Takeaways From the Conference “Aromatherapy for Psycho-emotional Health” by Lithuanian Association of Aromatherapists
Let me take you to the recent annual conference of the Lithuanian Association of Aromatherapists (further LAA). It was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, 8th of June, 2024. This year’s theme was “Aromatherapy for Psycho-emotional Health”. Having a background in business strategy and marketing and multiple certificates in aromatherapy, I was a part of the organizational committee and ended up being a conference host! That was such an honor!
Behind the Scenes
The organizational committee collaborated mostly remotely. We worked not only from different cities but also from three different countries and continents: Lithuania (Europe), USA (America) and Japan (Asia). An enormous enthusiasm helped us connect through such different time zones!
The conference was intended not only for aromatherapists but also for psychologists, educators, public health specialists and everyone who wants to employ aromatic substances in everyday life. It was the first time we held both – a live and online event with the possibility of watching a recording.
This sensitive topic required a very careful selection of the presenters and we ended up having a wonderful team of domestic and foreign professionals.
Let’s dive into the presentations and some of my takeaways.
Salvatore Battaglia (AUS). Biophilia, Aromatherapy and Mental Health
The conference kicked off with a live online presentation by a well-known aromatherapy book author Salvatore Battaglia from Australia. He explored many improved mental health outcomes associated with nature and how the same effects can be achieved with the help of aromatherapy.
Salvatore shared his insight that “the reason people are drawn to aromatherapy is a desire to reconnect with nature, in other words – biophilia”. This resonated with me! As a passionate small-scale distiller and aromatherapist, I could not agree more! The connection with nature really helps me to understand this modality more deeply.
I smiled when Salvatore asked, “Which essential oil/s elicit a sense of awe when you inhale them?” Just before the beginning of the conference I took out and showed my favorite essential oil bottle as I was taking a seat next to Laimė Kiškūnė, She manages to source the most exquisite essential oils and my favorite is her Helichrysum italicum from Corsica. You could hardly read what’s on it’s label – that’s how often it ends up in my hands J
Salvatore shared that Neroli is his favorite aroma. What is yours?
If this topic sounds interesting to you, Salvatore shares some parts of his presentation in this video.
Dr.Rūta Aldonytė (LTU). Aromatic Compounds and Psychobiotics
Next up was the head of our association, researcher, Doctor of Medical Sciences Rūta Aldonytė. The presentation was mostly based on her research published in the journal „BMC Microbiology“. You can access the full article here.
Part of the results were also presented at Botanica’2024 conference which focused on citrus essential oils.
In her presentation in Vilnius, however, dr.R.Aldonytė elaborated more on how essential oils affect our gut and respiratory microbiome and how that, in turn, affects our mental health.
She also suggested that essential oils should be considered more as bacteria-modulating substances rather than strictly anti-bacterial. Essential oil compounds do not kill the bacteria that have beneficial effects on the human body like Lactobacillus spp. In fact, this research shows the population of Lactobacillus spp. tends to increase when the gut is exposed to orange essential oil.
It was interesting to learn that the nasal microbiome of people from the aromatherapy industry (herbal distillery) differs from other healthy people’s microbiomes.
Reda Vaikšnorienė (LTU). Presentation- degustation of aromatic resins
During the lunch break, everyone could enjoy the stories and tastes of frankincense and myrrh resigns.
Aromatherapist and phytotherapist Reda Vaikšnorienė visited Oman several months ago. She shared her first-hand experience of how the resins are incorporated into the daily life of the people of Oman. . She also talked about the types and quality grades of the resin. Everyone could see and smell the examples.
Attendees were delighted to taste the frankincense-infused water and learn about many ways of burning the resin. One of the methods was very intense and the smoke activated the fire alarm!
This presentation was only available to live event attendees.
Jonathan Benavides (NL). Aromatherapy for Emotional and Mental Health
A clinical psychologist and clinical aromatherapist from the Netherlands Jonathan Benavides was a true powerhouse in our conference! His experience in introducing safe and effective aromatherapy practices in hospitals around the world was very important in showing that aromatherapy can go hand in hand with conventional medicine. This is one of LAA’s most important objectives at this stage of aromatherapy development in our country.
Jonathan shared with us how he employs aromatherapy in cases of autism, ADHD, trauma and depression. These are very complex subjects and it was an invaluable experience to listen to such a knowledgeable medical professional.
All the attendees were able to smell several essential oils supplied by already mentioned Laimė Kiškūnė and perform several practices and techniques that Jonathan has developed. Some of them are dedicated to use with the clients (even the most fragile ones), and some can be performed as a self-care practice, which is also very important.
One of the main Jonathan’s messages that resonated with me was to empower people whenever possible. They must feel in control. This attitude is a very important ingredient of success with ADHD persons.
Eglė Juknevičienė, Daiva Tindžiulienė (LTU). Olfactotherapy: Possibilities and Application
Psychologist Daiva Tindžiulienė is the first in Lithuania to incorporate olfactotherpay into her practice. This method is well known in France but is quite a new one in other countries thus aromatologist and educator Eglė Juknevičienė gave us a good theoretical introduction to this method. During the olfactotherapy session psychologist gives the client to smell the essential oil without telling them what exactly the smell is and how it may impact them. This is the main difference that makes the olfactotherapy a separate branch in the aromatherapy field.
D.Tindžiulienė shared several case studies of how it works in practice and what results she had with her clients. The aromas are carefully chosen for each case individually. Their task is to facilitate the surfacing of the root cause of the issues that the client has. Daiva’s experience shows it can be done much faster with the help of aromas compared to other available techniques.
I was especially excited to hear that hydrolats (hydrosols) are also in her toolbox! They are a valuable tool when the intervention must be very gentle.
Dalia Braziulytė (LTU). We Are the Scents that We Choose. The Aromas and Archetypes“
The conference was closed by a charismatic psychologist and aromatherapist Dalia Braziulytė who put her 25 years of experience into this presentation. The author describes the influence of scents as follows: “The aromas we like are like an open door leading to our personality, soul and life. These scents symbolize the qualities we accept in ourselves, the character traits we are willing to look at, and the talents we have integrated. On the other hand, natural scents to which we feel aversion (i.e. repulsion) usually reflect our “shadow” – i.e. our own unloved, rejected aspects of personality, perhaps traumatic experiences or internal conflicts pushed into the subconscious”.
Dalia Braziulytė shared her insights on the archetypes of people who love or hate citrus, floral, herbaceous, woody, spicy, resinous and oriental aromas. As we listened, we also smelled the corresponding compositions of the essential oils and natural extracts made by the author to deepen our understanding.
As a takeaway, the author encouraged us to think about the qualities we would like to develop in ourselves and smell the aromas, associated with them for at least a month, especially if we do not like them.
Conclusion
The day was full of new knowledge, wisdom, insights, aromas, tastes and action! The conference took place at Vilnius’ botanical garden so everyone could enjoy the beauty of the gardens too.
But most importantly – events like this are pulling the name of aromatherapy out of the mire of myths, fairytales and cult-like overuse-promoting BS. The message is clear – aromatherapy is based on both practice and science. It has its rightful place in the health care systems around the world.
