In 400 BC Hippocrates, the father of medical science, wrote: "The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day." Modern science confirms that he had the right idea.

How many people dismiss a relaxing massage with scented oils as a sensual indulgence? A luxury that does nothing more than make a person "feel good" for a little while? But in our fast-paced, high-stress modern world, "feeling good" is a vanishing state - with serious implications for health.

The stress of daily life is making us sick. Our bodies, originally designed to be able to survive in a violent and dangerous wilderness, have not yet adapted to the more subtle pressures of urban survival. The consequences are felt in an imbalance between our Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. Our Sympathetic Nervous System is the source of the "fight-or-flight" instinct. This "ready-for-battle" condition is designed to provide a quick response to a short-term crisis, and then disengage so the body can return to a normal, relaxed physical state maintained by the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The problem is that when a person lives with performance pressure, relationship stress, environmental stress, and other anxiety-producing conditions, the Sympathetic maintains a "battle ready" physical state constantly. The return to normal never happens.

Robin Sands describes this situation vividly: "When people are ruled by their Sympathetic Nervous Systems life slowly becomes more and more uncomfortable. It is imperceptible at first because all they are aware of is the hardship and the oppressive situation, or the thrill and the adrenaline rush. Over time... it will slowly become more and more difficult to relax and give in to the Parasympathetic. Once caught in this vicious circle, sleep and appetite become affected... Later on, backache may appear, or migraine, repetitive strain injury or peptic ulcer. The list goes on and on, and does not include the different types of mental illness that can result from this unfortunate situation. To the extent that the Sympathetic is dominant... life will feel tighter, harder, more constricted. Alternatively, life may feel dangerously dramatic, explosive, despairing... Various anxiety states will be felt all too keenly. These can be experienced as numbness, palpitations, stomach knots or less easily definable but equally unpleasant sensations... If stress is continually layered on top of this block, emotional and digestive disorders can develop. Massage breaks the stress cycle and brings the parasympathetic nervous system into play, providing natural relief for a host of stress-related disorders. The direct stimulation of the body through massage mimics the effects of the Parasympathetic, throwing the switch on the nervous system to re-engage the normal relaxed state. "As it relaxes muscles, blood vessels and internal organs, so the flow of all body fluids becomes easier, smoother, fuller. The intestines expand and the peristalsis (those gurgles of digestion) begins to process the waste products that the Sympathetic has created. It slows the heartbeat and deepens and softens breathing. It calms and changes the brain's waves and patterns, bringing the quieter, more expansive states of mind that are so conducive to imagination and creative thinking... Everywhere that has been overstretched gets pulled back into line. Everything that has been contracted, begins to expand. And this expansion is experienced as pleasure." ("The Power of the Parasympathetic Nervous System" in _Stress News_, Oct. 2002)

Massage is not the only technique which can break the stress cycle, but it is one of the most readily available. And, as Hippocrates observed, it becomes even more effective when used in conjunction with aromatherapy. Our sense of smell is both powerful and subtle. The olfactory membrane is the only place in the body where the central nervous system is exposed and in direct contact with the environment. When a "scent cell" is stimulated, the impulse travels along the olfactory nerve to the area of the brain where memory, hunger, sexual response or emotion is evoked. Long before the conscious mind registers the scent, the subconscious mind reacts to it. Lavender, rose, jasmine, and sandalwood are among the scents proven to induce relaxation.

Professional massage is readily available in many areas, but the pleasures and benefits of touch, pressure, and scent can also be gained from the hands of a loved one or even through self-massage. Anyone can obtain some scented oil and a friend - or run themselves a warm bath - and discover the joys of better health through sensual pleasure.

About the author:

Keri Desherite, LMP is a practicing holistic healer. She has worked in the bodywork and health field for over 20 years. She is a consultant for Taliessen, Ltd. and has designed most of their aromatherapy and massage oil products.