The power of essential oils is so incredible. In my personal use and in my yoga business I see this over and over. A simple sniff of an essential oil can quickly bring a desired benefit. Since a part of our brain known as the amygdala responds to aroma and is essentially responsible for our emotions, state of arousal and memories smelling something can send a natural hormone response in the brain to produce certain hormones that can influence our moods. Think dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins.
Your sense of smell is much more accurate than any of your other senses. Your ability to smell comes from sensory cells called Olfactory Sensory Neurons, found in a small patch of tissue very high in your nose. Those cells connect to your brain.
Each of those sensory neurons has one odor receptor – and molecules released by substances around us stimulate these receptors. Once your neurons detect your molecules, they send messages to your limbic lobe of your brain.
Our sense of smell is 10,000 more sensitive than our other senses. Scent travels faster to the brain with smell than it does with sight, or even sound.
The limbic lobe is a group of brain structures that is below the cortex of the brain – it includes the amygdala and the hippocampus. Your limbic lobe (system of brain structures) is directly connected to the parts of your brain that control many aspects of your body – hormone levels, stress, memory, breathing, heart rate, and more.
The only way to stimulate the emotional brain is through your sense of smell – which is one of the reasons why Essential Oils can work so incredibly well. Feelings of depression, fear, anger, happiness, joy and even anxiety all originate from the limbic lobe of the brain.
Essential Oils can help alleviate symptoms at a cellular level through their therapeutic properties–because that stimulation of hormones and chemicals can drastically affect physiology and behavior.
Essential Oils can be stimulating (Peppermint), calming (Lavender), sedative (Cedarwood), balancing (Frankincense, and so much more.
Look at how fast essential oils work in the body. Remarkable, huh?
Enjoy this free ebook on essential oil basics. Enjoy!
I have been using essential oil (Doterra) for a few months now and it is remarkable how the oils work. I am excited to learn more about them
It sure is. (Sorry I am just seeing this comment now!)
Hi! Sounds very interesting!!! Do u have any evidenced-based research on your findings???
Just curious. I am a Registered Nurse and used to work w/patients with traumatic brain injuries.
Thank you,
Hi Karen. I actually do have some great articles that link to research. I’d love to connect with you and email them to you. Send me an email at [email protected].
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