How The Romans Used Aromatherapy Candles
To many people aromatherapy seems like a fairly recent concept, but it's actually been around in various forms for thousands of years. It was used by the Chinese and Egyptians, as well as many other ancient races.
In fact, it could be assumed that aromatherapy's been practiced since the beginning of civilization. But what exactly is it? You probably have an idea. Some people call it an art. Others call it a science. Still others say it’s some sort of combination of the two. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that aromatherapy has a great deal to offer human experience.
There are actually several forms of aromatherapy. Basically, aromatherapy is the process of using oils extracted from aromatic plants to enhance health and beauty. It is used in incense, in massage oils, candles, and even in baths. There are just so many benefits associated with aromatherapy such as skin care or aesthetic, emotional or psycho, holistic or spiritual healing, and medical healing.
The Chinese were perhaps the first cultured people to use aromatic plants for general well-being of the body. They burned aromatherapy incense to create harmony and balance. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians also used aromatherapy oils. In fact, this article is going to focus more on aromatherapy candle as used in Rome, a form of aromatherapy that uses candles steeped in aromatherapy oils.
The use of aromatherapy candles in Rome perhaps could trace back its origins to the Roman historian Pliny who was incidentally the author of an impressive book of the 1st century A.D., Natural History. This book by Pliny mentioned aromatherapy candles as used in Rome as remedies for several disorders. Pliny listed 32 different remedies prepared from rose aromatherapy candles. For lily as an aromatherapy candle, he mentioned 21. According to him, there were 17 remedies prepared from violet aromatherapy candles and 25 remedies from pennyroyal.
Today, the use of aromatherapy candles in the style of Rome is more of a personal and lifestyle choice. A lot of people use these just to set the mood in their homes. Aromatherapy candles are said to bring pleasure, beauty, and well-being to the user’s life. Because of this, aromatherapy candles just as those used in Rome, are quickly becoming among the fastest growing fields in alternative and holistic medicine.
But aromatherapy candles are not only restricted to alternative medicine. In fact, aromatherapy candles are also widely used in clinics and hospitals. They are used for treatment of pain relief – for labor pain, for relieving pain caused by the side effects of chemotherapy, and for the rehabilitation of cardiac patients. Although there is no actual scientific evidence of the benefits of aromatherapy candles, many people can attest to the impact this science and art has made to their lives.
