Essential Oils in a Holistic Healing Practice – Nurses Are Coming Home to Nature’s Gifts

Recently I attended the annual conference of the American Holistic Nurses Association-a wonderful group of heartfelt healers. When most people think of nurses, they naturally picture them at the bedside in hospitals and nursing homes or visiting the sick in their homes through Home Health care or Hospice or they picture them working with doctors in offices and clinics. But nurses are found in a variety of settings today offering many different forms of healing service. As a holistic nurse myself, I have had an independent holistic nursing practice for nearly twenty years offering several healing modalities including the use of therapeutic essential oils. These are the medicines of the earth-nature’s gifts of healing for us.

Nurses perform holistic assessments. They look at the world of their patient/client to see what is working and what is not working as they view body, mind and spirit as a whole. What is not in balance? What is not whole? What needs healing? Then, how can balance be restored? What adjustments are needed? What healing modalities can assist in restoring that delicate balance that holds the person in relationship with their internal and external environment?

Essential Oils Can Assist in Restoring Balance and Harmony

 The beauty of therapeutic grade essential oils is that they work to balance body/mind/spirit. They don’t just affect the physical body-they affect the whole person.  Here is just one example of what I mean-

Wound Healing: Whether a wound is from trauma or surgery, it is well known that wounds can be “deeper” than the visible physical wound in one’s skin and other deeper tissues. Wounds can be inflicted physically, emotionally and spiritually. You can heal a physical wound but emotional scars may persist. Many essential oil aromas have the ability to affect not only the body, but also mind and spirit and thus heal “wounds” on all levels. Consider the power of lavender, Roman chamomile or even rose. Oils high in terpene alcohols are known to up- or down-regulate the immune system depending on what is needed.  This is an important factor in healing not just the body-but also the mind and spirit. The immune system plays a critical role in whether a person comes back into balance. Essential oils can aid healing whether they are diffused, applied topically or taken internally.

Essential oils that are highly anti-microbial may prevent infections or stop the spread of contagious diseases like flu. Examples include oregano, thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus globulus, clove, and cinnamon. Oils that are relaxing enable the body/mind/spirit complex to let go and let “nature” restore balance. Examples include lavender, Roman and German chamomile, bergamot, neroli, orange, tangerine, and ylang ylang. Muscles may relax, pain may be relieved, emotions may be released, and one’s spirit may be comforted. Oils that are energizing can help restore balance when the body/mind/spirit is “drained.” Examples include rosemary, peppermint, frankincense, lemon, and spearmint.

So essential oils can enhance holistic nursing practices and enable nurses as healers to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of their patients/clients. We have come full circle.