 23 Bartlett Library patrons how essential oils can be used to naturally support every system of the body.
Essential oils are pure, natural aromatic essences distilled from plants and botanicals for the purpose of promoting harmony of body, mind and spirit.
Duffy started out by giving a brief overview of the history of essential oils. She explained they were mankind's first medicine, and that there are 188 Biblical references to them.
But what exactly is the makeup of essential oils?
The oils are made from the life-blood of plants, and are distilled from leaves, flowers, roots and stems. Basically, they come from the immune system of the plant.
"Essential oils can raise the energetic frequency of the body," Duffy explained, "restoring it to its normal healthy level."
The pathway the oils' fragrance takes to enter the body follows the olfactory nerves directly to the limbic system in brain, which is where emotions and memories are stored. Duffy explains that this is why people sometimes smell certain scents that make them remember a specific time in their lives.
Besides inhalation, there are other ways to use essential oils.
One can do so topically, by using one to three drops (which is considered a dose).
"Less is more," Duffy suggested.
There are also many diffusers that will put the oils into the air. All one has to do is add water and a few drops of the oil to enjoy scented healing for the environment and body.
When bathing in a tub, one can add a few drops of oil to the water. However, Duffy suggests adding an emulsifier like sea salt, Epsom salt, milk or honey to spread the oils out evenly instead of them staying right at the top.
The last example Duffy gave on how to use essential oils was to make a hot or cold compress. Disperse the oils in a bowl of water, and place a cloth on top. Wring it out to use afterward.
Duffy passed around bottles of essential oils for patrons to smell and try out. These were: Lavender, lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree and thieves.
"If there's one thing to take away from tonight it's this: Don't think that all oils are safe to ingest," Duffy shared. "The bottles will be labeled whether the oils are safe to ingest or apply topically."
For more information on essential oils, feel free to visit Duffy's website: www.dawnshealinghands.com.
If you missed this program, an upcoming Adult Services program at the Bartlett Library is the "Psychos, Stalkers, and She-Devils: Using Bad Characters to Create Good Fiction" on Tuesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Aspiring writers will learn the techniques of building better bad guys from DePaul University creative writing professor Rebecca Johns, author of The Countess: A Novel of Elizabeth Bathory and Icebergs: A Novel, a PEN/Hemingway finalist work. Workshop will include handouts and exercises. Rebecca's books will be available for sale. Registration required.
For more information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call 630.837.2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.