Scents and Sensuality

Today's guest is Amy Anthony, who is one of America’s most influential aromatherapists, and is currently the New York State representative for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and has her private practice called NYC Aromatica which includes one-on-one customized aromatherapy sessions, online class offerings, corporate consulting and article writing. She is host of the Essential Aromatica podcast, while also tending her own aromatic garden on the North Fork of Long Island where she distills her unique products. She recently offered an immersive experience at the Museum of Sex in New York about the positive impact essential oils can have on sensuality and our sense of smell; and how they work to connect the body and mind in sexual experiences to create greater intimacy and joy. In this episode, she shares her journey from the corporate world to becoming an aromatherapist, and the health benefits she has experienced from her practice. She also gives us insight into incorporating the benefits of aromatherapy into our lives to address health issues and cultivate greater mindfulness.

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Transcript

[00:17] Greer: 
Hi, this is Greer, your host for Femammal, the podcast that holds space for women to explore what it means to live well in our bodies and celebrates moving through this world as female mammals. Today's guest is Amy Anthony, who is one of America's most influential aromatherapists and is currently the New York state representative for the alliance of International Aromatherapists. She has her private practice called NYC Aromatica, which includes one on one customized aromatherapy sessions, online class offerings, corporate consulting, and article writing. She is host of the Essential Aromatica podcast, while also tending her own aromatic garden on the North Fork of Long Island, where she distills her unique products. In this episode, she shares her journey from the corporate world to becoming an aromatherapist and the health benefits she has experienced from her practice. She also gives us insight into incorporating the benefits of aromatherapy into our lives to address health issues and cultivate greater mindfulness. Welcome, Amy. I am so excited to listen to you today and to learn from you and your journey. And you have a whole experience with shifting from a corporate career to diving into aromatherapy. So I think a lot of folks in the audience like me, don't know a whole lot about aromatherapy. And maybe you could just start with helping us understand what aromatherapy is and what underpins the modern practice of aromatherapy.

[02:14] Amy: 
Oh, definitely. And Greer, thanks for having me. So aromatherapy is a really fascinating multivalent modality. And to give some textbook definitions, we are working with aromatic plants, specifically with their distilled essences that we call essential oils. And these are the absolute most volatile components that can come over on steam in the distillation process. So when we're distilling, let's say lavender or elon elon, which is great for sensuality, a lot stays behind in the still pot. And what comes over on the steam is just we're making scent visible. We're making the invisible visible. We're getting these incredibly light molecules that come over. And the magic is that they connect the mind and the body. They work with emotions, they work with our we're getting more evidence about this neurotransmitters, the neuroendocrine system. We're also working physically. They have antibacterial properties, antiinflammatory properties, wound healing properties. They work with pain, all sorts of goodness. And this is part of their beauty. And so many people, I think, just hear aromatherapy and they think, oh, stuff that smells nice. It's intense.

[03:41] Greer: 
Yeah, it sounds like so much more. I'm really captivated. So you've got a lot of knowledge that has been held traditionally for millennia, really. I think we as a human population have understood that scent is powerful and the plants that produce certain scents are powerful themselves. But then I'm hearing about molecules, like there's a real advancement in the chemistry understanding there as well.

[04:10] Amy: 
Yeah, we could do some fact checking, but if going back to the 1800s when chemistry was starting to come into its own and quote, "better," ha, human tools for trying to understand things like the microscope, let's say, and what people started to be able to compartmentalize and start to objectify and start to pull things apart. That is chemistry. How are things comprised and how do I look at them, how do they react? There's this with the aromatherapy. There's the I call it the five or seven layer cake, whatever you want to call it. We have scent attachment to scent of liking and disliking, which creates its own cascade of emotions. We have scent working literally. It's two synapses away from the brain when we're smelling something, the molecules attached to receptors dangling down in our beautiful noses. And the olfactory system is linked to the limbic system, which is linked to memory excuse me, emotions and memory formation and retention. And then we actually have the molecules going into our body because they're so small. Let's say through inhalation going into the bloodstream, you have actual physiological things happening with mood, emotions, and again, we can work with pain and other things. So it's big in the modern practice of aromatherapy covers all that. And I want to pause because you might have questions, but we go from someone like me who's an educator and a practitioner, and I focus on emotions and effective aromatherapy through smell. And then you have French doctors that actually work with the essential oils internally for things. So it runs the gamut.

[05:53] Greer: 
Wow, there's so much there. And the way you framed it, I think, has been really helpful to me because there's a lot that gets dismissed as maybe wives tales or traditional healing practices or really ancient wisdom that got shunted aside for the last 200 years. And now these advancements in brain science and chemistry is helping us to understand the real depth of knowledge that people already had.

[06:24] Amy: 
Yeah, I love how you say that. And what comes to mind is like re-understanding because if we can go down this road because I'm revisiting the tarot cards and the journey of the hero and stuff, when you look at the intuition, which is inherently female in the yin qualities, and then we've obliterated that saying, oh, that's all wives tales. And now science is, quote, proving what knowing and intuition and embodiment what was known is becoming known again through, quote, science. But we don't have to go down that road.

[06:55] Greer: 
Fair enough. Can you share with us how you came to this work?

[07:05] Amy: 
Yeah, sure. It's a story that, it's just when you look back, you're like, oh, of course this happened. But the long and short of it is I grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York State, and my mom was a gardener. We were always outside and I would go hiking, we would go camping. So just plants and being outside was really important to me. And I had fantasies about in high school of becoming a landscape architect and all sorts of stuff, but life happens. And I always tried to garden no matter where I lived or be by nature. Something I always share about my journey is we moved to western New York when I was 15, and that was a real--puberty is interesting, but that was a real bad time in life. And one way I found solace in connection was through gardening. So I planned my own herb garden and started getting into herbs and really curious about herbs around that age. And then I was obsessed about getting back to the east coast, back to the museums and culture and music and stuff. So I came back to New York city to finish college, and I wanted to study herbalism. I had this pull, but I got my business degree. I got a full time job in market research while I was in college. And I continued that path because I had to be, in my mind, the independent female that could take care of herself and just keep going ahead and going down that paradigm. And then the oils found me a little before 2012, maybe two or three years before that. And I became really curious. And I was working at a major bank at the time, and I just started exploring. And then I was not happy with the corporate life. It's not for me. And my husband is very supportive, so I was like, I can't do this. He's like, fine, great. So the oils found me. I didn't know anything about them, and I became obsessed about books, learning, devouring knowledge, oils, what is this? And then I was like, I must become certified. And I didn't know why. And I got my level one and level two certification at a school that opened three blocks from me in New York city. So that's a sign. And then I was asked to teach as well and then write for the school and be a contributor. And it just became this thing. And the closing of this is that essential oils found me, and they were my way to connect with nature and something I desperately needed to feel whole, and I didn't know it at the time.

[09:42] Greer: 
I hear your passion and this thread that kind of wound its way through your life. Do you remember what piqued your interest again as an adult? Was it a book you read or a story you heard on the radio or do you recall?

[09:57] Amy: 
You know what? No one's ever asked me that. And that's a great question. And I just think it's the general zeitgeist of the time of reading the pseudo pop health magazines and reading about essential oils. It's like, what are those? Oh, good, so you put it in your diffuser, and clean the air, antibacterial--so I came in from the more killing, medicinal approach versus emotions, but I really think it was the stuff I was reading at the time, like Prevention Magazine and that kind of stuff.

[10:30] Greer: 
Sure.

[10:33] Amy: 
So it's just like, who are these creatures? What's going on?

[10:37] Greer: 
Yeah. And could you share with us some reflections on how aromatherapy has made a difference in your own health journey?

[10:46] Amy: 
That's a big one because I've been with the oils basically on a daily basis since, really immersing, since 2014, 2015. I'm pausing because I see transformations before me with clients. I was just at a health fair yesterday doing many consultations and seeing transformations happen next to me. And for me it's like this voracious necessity just to be with the oils. I came into this from this let me analyze it, let me take my left brain and try to understand these molecules. How do I learn how to distill? How do I understand the process? And I couldn't connect with the emotional side of the essential oils until I softened up. I was really, going in, I wrote my paper on the antimicrobial properties and disinfecting with essential oils and the best oils that are really effective at killing multiple strains of fungi and bacteria and stuff like that. So the personal journey is really opening up to the curiosity and getting more curious about emotions and the effect these have on us and the emotional and mental body versus that like hard science. This is good for that. I've learned to sit and not judge an oil and take in the information to get its messages. I never thought I could do that, if you asked me ten years ago.

[12:17] Greer: 
It sounds like maybe it opened up new depths in your life, new ways of connecting.

[12:26] Amy: 
Yeah, because I'm a rather maybe I'm really not, but I call myself an introverted person. And unless I'm talking about something I'm passionate about, I'm super shy. And this has been a channel for me. And I realized it when I started teaching. I can stand up in front of 100 people and not be embarrassed and just talk about oils and share my passion. But if I'm just talking about myself, I get really shy and really kind of closed down. So yeah, it's opening up some hardness in me, I think.

[12:59] Greer: 
And have there ever been health conditions that you've approached differently or with this added tool now that you have?

[13:10] Amy: 
Yeah, so I've approached, I have asthma and it's more of a reactive airway situation. That was an interesting occurrence in my life. So I've worked with the oils in a physical way. For sinuses, I have my rollerball I carry in my bag just to help with the antihistamine effect for when I have itchy-scratchies, works every time. Bug bites. I make really physical stuff for myself. I make my own creams and lotions. I make my own face oil. I make my own mouthwash often. But the emotional parts I've also worked on. Personally, I really enjoy sharing this with other people, but I remember specifically there was construction below us in our apartment and I was incredibly angry. It was a really bad time. We ended up having a lawsuit, our condo, with this commercial space. And I worked with oils to calm down my anger and to process that. So it's like this, I navigate how to approach this life. And I will share this--and I don't advocate for everyone working with essential oils internally--I can't do that. But I did have a really bad fibroid situation. And I had surgery this past, right around the winter solstice, and I was taking some oils topically application, and I actually made pesseries for myself to work with the fibroid, but it was just too gosh darn huge and it was too late and I opted for surgery. I hope I answered your question.

[14:48] Greer: 
Yeah, I mean, it sounds like there's really a huge array of beneficial ways that you could turn to oils when other methods are either failing you or maybe are not really the best thing you want to be reaching for. So that all sounds really intriguing. I'm also really intrigued about how aromatherapy can be particularly beneficial to women, since some studies have suggested that women generally have a keener sense of smell than men. I can think anecdotally of how much I cook using my sense of smell. Like, I'll walk into the kitchen and I'll say to my husband, oh, that's done. And he'll be like, how do you know? Well, I smell that it's done. He said, I was going to check it in five minutes, that's what I set my timer for. I said no, I know it's done. And then I'll be right. 

[15:38] Amy: 
Yeah.

[15:41] Greer: 
So, thinking of things like that, do you see any differences between how women and men receive aromatherapy?

[15:50] Amy: 
Oh, dear, yes. To be quite candid and to go on what you were saying, it is shown, I think there's evidence, and of course, clinical evidence that women do smell differently than men. And we know that it changes with our cycles, it changes with pregnancy, and there's a necessity for our keen sense of smell. But I'm really disappointed in seeing that in aromatherapy in general, it's seen as this soft art that only applies to women. That it's not for men. That heaven forbid, a man in this culture in the United States can turn to rose or a quote, floral, which, all plants are for all people. And I wish I saw more men. And I'm pleased to say at this health fair I was at yesterday, representing myself at an employee health fair for this really cool organization, I was interacting with just as many men, heterosexual men as women. And the men were so open to my many consultations and the experience that I was just so overjoyed at the effect. But aromatherapy has a long way to go. It's not taken seriously yet. And I think there's like I said, it's a quote "woman thing" and it's disappointing.

[17:18] Greer: 
Yeah. It doesn't need to be gendered in that way. As a practitioner, do you ever find that you need maybe a greater potency if someone doesn't have as keen of a reception of the scent? Is that something you've noticed at all?

[17:38] Amy: 
No, actually, no. So I really will literally talk about yesterday because it just happened. All these individuals and this is a lesson for everyone that I share. Essential oils are so potent that even if your sense of smell isn't super heightened, these are such concentrated substances. It takes hundreds of pounds of plant material to get certain oils. It takes, like, I'm bad with metric conversions, but, like, 90 kilos of lemongrass, the grass to get, like, a kilo of oil.

[18:11] Greer: 
Wow.

[18:11] Amy: 
It's a lot of stuff. So we take one drop of oil, and these individuals I was seeing what seeing yesterday, one drop on the scent strip. And you were with them, and you saw them change. You saw their body soften. You saw this receptivity happening. And I haven't come across that in my workshops and with private clients.

[18:35] Greer: 
Well, that's good to know. Wow. I think you've touched on this a little bit, but what types of health concerns would lead a person to seek out aromatherapy and then what format could that intervention take?

[18:50] Amy: 
I love your podcast and the topic and how you're really giving women a voice and sharing. So a lot of people come to aromatherapy or it's on the radar for: I'm stressed, I hear it's good for stress. Someone says I need help sleeping, irritability, anger, mental fatigue. I've had some clients come with me specifically to work through perimenopause with symptoms you could have the entry point for. I am trying to keep this women focused, but we will expand. But I have really bad cramps. How can I work with that? How can I help to try to nudge my hormones into, quote, alignment? But honestly, many people hear about it like, oh, a sister, my aunt is into oils. I heard about it. I know they're good for stress. I turn to them for sleep. It's stress and sleep, honestly, is the entry. And you start there.

[19:54] Greer: 
Yeah, that's really interesting. You piqued my interest right at the end. Are there oils that you recommend for period pain?

[20:02] Amy: 
Yeah, kind of. Some go to lavender always is a real friend. Marjoram is very lovely. And there's so many that are really good for pain. You can incorporate peppermint if you want to add some of that. Numbness. Rosemary could be a beneficial for pain. Roman Chamomile, she's a sleepy one. So if that was a nighttime, like, apply at night in a massage oil. And I talked about dilution before for this specificity, you'd be looking at diluting, like, 5%. Because when you're talking about pain, you'll need more of the essential oil. 

Greer: 
Neat! 

Amy: 
But definitely, yeah, there's a whole conversation we could have about the hormone friendly oils. But honestly, I go to, there's a lot of scientific studies a lot of them are poorly documented about specific lavender species, but there is research that shows lavender for period pain is a go-to. 

Greer: 
Good to know. 

Amy: 
We need more studies so people will quote, "listen" to us.

[21:16] Greer: 
A previous guest on the podcast was going through cancer treatment. She was receiving radiation, and the hospital suggested marigold oil to her. Does that ring a bell? Is that something you could enlighten us about? Because she was kind of puzzled about it.

[21:36] Amy: 
No, I'm curious. I'd like to know the Latin name and the actual plant botanical, because there are a few different marigolds. And I do know that with cancer treatment radiation, that we could work with oils, vegetable and herbal infused oils. And one marigold is calendula, which is really good for inflammation. And that's not an essential oil, but often as an aromatherapist will make a preparation for someone. So I might take a beautiful herbal oil and then add a few beneficial essential oils to address pain or, like, inflammation, such as radiation, helping to care for the skin. But I'm curious to know a little more detail about the marigold, because there's tajetus Muneta, there's some oils that I don't really know very well. I have them, but I haven't met them deeply yet. That, again, I would love to know more.

[22:38] Greer: 
And I imagine they did not go into Latin names with her, but I remember specifically it was supposed to be connected with the skin damage that radiation causes sometimes.

[22:49] Amy: 
Okay, you know what? So for our conversation and folks listening, I would really steer people to look at calendula. So it's all called pot marigold. I grow it in my garden. It's very beneficial for skin. You could even use it properly prepared on, like, baby rashes, for diaper rash, tender skin. So calendula aficionalis. But if you just look up calendula, you'll find it.

[23:19] Greer: 
Thanks. And I'm curious, do people typically experience the same beneficial effects from an essential oil, or do different essential oils impact people differently? And what drives that? I'm thinking about how individuals might react to different smells very strongly in different directions.

[23:42] Amy: 
Yes, you answered the question. So it's that each oil or plant has its personality and its affinity for something. So, like the calendula preparation for really irritated hot skin, I might add, like German chamomile to that. Some helicrym, some lavender, of course, is kind of a go to. And there's these qualities and personalities behind the oils where you know their signatures. With that noted, like you said, what if I'm someone that hates lavender? Like, hates true lavender, essential oil. Or I hear the word lavender, I'm like, gross, get that away from me. I don't want that individual to turn to that oil. We can always find another oil to help with their situation. So it's very personal in selecting the oils. And then there is, like I said, the universal signature of the plant. But we respect both that's the longest short answer.

[24:52] Greer: 
Yeah, that's good to understand. What safety issues should we be aware of before we experiment with aromatherapy as amateurs?

[25:03] Amy: 
That's a really good question. So we touched on how essential oils are incredibly concentrated. We are taking, like, again, hundreds of pounds of plant material. A shocking figure that's kind of fun to throw out there is that it's approximately a ton of rose petals to get about a pound of oil, because rose really gives itself over to water, so when it's distilled, it wants to go into the water component and not come over as the oil. So that's why rose should be expensive. If you see a rose essential oil, that's $20. Don't even go there. But these are highly, highly concentrated, and you have to respect the plant only produces the oil in tiny amounts. That's why it takes so much plant material to get the oil. And there's a sustainability issue of more doesn't mean better. We just use tiny amounts when we work with aromatherapy, and because they're so concentrated, smelling them is super, generally speaking, safe. Unless someone has a traumatic trigger where an aroma brings them back to a trauma, you could work through that with them in a very conscious way. Or we just don't even go there. Sorry, my mind just went into a totally different direction going into thinking about PTSD. But for safety, you must dilute these. So smelling is safe, effective. You only need one drop on a cotton pad. You can make yourself aroma stick or inhaler, they're called. When you start to apply them to the skin, they must be diluted because they're so concentrated. And there are guidelines out there. But generally speaking, for those that are curious, if you get a 1oz bottle of oil, like you're making a massage oil with almond oil and cranberry seed and all sorts of other gorgeous oils, you're going to put like, ten drops of essential oil in that 1oz, maybe 15 drops, and that's going to get you to where you need to be. If you use essential oils right on the skin, you can start to develop a, like, lemongrass on the skin hurts. There's just some oils that are super irritating. But if you keep applying oils every day in a highly concentrated way, your body might just be like, stop doing that. I'm going to have a reaction. And you can't use that oil forever, or you have to wean yourself, step back and give your body time to recover. And this happens to massage therapists that work with essential oils if they're not careful.

[27:45] Greer: 
Yeah, that's really helpful to understand. And you've mentioned internal applications a couple of times, and it sounds like that's something you'd really want to do under supervision of a professional.

[27:57] Amy: 
Yeah, because the essential oils for good and bad are not regulated here in the States. We can access any oil, basically. And there's some really potent oils out there. There's some real serious chemistry out there. So you could really damage your internal mucosa. Your liver has to process these. So when you're dosing, like, drops of oil a day, your liver needs to process that. And your liver, it takes some time. It might take 24 hours for your liver to process some of these chemical components, at least 24 hours. So there has to be an intention. And generally the intention is I have parasites or I got really sick and I'm going to be taking these oils. Properly dosed over seven days could be 14 days. But it has to be treated like medicine. So for the curious individual, please don't go there. And please do seek out a qualified aromatherapist or herbalist, someone that studied aromatic medicine.

[29:10] Greer: 
Thank you. Good to know. Something I've become more aware of recently is people suffering from disorders like multiple chemical sensitivity who experience pretty severe health consequences from certain scents in their environment. So if we have people with that experience in our lives, or we just generally want to be mindful of and cautious of people we may not know who are walking through our lives with that experience, how should we be careful about our use of essential oils so that we don't trigger their symptoms?

[29:44] Amy: 
That's a great question. So my response is always going to be, aromatherapy is highly personal. We know that these are volatile chemicals that are airborne. They go into the air. So we have to be mindful of even if someone like, if you're in an office space and you have the person that cooks fish and you're like, why did you do that? We want to be mindful. Why did you put that perfume on? We want to create neutral spaces and be mindful and keep it personal. So if you use an aroma stick or make a beautiful botanical perfume, so I'm really stressing that most all perfumes, unless it's really stated otherwise, are synthetics these days, synthetic based. And those chemicals are made in a lab. The body doesn't really recognize them, and those cause a lot of issues. So we want to be mindful. But if you make a perfume for yourself, it could be botanical based. You put a little on your wrist, it won't give a lot of throw. No one's going to smell you from a mile away. But again, so keep it personal, keep it in your pocket. It's like private use for you. Time alone, time when you need a moment, you can go and work with your oils and have them and keep it you. It's personal. Like, we were just touching. You have to respect other people.

[31:10] Greer: 
Thanks. Yeah, that's helpful. And that's also a good segue because I was learning a little bit about your recent immersive experience at the Museum of Sex in New York. It sounded really interesting. It was about the positive impact essential oils can have on sensuality and our sense of smell and how they work to connect the body and the mind in sexual experiences, to create greater intimacy and joy. And I was fascinated by all of that. We've had some really great guests this season to talk about different experiences related to sex and trying to reach greater intimacy, reach greater joy, heal from past experiences. So could you share some of those insights from your presentation?

[31:58] Amy: 
Yeah, I remember being excited about the sexuality class I was working on, and I approached the Museum of Sex and they were open to the experiences. So it's really a way to share oils in a setting where people could honestly the way to get to know the oils is through experience in, quote, smelling them, but really sitting and noticing what happens to you. So in a public setting, people get caught up in the moment and aren't really paying attention to their responses. But there's many oils that have signatures for sensuality. So if you don't mind, this could be a place for me just to talk about some of the oils that would have are featured in my sexual programs.

[32:45] Greer: 
Please do.

[32:46] Amy: 
Yeah. Okay. So there is a whole cast of characters, and this is both men and women. But I will focus on women, female mammals. And you have to start by feeling calm and in your body. We don't want to get too carried away and sexy yet. So real grounding oils that bring you down and get you out of your head because that's one of our biggest enemies, right, is our ego and the overthinking. Am I pretty enough? Am I this, I have to go cooking, I have to go shopping. Get in your body. Vettiver and Patchouli are some real good go to's and affordable, you know, really from a sustainable aspect, too, or and we don't want to go to Sandalwood. That's gorgeous. But that's an endangered plant. It's regulated in India. So get in your body Vettiver holds you, gives you space. If you have trauma in your past, it provides you this mat to sit on and patchouli its signature. I always say it goes into your hips. It brings you down, sinks you in. I always feel embodied in the hips and down in that lower chakra area. When you want to take it up a notch after you're supported in that way, it's really nice to start to you can go like a warming aspect and start to bring in these kind of regulating oils like ginger. If you want a little spice in your life, you can bring in cardamom, which is one of the queens of oils, really sensual empowering. And then you could start to go into the euphoria way. Could you think of like, blending a blend? Like you're starting with grounding and care? You have a crescendo. You build up to the orgasm. And the orgasmic oils, in the sense that they're euphoric, are your jasmine, she could just take you away. Just take you away. Absolutely. Bring you on a bit of a high. Clary Sage is another one. Euphoria, joy, expansion. You kind of forget who you are in a way that might sound out there, but it's like you're there, like sparkling. And another one would be I said clarity. Say Jasmine and Elan Elan. So Elan Elan is quite similar to Jasmine, but I find her signature as being quite watery and languid and sensual. And you just think about laying horizontally on a chez lounge and just being in your body. And okay with being intimate and being open and receptive. There's a few others, but those are some that are really fun for working with.

[35:44] Greer: 
That sounds amazing. I'm also trying to imagine concretely, how people work these oils into connecting with themselves or connecting with a partner. Would people typically use a diffuser and be transitioning between oils in their diffuser or yeah, I'm just trying to picture how to work that in.

[36:11] Amy: 
It's how you want it to be. So I think it would be really interesting to do a timed diffuser session or have something like that, but that's too orchestrated, I think. I really honestly, it's like create a blend of the oils and a massage oil. I'm speaking for myself. Any good sensuality and sexuality and engagement needs time for me. I don't like the wham bam crap like I could do in my 20s, but a massage oil is really nice. Or you can really be playful, I think, for the self, if you want it to have I'll just say it, to masturbate. You could do a body oil or you could put music on and diffuse, that could be really nice. But to engage with a partner and do something that's kind of cliche, but it works, the massage oil. Or maybe you partner, with each other if you're really into each other. And you could take this is special, by the way, I'm going to talk about direct palm inhalation. This is when you put a drop of pure essential oil on your hand and you rub your hands together and then maybe you'll massage your partner's head so the oil gets in their hair. And who doesn't love a head massage? And then maybe your partner takes an oil massage is your hair. And you could kind of just play around. That is just playing because the scent is there. The aroma, the chemicals are there. And like I said, I would really like the massage oil and I like the idea I haven't done this yet, of giving each other a head massage with the oil.

[37:58] Greer: 
It sounds great. You don't have to sequentially go through those three types of elements you were talking about? You could actually combine all three into one massage oil.

[38:10] Amy: 
Yes, I was just touching on the art of blending. That's something us aromatherapists geek out on. No. So it could be all together. And as a tip for folks, once you just research. Look up dilution rates. Like, I have a little blog post. That's how many years old on my blog. Look up the dilution rates, like I said, a bottle of 1oz oil of almond oil, or whatever it is, 15 to 20 total drops of essential oil. And this is the key. Blend your essential oils first. Let them sit at least a day, and then add the fixed carrier oil. It's a game changer.

[38:56] Greer: 
Okay, that's really good to know. And that fixed carrier oil, is that any number of different things or what would you typically turn to for that?

[39:07] Amy: 
Yeah, so everyone's different, but a lot of folks I think Jojoba oil is very nice because it's shelf stable almond oil. Any of the classic massage oil, sunflower oil. I personally don't work with coconut oil. I don't go there for whatever reasons. But there's so many oils. And if you go, you could find sesame oil is a really nourishing kind of sensual oil. Yeah. I hope it's the nut and seed oils.

[39:38] Greer: 
Yeah. Could I literally buy sunflower oil from my grocery store aisle, or should I be going somewhere special if I'm going to use it in an essential oil application?

[39:50] Amy: 
You could definitely go to your store and buy whole, like, organic oil. You don't have to go high and low searching, so definitely go just get a good quality oil that you would eat that's organic.

[40:05] Greer: 
Okay, that sounds easy.

[40:07] Amy: 
Yeah. And for a tip on that, essential oils, you buy them in small quantities for a reason. You don't need a lot. So buy your little five ml bottles. That's what I buy, too. Or a ten ml. Those will last you a long time. The shelf life of an essential oil like lavender might last you three years. Ten year old lavender might be oxidized. You don't want to keep the oils for a long time. This is why you buy small amounts when you're buying your massage. Fixed oil, like the sunflower oil, those have a shelf life of six months, nine months, maybe twelve months. You might already know that. I just really want to share. Keep that in mind. So you don't want a stinky rancid massage oil?

[40:52] Greer: 
Oh, no, I'm glad you said it, because I've definitely bought the super sized olive oil or whatever at the grocery store and nine months later opened it up and it's like, oh, yeah, this is rancid. I should not be putting this in my salad dressing anymore.

[41:08] Amy: 
Yeah, so the same, like, those oils and then the essential oils, the more you open them and expose them to oxygen, they will oxidize. So if you have lemon or tea tree, those will oxidize within a year. So you don't want those sitting around, open, closed, exposed to heat, all that stuff.

[41:27] Greer: 
Okay. Really good to know. And it sounds like some of those insights you shared with us about the way that aromatherapy can really enhance sensuality and enhance intimacy has a lot to do with mindfulness. So I'd love to hear more about the intersection of aromatherapy and mindfulness. And I will also just shout out your podcast, Essential Aromatica. I really enjoyed some of those lovely mindfulness meditations that you have anchored to an essential oil.

[42:00] Amy: 
Oh, thank you. That's a baby of mine. So you have a really great question because aromatherapy and mindfulness and essential oils, it's waking up. And other people use that term in aromatherapy because when you have that scent, it's information and it's a chemical sense, and you smell that and you're like, what's that? And then you're curious, like, what's going on? So then you're suddenly brought to the present moment. Well, also at the same time, you might time travel because you might be brought back to a memory, but then you might be brought back to like, oh my gosh, yeah, I'm smelling the cinnamon. It's reminding me of this, but now I feel really alert. What's going on? So there's this mindfulness within that. But part of the tricky part of aromatherapy is that because it is the volatile scents, these incredibly volatile molecules that are ephemeral, they go away over time, right? Most of them, like patchouli on a scent strip, can linger for a few days, but they're ephemeral. And when we work with them, we need to participate actively in communicating with them to get the effect. So, yes, you could passively diffuse lavender before bed. Please don't do it all night. Not good. Just like before bed, then shut your diffuser off. If you actively engage, you'll get more so I misspoke a bit there. The lavender oil will likely make you sleepy, but it's more effective when you pay attention to the interaction you're having. And one of the things I loved about my journey is becoming a teacher and a practitioner is realizing that coaching people through a guided experience is like, well, notice what you're thinking and notice your body and breathe. Do you notice the oil going anywhere in your body? You might be taken to a memory right now. Okay, acknowledge that. Keep moving on, keep breathing. Notice what's happening to your body. So these help you mindfully engage with your body if you're taking the time to interact with them. I was just, like, closing my eyes and getting all passionate. I hope that made sense. 

[44:26] Greer: 
Yeah, I think it made a lot of sense. And as someone who forgets that her diffuser is plugged in sometimes, what's the hazard about just leaving the lavender plugged in all night?

[44:37] Amy: 
Well, the good thing is you likely have an ultrasonic diffuser which has the water, and you put a couple of drops on. Would that be right?

[44:46] Greer: 
No, I just have like a little it's just like a little globe, and there's no liquid in it, I don't think. It kind of plugs into the wall. It's electric.

[44:58] Amy: 
I don't want to be like the doomsday person. But the overall thing is, and this goes for the Glade plugin stuff, that's all the bad synthetics. Sorry Glade, I'm not knocking you. But we just don't want to breathe these chemicals in all the time because even though we can't see scent, we're taking it into our body all the time. So just the constant exposure really isn't needed. And I don't think there's really evidence of overexposure from diffusion. A lot of the safety hazards and bad stuff you read about is that people ingesting essential oils to fatal doses where you have to call like a poison center. But it's not a big conversation, but it goes back to that plant exists and it's producing essential oils for its benefit, for it to thrive. And then we take lots of that plant material and distill it to obtain this concentrated substance, this essential oil. So we just honor that or honoring the whole plant in its life by using just a little bit amount. A little amount. When we set the intention to say, oh, I want to feel sexy now, or oh I'm going to put my diffuser on before bed. Because when we really look at it, I'm a cynical person, but when we're really feeling good and healthy, all we need is clean air, good water, good food, right. We want to get to these spaces where we don't have the oils with us a lot. And as a practitioner and as a teacher, my goal, I don't make tons of money. My goal is I'm happy if I see a client twice a year. The goal is to say, hey, are you working with sleep now? In something and in pain and you're managing like perimenopause, let's say, well, let's work with you and give you something to work with for two months and then let's touch base. And by that point, hopefully the person has shifted.

[47:09] Greer: 
Yeah, good. So I can imagine you come across as very knowledgeable, very reasonable. I really appreciate the level of good information that you've shared with us, but maybe someone is listening and they're feeling a little bit skeptical. They've always associated aromatherapy with kind of like woo woo stuff. But on the other hand, they recognize the power that scents have in their lives in terms of memory and mood. What might be an entry point for someone in that situation to explore a little bit more about how aromatherapy could benefit them in a more accessible way?

[47:51] Amy: 
Yes, because my mind's thinking about different things here. There is the really accessible way. Like, remember I was stressing the physical stuff about aromatherapy being aches and pains and my sinus congestion. But I think that a good entry point is to be curious about herbs and cooking with them and making your own tea. And honestly, to this day it brings me joy. When I make a soup, I always put my herbs on the side and make an infusion that I will then fold into the overall soup. One of the biggest joyful things is if I have fresh rosemary infused or bay leaf. Many bay leafs, like, don't use the one bay leaf. Use many rose margarum. You get the idea. Simmer that, take the lid off, and give yourself a facial steam safely. Don't make sure it's not boiling, but a nice infusion and smell that and see what happens to you. That is aromatherapy too. It's not just the oil. We're working with the aromatic plants. Or if you like basil. Oh, my gosh. I was just working with holy basil plants this weekend, and I'm touching them. Or just common basil, this smelling. Rub your hands on the leaves and then put your hands up to your face and smell and breathe and just see what happens to yourself because you can find if you're skeptical about aromatherapy, I think we can all get excited about food and flavor and seeing what happens there.

[49:31] Greer: 
I love that as an entry point, and it is full on basil pesto season for me right now. And I cannot get enough of the fresh basil in my garden and the garlic scapes that are coming up and just blending those up and how amazing my hands smell afterwards. So I am there.

[49:49] Amy: 
Yeah. So if you're curious if you can smell and do this with your spouse, if they're excited about basil too, smell your hands together, smell the leaves, and look at it into each other's eyes as you're doing that. I shouldn't say this because this might not happen, but basil can be so joyful, and it has a signature of it's, like an inner chamber. It starts to bring heat and then helps dissipate that heat. And I think about even with emotions. Try it. 

[50:26] Greer: 
I will. So stepping back, kind of big picture reflection on you and what this has done in your life. So what's changed qualitatively about how you experience the world now that you have the oils in your life?

[50:41] Amy: 
I'm so just blessed. I have found more joy. I love your questions because often it's more about, like, aromatherapy versus me. But I look back at my history and thinking about our upcoming conversation. I was reflecting on my menstrual life, and I was a cynical, miserable teenager. It's like an adaptive strategy. And into my 20s, it's like, you got to be tough, improve yourself. And it's this whole story. And I've found that the plants and these oils help me bring joy to myself, and I love it so much I share it with other people. So it's made me softer.

[51:33] Greer: 
That's really beautiful. Thanks for sharing that.

[51:36] Amy: 
Well, thanks for asking these questions because I don't really self-reflect like that, so I appreciate it.

[51:42] Greer: 
I mean, it sounds like you do self-reflect. You just have such cogent ways of sharing this with us. I really appreciate it.

[51:52] Amy: 
Thank you.

[51:54] Greer: 
What maybe has surprised you about your shift from your corporate life to your path as an aromatherapist?

[52:02] Amy: 
I don't know about surprises. I often think of that. I'm grateful, and I wouldn't change my life. I'm grateful for the experience I had because I have an understanding of finance, accounting, data analysis and presentation, and I could be really organized. But the surprise is it's giving the permission to let go. And early on, when I was starting to teach, I gave myself permission to not know the answers and to not be right, and I had to learn to let the classroom have discussion and not try to control things. So it's been really nice to be open to being a guide and facilitator and not being right and being curious and say, hey, you know what? I don't know that I'd love to look into that, or that's been not a surprise because I realized it along the way. But it's been really nice to have that freedom versus in the corporate world. Oh, my God, you'd get your ass chewed up if you sent there was a typo in an email or the report went out. This one number is wrong. It's like there's a little forgiveness.

[53:23] Greer: 
Yeah. It's so important. And your points about becoming softer, it takes some softness to be okay with being wrong and being ready to learn and being okay with making mistakes and yeah. So much about our professional world really militates against that, which means it militates against growth. Yeah.

[53:48] Amy: 
Because if we don't make mistakes or be curious, how are we going to grow? So a lot of it I love the curiosity when you're with a student or a client and you're there together, and I say this and it's not a joke, I will talk and I'll present some oils to somebody because I can't give them 300. I'm going to select five oils for you, and you're not going to offend me if you don't like the oil. It's a suggestion or you won't offend the plant. So it's like you're playing, like, I have knowledge, but your lived experience as the other person is different. So I'm going to be your guide, but I won't have all the answers. So it's really playful and fun.

[54:31] Greer: 
Yeah, that's so great. So last question that I like to ask everyone who's a guest on my podcast is what insight do you have for us on learning to listen well to our bodies?

[54:48] Amy: 
I wish I knew this when I was in my 20s in period, pain and all that stuff, not ashamed, like listening to yourself and be like, this doesn't feel right, and speaking up and asking, like, I wish I asked my mother more, or this doesn't feel right. I need to do something. Because the body, when you finally get that pain, that's like your body saying, stop. You need to stop and pay attention. And often it could be an emotional issue that manifests in the body, too, but it's that paying attention and listening. And I wish I had these tools in my life, and I wish I met people that I met in my 30s. I wish I met them when I was younger.

[55:35] Greer: 
Yeah, that's really eloquent. A lot of people have shared that insight, but they haven't shared it in quite that way.

[55:43] Amy: 
I feel like I wasn't answering your question because again, you're asking these juicy questions and you said this, and I was listening to one of your recordings. It's like there's shame and we shouldn't have that shame. And it's okay to reach out and not be the I know us to be the strong, independent woman and not be seen as weak, but it's okay to ask for help. And I've learned in my professional life, like, if I didn't ask for help, I'd get in trouble. So admitting and like I said, now it's like if I say I don't know the answer, I was afraid to say that when I was younger.

[56:24] Greer: 
Yeah, but there's a greater freedom now to be able to say you don't know the answer. It's really good.

[56:29] Amy: 
Yeah. And again, I wish I could say, like, when I'm younger, like, help. I need help.

[56:34] Greer: 
Yeah.

[56:35] Amy: 
So listening to that body and loving it. I know we're wrapping up here, but I was kind of annihilate annihilative when I was younger, and it was not pretty, and I've been self reflecting on that recently. So we just opened up a little wound right now when you think about this. So it's interesting.

[56:59] Greer: 
Yeah. I think your experience resonates with a lot of people. You go through such a dramatic change as a preteen or a teenage woman, and the reaction to that can be really strong.

[57:13] Amy: 
Yeah, exactly. So I'm grateful that you have this podcast and that you're giving voice, because I've noticed, too, when I spoke up about my fibroids and what I was going through, all of a sudden there's a woman I met with fibroids. Another woman. Another woman. So the more we share, the better we are.

[57:31] Greer: 
Yes. Well, thank you for being one of our guests who shared. I learned so much from you today, and I know that others will when they listen to this conversation.

[57:40] Amy: 
Thank you, Greer. This has been a real pleasure. Thanks for spending time with me and having me as a guest.

[57:45] Greer: 
Of course, if today's episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at femammlpodcast@gmail.com that's femammalpodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow this podcast on Facebook. Just search for Femammal Podcast and you will find a community of people who are interested in living well in our bodies. And of course, I'd love for you to rate this podcast and leave a review wherever you download your podcasts. Until next time, be well.