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Imagine a summer's day. You're lying in a heavily scented field of sun-warmed lavender. Now switch to an orange grove in full flower: walk through it, brushing the blossoms as you pass. The intoxicating smell of certain flowers and plants has a direct, intense effect on our state of mind.

Aromatherapy is the conscious use of scents from certain essential oils. These smells are carried directly by the olfactory nerves to the brain, triggering thoughts and feelings. Some of these oils can relax you in an instant.

Why They're Good For You

Smell is the first sense we use in infancy. From the sixth day of life, a baby can recognise the presence of their mother in the room by smell alone. This soothing 'Mummy odour' is not dissimilar to the smell of sandalwood, which evokes tranquillity and has been burnt in Buddhist temples for thousands of years.

We also now know that the most powerful sedative drugs, such as Valium, affect smell receptors in the brain. These receptors can be naturally stimulated using essential oils, instead of drugs, will almost instant results-and no downside.

Less aggression

In fact, researchers at Duke University in North Carolina decided to put essential oils to the test by spraying them inside certain carriages in the New York City subway. They then observed the number of aggressive acts that took place, such as unpleasant comments, pushes and shoves in the carriages, and found that in those sprayed with certain essential oils, only half the number of aggressive acts occurred.

Reducing anxiety

When a person is anxious, brain-wave patterns are rapid. With deep relaxation, brain-wave patterns slow down into the alpha-wave frequency. Certain oils have been demonstrated to calm your brain waves and induce a relaxation response. The most effective are lavender, bergamot, marjoram, sandalwood, rosewood, orange, lemon and chamomile.

Dr King, a psychiatrist at the Smallwood Day Hospital in Redditch, Worcestershire, uses essential oils for patients with anxiety problems. He combines the oils with relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and soothing music. Once patients learn to associate the smell of the essential oils with deep relaxation, the oils alone will swiftly send them into a relaxed state. You can do the same thing by finding your perfect combination of music, a relaxation exercise from this book and a selection of essential oils.

Relaxing and stimulating

Some fragrances are both relaxing and stimulating. These include jasmine, musk, patchouli, rose, vanilla and ylang-ylang.

While not as relaxing as, say, lavender or sandalwood, they do keep you alert and are good to use when stressed at work.

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