Pg. 20-25 8 minute read
What inspired you to become involved with aromatherapy and essential oils?
It was February, 1992. The midwest, where I lived, was coined the "flyover state" because of its reputation for being the last place in the US (or Earth, for that matter!!) to know of the latest trends or fads. I was completely unaware of aromatherapy, never mind essential oils. However, that soon hugely changed for me. My sister-in-law had invited me to an herb group meeting at a nearby home. Because of my longtime interest in gardening, she thought I might want to join the group. I remember the 3 feet of snow on the ground on that cold day as I drove to the meeting that literally changed my life (thank you, Arlene Parsons, much loved and lost too soon). When I arrived, I found they had invited a speaker. One of the members knew of him, heard that he was giving a presentation in Chicago, and asked if he would come to the suburbs and share it with the group. He was English, had a wonderful accent, was young, single and quite handsome. What other qualifications could he possibly need to speak to this group of older, married, suburban women? Our long-time passion for the Beatles had laid a strong foundation for all things English. You might have heard of him. His name is Michael Scholes. Well, he turned out to be more than just a pretty face. His information on the healing uses of the wonderfully smelling products in the little bottles mesmerised us. Something in me clicked, and I said to myself, "You are going to master this!" He had books, tapes, and oils with him. So I bought some Lavender and, as far as I remember, Peppermint oil (Aroma Vera), a book by Marcel Lavabre, and some of Michael's educational tapes. I took them home and started studying and using these oils immediately with my family.
Who or what experiences inspired you most? Certainly, it was the trip to India. One of the main purposes of the trip was to journey to the locations where the rare flowers were collected and the rare oils produced in hopes of bringing them back into use and creating a market for them worldwide. Being in India means truly understanding the incorporation of flowers and scent into every aspect of daily life. Everywhere you go, wreaths of flowers are worn, woven or adorning everything. The great sages knew the importance of fragrance in refining consciousness, so they ensured they were used daily in every way. We gathered Lotus blossoms at 5 am with their buds closed. Workers would climb into round pans, float to the buds, and pick them. I tried to get into one, and they got pretty upset, thinking I might fall into the pond where, apparently, there were dangerous snakes. But the most magnificent experience was holding a large bud in your hand as the sun slowly rose in the sky. Very, very slightly, the bud would begin to tremble and quiver as it opened to the light. Anyone who has been pregnant has felt the same thing as a quickening. The bud opened to a flower the size of a large dinner plate. Glorious.
Who did you study with? I don't remember them all. Indeed, Michael Scholes was the first person. After that first meeting at the herb group, my sister-in-law and I invited him to come back to the suburbs again to give a presentation to about 40 people. In the early years, I studied with Kurt Schnaubelt; I attended various two and 3-day conferences held in California, St. Louis, Washington, and even France. I travelled to India with some of the world's top aromatherapists from 9 different countries in 1999 for three weeks on a trip arranged by Christopher McMahon and Ramakant Harlalka of Nishant Aromas that included Michael Scholes, Gabriel Mojay, Tanja Bochnig, Trygve Harris, Dorene Petersen, Robert Seidel, Malte Hozzel and so many more. And, of course, because of the magazine, I was in regular long-term contact with the many contributors of the magazine. In many cases, it was as if I had one-on-one teaching from them as they explained their methods and rationale. One author and brilliant teacher was Dr. Bruce Berkowsky; others cover the gamut: Ben Alike, Jane Buckle, Suzanne Catty, Victoria Edwards, Jeanne Rose, John Kercher, Laraine Kyle, Kris Wrede, Ixchel Leigh, Vivian Lunny, Michael Alexander, Jackie Buchanan, Raed Rady, Robbi Zeck, Donna Woldin, Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, Rachel Shapiro, Bob Harris and so many more. It was a true privilege to work with them.
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