– Undoubtedly, you are a versatile person! Please tell us how you became interested in aromatherapy and nutrition. When and how did you first realize that this was your calling?

It was a long and difficult journey. I actually have a legal background and used to manage multi-million contracts and tenders in a completely different field. Everything was going great until I reached a point of burnout. But that wasn’t enough to stop me, and after a month I was diagnosed with a serious autoimmune disease. My body couldn’t move. Then I finally realized that I couldn’t go back to the same job or even the same field. Because I was done. And just to make things more interesting, I decided to get a divorce. So, a foreign country, I am alone. Work — impossible. Health, love, family — impossible. Finances practically at zero (thanks to my ex-husband). What’s next — unclear. Powerlessness. And it’s scary to live and to do anything. And that’s when essential oils, aromatherapy, and olfactotherapy came into my life. Actually, without even realizing it, I started using essential oils and doing olfactotherapy sessions for myself. I gained energy. I started to have the desire to act. The inner voice emerged. I gained the resource to study micronutrition, nutrition, and functional medicine to pull myself out of the «can’t be cured» mindset. I introduced aromatherapy into my daily routine. Then the question arose — what’s next? And the inner voice said «Aromatherapy and olfactotherapy.» Yes, it was illogical, and I had a belief that this was not a real profession, that I wouldn’t make a living from it. But back then, I told myself: «Even if it’s just for me, I want to do it. It’s the only thing that brings a sparkle to my eyes.» And it brought me back to life in every aspect: I met the love of my life, I met wonderful people, I regained my health and freedom, I built my own business. Gradually, step by step. And now I share this with other people who are changing their lives and the lives of others. As it turns out, this is not just a profession, but a highly demanded profession. Because everyone wants to be healthy, have healthy loved ones, and be happy, energized, motivated, and eager to live a life with a taste, with a sense, with a meaning. Looking back now at all the obstacles, I know — this is my calling, my purpose. Before this, I was blindly groping my way around. And then I was guided by scents. The scents of happiness. After all, olfactotherapy is essentially the science of happiness.

– Perhaps someone is reading about aromatherapy for the first time. What are some of the benefits of using essential oils for health and well-being?

It should be noted that there are many advantages. However, aromatherapy is just one of the applications of essential oils. This term is often used for everything related to essential oils, but this is incorrect.

Aromatherapy is a separate field that studies the therapeutic effects of essential oils on physical and emotional health. All recommendations and protocols are based on the composition of the oils, the properties of their components, as well as the indications and the contraindications of these components. This is the clinical use of essential oils. It is effective in accompanying a multitude of issues, such as stress, insomnia, anxiety, menopause, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, infections, digestive system, immunity, joints, cardiovascular system, cosmetology, nutrition… It can be used for children and adults, in palliative care, and even in veterinary medicine. But even at home, having just 4-5 high quality natural essential oils, can solve many problems: beauty and hair growth, skin rejuvenation and health, cosmetics, sleep, calmness, concentration, ecological and effective cleaning. And this is excellent first aid for burns, headaches, bruises, PMS, cuts, wound healing, mosquitoes, and other unwanted guests. This is what we teach at our Aromatherapy Institute. French Aromatherapy.

In need of concentration? Inhale the aroma of lemon essential oil.

In need of tranquility and calmness? Lavender, Roman chamomile, tangerine.

Got burned? Lavender. Nauseous? Lemon. Skin regeneration? Lavender, Rose, Neroli, Geranium. Hair beauty? Ginger, Cedarwood, Clary Sage…

The use of essential oils can change the quality of life. And sometimes, it can change the whole life.

But there is another discipline that is just as important. Olfactotherapy, olfactology, or aromacology — the use of essential oils for their scent-based properties.

Aromas are 75% more powerful in their emotional impact than other senses. And the influence of scents on people’s state and behavior is becoming increasingly popular: in marketing, event organization, sales, branding, PR… It’s no coincidence that your BMW smells like BMW after a service (no matter which country you’re in). The same goes for Mercedes Benz, Apple, Inditex (Massimo Dutti, Zara, etc)… and your room number in Sheraton will have the same scent all over the world.

It is scientifically proven — our sense of smell affects our behavior and plays an important role in the health of our body and mind. We choose our food, our homes, and even people based on their odor. Babies recognise their mother’s scent even before they are born. The process of development of olfactory cells (cells responsible for the sense of smell) begins as soon as the first trimester of pregnancy. Fathers can identify their newborn’s smell within the first three days after their birth. Everything we experience, starting from the mother’s womb, is registered in our brain with all the data, including scent. This is why certain scents can evoke a smile, laughter, pleasant memories, or rejection. Scents influence our behavior, mood, memory, emotions, and abilities.

The most interesting thing is the effect of essential oil molecules on the limbic system, our psycho-emotional center. These molecules, when they get in contact with the olfactory nerve, stimulate certain biochemical processes in the body. Emotions are a biochemical process. And with the help of such scents, we can help ourselves, support ourselves, get to a resourceful state, bypass the internal resistance of the mind, and act on a deeper level.

And this opens up new horizons of application: prevention and restoration of the body and psyche after traumas/illnesses/stress, work with the subconscious, concentration, motivation and resources to achieve desired goals…

Essential oils and their scents quickly reach the «unconscious» and can change our behavior and balance our body by restoring the nervous system.

Olfactotherapy is a psycho-energetic method that uses the scents of essential oils to better manage one’s emotions, to help to release the blocks associated with the past, to restore psycho-emotional or organic balance in the present moment, and to regain one’s resources.

This method can be useful in overcoming addictions or old attachments, managing stress and emotions, increasing concentration and productivity, boosting self-confidence, affirming strengths, improving concentration and/or motivation, relaxation, feel calm, improving sleep quality, going through certain stages of life, dealing with loss and getting out of the cycle of grief, in palliative care, overcoming depression, and so on.

– Is essential oil the same as aroma oil?

It is more correct to say essential oil. Aroma oil is a colloquial term.

There is a lot of information on the internet about how to make essential oils at home. What is your opinion on this practice, and is it really possible?

You may be able to create a fragrance, but it may not meet the criteria for olfacto- and aroma-therapy. In the production of essential oils, every detail matters, from the quality of the seeds, soil and its enrichment, ecological conditions where the raw material grew, type of fertilizers used, climate (French fine lavender and Brazilian stoechas lavender have different compositions and contraindications), harvesting period and method, distillation technology — for optimal composition, a specific pressure and dry steam of a certain temperature, duration, sometimes several repeated distillations are required. It also depends on the quality of water used during distillation, the materials from which the distillation equipment and storage containers are made. At the same time, each plant has its own specific distillation process. The distillation of roses or sandalwood is not the same thing.

There is also the concept of extraction coefficient. Extracting essential oils can be very expensive, especially due to the very large amount of raw material required to produce a small amount of essential oil. For example, lavender requires about 35 kg of flowers to obtain 1 liter of essential oil.

In the case of some plants, much more raw material is needed, for example, for roses: 5000 kg of petals, harvested manually at a specific time, are needed for 1 liter of essential oil.

Furthermore, oils must undergo a series of tests for composition to ensure they contain a full spectrum of necessary molecules in specific proportion and do not contain harmful substances.

It is important to approach the choice of essential oil manufacturer with caution. That is why we travel with our students every year to fields and distilleries in different countries — to know all the intricacies and see how it’s done. This way, we combine relaxation and travelling with purpose.

– You are the creator of the Institute of Aromatherapy! What was your main goal when you decided to take such a challenging step?

I had a huge desire to share my knowledge and experience. During my education and work, I realized how powerful these tools are, how incredible is the support they provide, how they make personal transformation beautiful and easy, how they help to find the clues, the answers, the resources. I saw how it worked not only with my clients but also with myself. And my goal was and is to make these tools and knowledge available to anyone who seeks the opportunity to be healthy, prosperous, and happy.

Over the years, I have met thousands of amazing women from different countries. Women who are changing the world. I got to know them, and I realized that we are united.

We are mothers, we are wives, we are keepers of the hearth, we are on the front lines when it comes to the health of our children and loved ones, education, preserving culture and values, ecology, development and growth, communication and relationships, feelings … and we are leaders! The power within us cannot be measured. We are capable of caring, creating, doing for others and for the sake of others. And we are capable of doing it together!

I am increasingly convinced that essential oils, aromatherapy, and olfactotherapy are a fantastic tool for uniting people who want to preserve the world and make it better…

Because everything mentioned above, what we encounter and work with throughout our life, is harmoniously and effectively complemented by this field, and it changes lives, solves specific tasks, and provides opportunities.

One thing I am sure of — people must have and use this information. And new specialists are needed in this field. This is the force that drives me and gives me energy and inspiration.

Why am I doing this…? I love what I do. I live what I do. And there are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people who need it. I do it to make our world better. For us, for children, for loved ones, for those far away, and for myself.

– You are also the creator of aroma courses! What topics do you cover in your courses? And who is your target audience?

Over the past few years, I have created many other programs on nutrition and detox, breakthroughs in life and working through blocks, financial thinking and prosperity, effective communication and self-confidence, and of course, programs for those who want to become specialists.

Currently, the Aromatherapy Institute offers various courses — for beginners, for those who want to use these tools for themselves and their families, and for those who want to make it their profession or add it as an additional tool to their profession.

For beginners, we have two online courses with lots of recipes and checklists: «Vial of Happiness» and «Introduction to Aromatherapy and Aromacology.»

For those who are already familiar with the topic, we have an online community called «Aroma Nutri Club,» dedicated to health and beauty, aromatherapy, olfactotherapy, and nutrition. There are thousands of recipes and protocols on various topics, books, checklists, and essential oils.

Women with the full time job of «mom» or «grandma» for themselves and their loved ones, as well as cosmetologists, osteopaths, massage therapists, nutritionists, doctors, specialists in the field of health and beauty, and future aromatherapists, are all enrolled in our Aromatherapy and Micro-Nutrition certification course.

Many people take the certification course in оlfactotherapy for themselves because it is a course of powerful personal transformation (so many blocks are worked through during training and practice). Many are adding it to their profession — psychologists, coaches, various therapists, astrologers, and the list goes on.

I know that this is needed and is beneficial to many people, as they constantly come back, send messages of gratitude, and my assistants forward me these messages. And I respond, create new materials, and love my job.

– And finally, what statement or phrase accurately describes you?

Jack Kerouac wrote: «I love mad people, people who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, who want everything at once, who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww!'» (the original in English is much more vivid and delicious) And I love those people too. The ones who burn, burn, burn, sparkle, and generously spread this light to everyone around them. And I think that’s who I want to be. To carry light, knowledge, inspiration, opportunities, brightness, and the flavor of life.

https://anna-maria-coach.ru/eo-power