The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy

Great intro in to the science of Essential Oils
This book is the perfect introduction to essential oils for someone who is serious about using essential oils for medicinal purposes, and especially for those with a basic background in chemistry and biology. Dr. Schnaubelt does a wonderful job of explaining the nuances of using essential oils vs. prescribed phamaceutical preparaptions to treat a variety of conditions. He makes it very clear that essential oil is not a cure-all for all ailments, and presents a very realistic view of what the benefits can be to using various oils.I am a Registered Nurse, and am most interested in the whys of how different treatment modalities work, just as much as I am with the results (provides a solid basis for deciding to initiate, continue, or terminate any given treatment modality, be it aspirin or an essential oil). This book does a very good job of giving me a starting point of where I can start really learning about the phisiological interactions our bodies, down to the cellular level, have with the different compounds found within essential oils. For those who aren’t familiar (or just need a refresher from your A&P or BioChem classes), Dr. Schnaubelt provides a brief overview of cellular structure, chemical bonds, molecular polarity, etc. in his writing and diagrams, and explains why these structures and their properties are important in the application of essential oils as a therapeutic modality.If you feel a bit rusty in your biology and chemistry studies, a quick review of basic human biology (cellular structure, protein structure & synthesis, enzyme structure, synthesis, and actions, DNA & RNA synthesis & replication, etc.) and chemistry (remember all of those fun diagrams we had to draw to visualize the component molecules & the associated bonds that make up various compounds? Theeeeyyyyyrrrreeee baaaaaaaack! At least Dr. Schnaubelt makes it more interesting, and there won’t be a pop-quiz tomorrow… but don’t forget to also read up some of the common molecules and groups found in biological organisms) will greatly enhance your experience with this book. If you don’t want to go that route, then simply just look up unfamiliar things when you come across them. Understanding these basics of biology and chemistry will prove to be the foundation from which your knowledge and applied aromatherapy practice will be based on. Think of it as something like knowing the roles for individual positions on a football team before you can become a coach, and start making up play-books of your own.I also find it very refreshing that Dr. Schnaubelt does not completely dismiss Western medicine, as many other “alternative” or “holistic” practitioners seem to do. While he does have an obvious, and understandable, issue with the phamaceutical industry and its’ implications for actual human health, he without a doubt recognizes and encourages people to consult with and seek treatment from a professional doctor/NP/PA when it is prudent.Even as my knowledge of this field is expanding, I still find myself referring to this book in my studies. For people that are interested in, or have already made essential oil treatment part of their lives, this book will not likely collect dust on the bookshelf after reading it. Just understand that there IS a strong scientific/technical element to the book, so you may need to reference other sources (like old college science textbooks) to extract the maximum amount of knowledge that Dr. Schnaubelt is sharing in his writings. The extra effort is well worth the payoff: an ability to truly understand the connections and interactions between our bodies and essential oils, which leads to greater competence and confidence in the field of applied aromatherapy.For those that enjoy this book, I highly recommend his other books on essential oils for continuing education on the subject. If I were to classify each book as in an academic progression, I would say that his book “Advanced Aromatherapy” is the intro level book, this book is the intermediate book, and “Medical Aromatherapy” is the intermediate-advanced level book.Special note: While the author has business connections with the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, as well as the associated product line of Original Swiss Aromatics, he does NOT make either the focus of any of his books. They may be mentioned in passing a few times in the text of each book, but these books are definitely NOT large advertisements for a particular brand of oil or a paticular school. I encountered this in a few other aromatherapy books, which was a HUGE turn-off for me; I’m not one to pay my own money for advertisements disguised as instructional texts. Dr. Schnaubelt simply stresses the quality and sourcing of oils in the writing, and only mentions specific products sporadically. 🙂

Science Behind Using Essential Oils Medicinally
Learning about the medicinal uses of essential oils, I wanted to learn more about the science behind them. This book is chock full of information. I’m not very science-minded or at least not willingly science-minded, but when it’s something I’m interested in then I’m more apt to push through the complicated stuff to learn. I did that in parts of this book, looking up some words along the way to understand better. It’s not all like that but there were a few places. I’m glad I did though and have learned a lot that I have in turn shared with others. There is a great section on using essential oils for cancer – the case studies, history, and protocol. That was interesting to me especially where it had about two pages on melanoma cancer which I have personally had (several melanomas removed). This is a book I’ll be keeping in my library!

Beautiful book with glossy pages and lots of picturesIt is written in an easy to understand manner and has a lot of great information backed up by scientific researchLots of recipes and advice on which piles are suitable for various conditionsA definite reference guide I find myself coming back to over and over again

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Great book! All inclusive and very informative. A wonderful and thorough source for essential oil knowledge. I am studying clinical and medicinal aromatherapy and it has been a great guide for me. I also teach” Essential oil for healing “workshops and this has been a great resource and guide for me.