The Oiled Life

Essential Oils can be inhaled through the nose or the mouth. You can inhale directly from the bottle or add to a diffuser. The University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing provides a wonderful explanation of the beneficial connection of our olfactory system (sense of smell), essential oils, and our limbic system as: 

 

         "The olfactory system includes all physical organs or cells relating to, or contributing to, the sense of smell. When we inhale through the nose, airborne molecules interact with the olfactory organs and, almost immediately, the brain. Molecules inhaled through the nose or mouth are also carried to the lungs and interact with the respiratory system. Thus, inhaled essential oils can affect the body through several systems and pathways.

 

           Interaction with the Limbic System (Emotional Brain): During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly referred to as the "emotional brain."The limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions. Knowing this, we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects!"

- Always check the individual label on the bottle for proper usage instructions

- Additional safety precautions