Essential Aromatica – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode of Essential Aromatica, Amy spends time with Dr. Nicole Bou Khalil to talk about the profound connection between humans and plants. They explore the importance of spending time outdoors, observing plants, and understanding our interconnectedness with nature--as deeply as the connection between people and where they live. Ah, and remember to keep your “child soul.”

Let’s get clinical first, then get into the weeds. In 2019, Dr. Bou Khalil trained hospital staff on integrating clinical aromatherapy into operations, sparking curiosity and interest among many, despite initial skepticism. She emphasizes that aromatherapy goes beyond spa treatments, highlighting Lebanon’s rich history of plant-based medicine. Dr. Bou Khalil advocates for understanding aromatherapy’s benefits and recognizing that it cannot be directly compared to evidence-based medicine due to its unique nature. As she succinctly summarized; nature is not standardized.

Further into the conversation, Dr. Bou Khalil shares the challenges faced by Lebanese growers and distillers after the financial crisis. Everything became costly, rent went up, continuous power was not always available. Organic certification and GCMS testing became cost prohibitive. Some people came from the outside and took advantage of the hardship many growers and distillers faced by imposing cheap prices on high quality essential oils such as Rose and Neroli. There’s a bright side though, as Dr. Bou Khalil has an initiative to reconnect Lebanese essential oils with the global market. This is on a deep level: know your growers and distillers. There’s a depth to oils that are made by people that are connected with their land and sense of place. Hearing her talk makes me wish I was in Lebanon with the Cedars, Roses, Bitter Orange trees and Myrtle!

These hardships highlight a critical part of the overall essential oil industry and sustainability: some people create beautiful essential oils that express “the soul of the land” even if they cannot afford continual GCMS analysis, to continue offering organic certification or don’t have reliable access to electricity. Would we rather have sad, cheap oils or oils created from a sense of place, with integrity?

Nicole shared how one of her French aromatherapy teachers once said that “aromatherapy is nothing but bliss”. These words deeply resonated with her, and they have with me. Nicole shares that if she didn’t have her aromatherapy practice, if it wasn’t a part of her whole life, she wasn’t sure how she would have coped during the Beirut Port explosion. The oils, Rose and Neroli, helped her; also, reaching out to the international aromatherapy community gave her a lot of support. The plants around you support you. She mentions the old, noble Cedars of Lebanon that grow high in the mountains; how they are symbols of strength, of the people of the land; they are symbols that the Lebanese people have the strength to go on.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did—I even teared up at the end. Want to connect with Dr. Nicole BK? See links below for different ways to get in-touch. And remember, Aromatherapy is nothing but bliss.

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nicole-boukhalil/

Instagram: aromatherapy_dr.nicole_bk

Facebook: Aromatherapy Dr. Nicole BK  Email: ⁠boukhalil.nicole@gmail.com⁠

Which is scarier? Going offtrack or staying in a rut? What if you could disrupt the ego driven "norm" (the rut) by working with essential oils, the molecules of connectedness? In this episode, Dr. Florian Birkmayer shares the potential of working with essential oils to help us become whole by disrupting the Default Mode Network (DMN) and emerging from "wetiko" ("cut-offness").

This is where '"Aromagnosis comes in. Aromagnosis is direct perception connecting us to the larger world through the messages carried by genuine, authentic essential oils. We explore how these oils help open access points to initiate innate healing and rediscover our personal myth. We discuss how powerful essential oils, not “nice smells”, can break through our intellectual barriers and open the door to emotional power.

We also contemplate “wetiko” or “cut-offness”, the self-imposed isolation from our unconscious and nature overall. This isolation is often something we are not aware of (forgetting what we forgot to remember: connection and feeling) and is apparent in our welcoming of synthetic molecules into our bodies, homes and environment. We reflect on the Enlightenment-era philosophy of “I think, therefore I am”, and how it has led us to ignore our interconnectedness with the universe.

Deeper into the episode, Florian expounds upon the power of essential oils and their role in mental health. He deconstructs the Default Mode Network (DMN), our personal “auto-pilot” mode, and how aromatics (and psychedelic assisted therapy) may help deactivate its ruts and create new neural connections. As an ex-psychiatrist, Florian critiques the traditional model of psychiatry, which often turns people into professional patients, and proposes an alternative approach that focuses on broader cultural and ancestral factors alongside working with essential oils (aka: aromas) to bypass the DMN. We delve into the importance of emotions as messages from our subconscious, and the concept of “heart awareness” as a means to tend to our emotional needs. We also discuss the teachings brought by essential oils molecules, expressions of an aromatic plant's soul.

In the end, Florian shares that “if you are willing to face what your unconscious gives you [while working with essential oil allies], it will give you what you are ready for.” When we work with essential oils, each one is a teacher we can turn to on our lifelong journey of becoming whole to ourselves. We can change our culture of cut-offness by mindfully working with essential oils, the molecules of connectedness.

Access Florian's work on Substack and his & Cathy Skipper's offerings at Aromagnosis.

Selected Publications:

Birkmayer F. with Cathy Skipper (2024) “Essential Oils for Psychedelic Therapy Support” (Available at amazon.)

Birkmayer F. (2022). Essential Oils for the Wounded Healer: PTSD,

Post-Traumatic Resilience and the Wounded Healer’s Journey. International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy. 11(3), p.37-41.

Birkmayer F. (2021). Using Essential Oils to Enhance the Effects of Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Substance-Induced Psychosis Two Case Reports). International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy. 9(4), p.15-22.

Birkmayer F. (2020). The Molecules of Connectedness. International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy. 8(4), p. 51-57.

Birkmayer F., Skipper C. (2018). “The Role of Aromatherapy in the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Disorders”, chapter in Modir S. & Munuz G. (eds.) Integrative Addiction and Recovery, Weil Integrative Medicine Library, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780190275334.

Greetings, friends of Luna Aroma! A place and space where aromatherapy meet the moon! This 12th & final Luna Aroma session still finds us in the throes of Little Spirit time, thrust into Cold moon time for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere. This is often a time of personal darkness, confronted with being with oneself during colder, darker weeks and months of the year. Distractions are possible, but are they worth it?

Surrender, connection, respect, reflection and expansion are qualities we may cultivate to nurture our mental and spiritual strength. These qualities and themes of this moontime may be fortified with the expansive resins such as Frankincense. But let's not limit ourselves to resins such as Frankincense from the equatorial areas--there are the numerous conifer tree friends that offer just as much to support expansion and clarity to help us surrender and see.

As the calendar year draws to a close, so does the Luna Aroma series with today's 12th New Moon of the year and final Luna Aroma episode. Thank you if you have spent time with me during one, two or more episodes. This was, and still is, a personal inquiry that will continue on its own in a different form.

Here's the link to my article on transformation that touches on aging and the concept of beauty through the metaphor of the Luna Moth.

"To the moon, Alice! To the moon!" Ciao for now!

This eleventh episode of the Luna Aroma series finds us in Little Spirit moontime. A time still near the “thin veil” and for giving thanks and focusing on spiritual growth. I feel that Eastern Red Cedar and its essential oil support us this time of year, with its personality of quiet, protection, pausing, seeming immortality and the wisdom of being ok with not knowing.

Episode Highlights:

• 7:04 Highlighting Eastern Red Cedar Essential Oil
• 15:10 Recommended Yoga Pose
• 16:07 Guided Aromatic Encounter with Eastern Red Cedar
• 22:40 Poem: 'The Orchid Flower' by Sam Hamill
• 23:57 Poem: ‘Autumn’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Look forward to my upcoming Plant Talk write up on Eastern Red Cedar. In the meantime, check out the "Plant Talk" on Juniper Berry @ nycaromatica.com!

Ciao for now!

Welcome to Luna Aroma, where Aromatherapy meets the Moon.

This 10th episode of Luna Aroma invites you to settle in and descend to the realm of liminal spaces, darkness and crossroads. Places and spaces where Persephone and Hecate among other archetypes may guide us. This is an invitation to revel in the marked transition from late summer's end to the bittersweet falling leaves of full-blown Autumn. Which brings us to root season, a time to harvest root medicine such as Ashwagandha, Valerian, Angelica and Cohosh. And get grounded with all of the root essential oils, notably Vetiver.

Come along as my guest! I'll take you through seasonal themes, a guided aromatic meditative encounter and a poem I feel touches upon this moon-time's qualities. Although this time of year might bring slight sadness and longing with the increasing darkness and chill in the air, it also invites us to approach life with wonderment and curiosity. Root essential oils such as Vetiver are here to support us no matter what.

Episode Highlights:

• 9:15 Introducing themes of Wonderment and Curiosity
• 11:00 Roots and Root Oils
• 13:55 Highlighting Vetiver Essential Oil
• 16:15 Recommended Yoga Poses
• 17:15 Guided Aromatic Encounter with Vetiver
• 24:50 Poem: 'Hades and Persephone' by Carol Tufts

Links to Articles and Classes

Vetiver Essential Oil Profile: Vetiver Essential Oil - NYC Aromatica

Hecate and Autumnal Themes: Hecate Illuminates Transitions and Darkness - NYC Aromatica

Online Aromatherapy Classes: Aromatherapy Online Classes - NYC Aromatica

Ciao, for now!

Welcome to the 9th Luna Aroma Session! There is so much to share and love about this time of year, including Goldenrod and Asters. Things start to slow down this time of year, simmer and humm. The days are still warm and the sun still intense, but there's a different quality, one that Goldenrod exemplifies.

Join me during this episode to be an observer and invite Goldenrod's conviviality, its energizing and fortifying qualities into your mind-body-spirit-soul. Each Luna Aroma is an invitation to spend time with yourself and the world outside: a connection to nature and the celestial sphere.

Episode Highlights:

• Beginning Intro and The Power to Decide How You Feel (Article in the WSJ)
• 5:51 Official Beginning: Introducing Goldenrod & Late Summer
• 12:10 Recommended Yoga Poses
• 13:00 Guided Aromatic Encounter
• 18:58 Impact of Aromatic Molecules
• 20:40 Insect and Bird Friends of Note
• 22:55 Poem: Goldenrod by Ian Parks

Links to Articles and Classes

Goldenrod Plant Profile & Video: Goldenrod Essential Oil - NYC Aromatica Article You Are Not Your Emotions: Myth of the Emotional Brain

Class: Making Herbal Teas & Tisanes, Cold and Hot!

Ciao, for now!

Welcome to the 8th Luna Aroma Session! This time of year, mid-summer, has a lot going on; a bittersweetness as days grow shorter. There's still an abundance of growth, but things are slowing down, simmering. They aren't as urgent as they were only a few weeks ago. We're entering a time of maturity, protection and holding. These are themes that fit with Carrot Seed essential oil and the plant who bears the seed, the lovely "Queen Anne's Lace." I feel there's a sense of loss as we turn into mid and late summer--a loss of sun, childhood. Maturation acknowledges this but doesn't cling to it, it rather propels us forward. There is still much work to be done, life to live and moontimes to experience.

Here's my invitation to you: go outside and lovingly gather a few Queen Anne's Lace flowers and seeds and take out your bottle of Daucus carota essential oil. Then sit with me, as I guide you through an aromatic encounter followed by a self-penned poem about Queen Anne's Lace and the heavy-lightness of life. Remember, after this there is so much to experience and enjoy. There is only one end.

Episode Highlights:

• 0:00 Intro and Thoughts on Aromatherapy, Connection, Sustainability
• 4:28 Luna Aroma officially Begins
• 7:22 Excerpt about Carrot Seed Oil (read more in the article, link below)
• 13:55 Guided Aromatic Encounter
• 20:20 Poem: On Queen Anne's Lace

Plant Talk Article: Carrot Seed Essential Oil - NYC Aromatica

Ciao, for now!

Smudging with Sage, burning Frankincense in a censer, lighting incense to visualize and symbolize your thoughts rising to the heavens through smoke. These are only some of the botanicals and ways aromatics help us connect with the divine. What is the divine, the sacred? There may be debate about that, but I think we can all agree it is something that is bigger than us that also includes us. Incorporating aromatic botanicals--not synthetic fragrances--such as essential oils, hydrosols and raw plant material help us connect and commune with the present and sacred time.

This episode shares thoughts on why and how essential oils are powerful chemo-sensorial connectors. Amy touches on distillation, quintessence, the multivalent qualities of essential oils and how they connect mind-body-spirit-soul via the unseen (i.e., tiny, volatile lipid loving molecules). Further into the episode, explore how aromatic botanicals span and connect continents, cultures, ancestors and time. Even deeper is the sacredness of sex and its connection to scent reception and communication through DNA.

Aromatics are molecules of communication. As I’m writing this it occurred how they are also yin and yang at play: penetration and reception. The airborne scent molecules float around until they dock on nerve endings and receptor sites. Smell, scent molecules, help attune with deep knowing. Aromatic botanicals are keys to help us connect with the divine.

I hope you enjoy the episode. Stay in-touch with comments and questions: info@nycaromatica.com.

This episode features Thunder moontime, when the hot and humid days of summer are often visited by thunder, lightning and rain. This is a time, like most times, to contemplate change. But this time is different. Lighting and thunder are sudden and drastic. They are poignant symbols of change and transmutation. Think of something in your life that weighs on you, that you are looking to change, to shift. Thunder moontime, lightning time, can metaphorically assist along with the powerful essential oils featured in this episode.

Categorically, I feel, essential oils assist in change. They are agents of change: whether a temporary shift in mood and mind states or helping bridge the false mind-body-spirt gap, assist with grief or usher in new beginnings and adopting new habits in exchange for old ones (to name a few states-of-being). Are you ready? Get your Rosemary, Laurel and Sage (common, clary and white) essential oils or plants to sit with during this episode's Guided Aromatic Encounter. The Three Sages also spur a contemplation on the Triple Goddess, something you don't want to miss. The episode winds down with a poem that has made my heart sing since I came upon it a few years ago: "The Other Women" by Twyla M. Hansen. Who might the Other Woman be? Tune in to find out.

Below are links to relevant articles and videos mentioned during the episode:

• Key Article: ⁠Aromatherapy for Transformation
• Plant Talk articles: Laurel and Rosemary
• Access Plant Talk videos featuring Rosemary, Laurel and Clary Sage

Ciao, for now!

Welcome to Strawberry Moontime! As we near the Summer Solstice it is time to prepare for and embrace the warmest times of the year by turning to cooling and hydrating botanicals such as cooling fruits! This episode is packed with juicy ponderings: from spirit and transformation, the poem "Meditation on a Grapefruit" by Craig Arnold and "What is it we want when we can't stop wanting?" But more on that once you get into the episode...

Look forward to themes about sharing abundance and life's riches (e.g., strawberries!) & turning to cooling botanicals such as members of the Rose and Citrus families. Particularly Lime, a cooling aromatic botanical that is indicated for "restless heat." We also look to the Rose family for its fixed seed oils to help sooth & nourish our skin; and its fruit (e.g., strawberry, raspberry) to bring us hydration. There is so much to share!!!

Below are links to articles, videos and classes mentioned during the episode:

• Articles on Transformation: Root Chakra Rituals | Finding Alchemical Gold | Myth of the Emotional Brain
• Class: Achieving Wellness Through Detox, Intention & Aromatherapy
• Article on Beautiful Seed Carrier Oils
• Video: Plant Talk with Yuzu and Amy Anthony