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Course Lesson: Intro to Aromatherapy

This introductory class offers a clear overview of aromatherapy and the nature of essential oils. You’ll explore how these concentrated plant materials are created, why their chemistry, solubility, and volatility matter, and how aromatic plants can support the body‑mind‑spirit. The class also introduces different approaches to aromatherapy and guides you in “sitting with” an essential oil to understand its qualities and potential actions.

A Brief Introductory Video:

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This 50‑minute class offers a clear introduction to the nature of essential oils — their concentrated nature, their relationship to the plants they come from, and the concepts that shape how we work with them, including solubility, volatility, and chemistry. Therapeutically working with essential oils honors the holistic nature of this practice, which ranges from understanding individual oils to chemistry to botany and more.

Aromatherapy is far more than concentrated oils in small bottles. By focusing on what an essential oil is — especially in relation to the plant material it’s derived from — we begin to understand how to respectfully and effectively work with these seemingly ephemeral yet potent aromatic molecules. This perspective helps guide how we approach essential oils as allies for the body‑mind‑spirit.

This video‑based class unpacks what aromatherapy truly encompasses: from the ideas of the Quintessential and Essence, to the roles of solubility and volatility, to the practice of “sitting with an essential oil” to understand its messages and therapeutic actions. In this 50‑minute class, you’ll learn about:

• Defining “aromatherapy” and the origin story of its name
• The inherent dryness and concentrated nature of essential oils
• Pathways to the body‑mind‑spirit (e.g., topical application vs. inhalation)
• “French” vs. “Anglo‑Saxon” approaches and what those distinctions really mean
• What makes an essential oil an essential oil, including distillation, solubility, and boiling point
• A guided exercise on how to smell an essential oil to better understand its therapeutic actions