Close your eyes for a moment. Breathe deeply, in for two counts, hold for two counts, out for two counts, hold for two counts. Raise and drop your shoulders. Clear your mind of the worries of the day. Think only of peace and calm and tranquility. Now imagine sitting in a bower in a quiet garden in the English countryside. On the little white table in front of you there's a tray, laid for tea.
Now imagine a pot of steaming hot tea. You wrinkle your nose, not quite able to place the scent. You know it's Earl Grey, but what is the herb? You pick up one of the delicate china cups and slowly, elegantly, pour the rich, red-brown liquid into the whiteness of the cup. Now you remember that smell - bergamot.
As you look around the garden, you see other herbs and flowers that you remember - the dashing red of sweet geranium; the sharp smell of rosemary; the refreshing fragrance of peppermint. And you think of other gardens, around the world. You close your eyes and remember the heat of India, the insistent buzzing of the flies, and the smells of roses, orange blossom and jasmine.
Recently, as the Millenium drew to an end (apart from for those pedants for whom 2001 is the new Millennium) and everyone got twitchy and started to worry about the end of the world, there was an increase of interest in what could loosely be described as 'New Age' topics. This title covers a multitude of topics, even though the topics are actually as old as the recorded history of humanity. Aromatherapy; Atlantis; Cassandra, Nostradamus, and other prophets; Crystals; Meditation; Reincarnation; the Tarot. There is, as with anything touching the spiritual, a fair amount of silt through which you have to search to find the pearls. The fact that the Internet is unregulated in the majority of countries is both a blessing and a curse. This new communication medium lends itself particularly well to some very strange cults like that of Heaven's Gate. However, as with so many of the dull things in life, if you look closely enough, you will see the diamonds beneath the coal dust.
One hobby which helped to keep me from going quite over the edge in Japan is aromatherapy. I believe, with many other aromatherapy afficiandos, that aromatherapy is a gift from God, or whatever deity you choose to worship.
Follow the links below for some good introductions to aromatherapy.
http://www.aromatherapy-online.com/
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