Our inner life can mirror nature; plant growth slows and the soil has a chance to rest and repair ready for the warmer active months ahead. Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plants in the form of essential oils to help support and enhance health both physical and emotionally. Essential oils are a concentrated form of the healing compounds found in plants or produced during the extraction process.

Begin by choosing essential oils with the desired properties and spend some time inhaling the healing scent from the bottle. The oils that resonate with us will be the ones to use, they will smell ‘divine’ and ‘delicious’. If we are needing essential oils to gently support and lift our spirits we will be pulled toward ones with uplifting and balancing properties. We can then choose how to apply the essential oils in a way that will be simple, fit into our lifestyle and will allow us some restorative down time.

Quick fix: A few deep inhalations from the bottle of essential oil can help when you are at work, in the car or anytime you need a quick break from strong emotions.

Diffuser: Making a diffuser blend is a creative process that allows you to be active in processing unwanted or difficult emotions. As with a perfume blend inhale each essential oil you plan to use and reflect on your response to each scent. Follow the instructions of your diffuser.

Perfume: Create a personalised blend of essential oils. Add 10 drops to a roller bottle and top up with a carrier oil. Take a few deep inhalations from the bottle of your chosen essential oil and take a moment to notice how you feel, does the aroma appeal to you, does it bring any thoughts or memories to mind? Add the essential oil to the blend if you enjoy the aroma. Apply the perfume to the inside of your wrists for aromatic support throughout the day.

Bath: What could be more nurturing than lowering yourself into beautifully aromatic water? Add up to 8 drops of essential oil in a small amount of carrier oil to warm bath water. Relax and breathe in the healing scent of essential oils.

Massage: A customised body massage blend can be used for massaging yourself, find a helpful loved one or take to your professional massage therapist for them to apply to you. A 2.5% dilution in 30mls is 15 drops of essential oil. 30mls of carrier oil is usually enough for a full body massage.