Nature Medicine
It’s winter in Wisconsin. The nights are long, and the days are cold. With the glow of the holidays past, we hunker down for the deep freeze and think warm thoughts of lush gardens and summer days at the beach.
The cold can give rise to stagnancy. We socialize less, aren’t as active, and have the tendency to eat more out of boredom. Many also experience a letdown after the holiday season as the excitement abruptly ends and we return to our normal routine.
Essential oils are an ancient medicine. They have not been used as long as herbal medicine, given the distillation technology necessary to derive the oil, but their roots are still very old. There is documented use by Islamic physicians in the 12th century and purported use (as resins) by ancient Egyptians prior to that.
Within the earliest traditions of healing you’ll find dietary and herbal therapy, bodywork in various forms, and light therapy. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, recommended exposing the body to sunlight (in sun gardens or solariums) for healing and rejuvenation. Similar modalities can be found throughout many of the world’s ancient civilizations.
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