Rumors Salon House Blend

Rumors Salon House Blend

One of the best parts about smell is that it has the power to transport you back in time.

Even decades.

For some that were with my mom at the beginning, they might still be swept away by the aromatic memories of a Rosemary – Rose Geranium Blend.

It’s thanks to this recipe here … that there are years of good memories with my mom in her hair salon, Rumors, where it all started for us.

But I’ll let her tell it …

Find Recipes and More in the Inner Sanctum Library

On-demand aromatherapy education to help you use essential oils in your daily life.

This inaugural recipe of the Inner Sanctum Library also imparts the history of the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy. We share this in celebration of how it all began.

 

Sylla’s Story

RumorsIn February of 1982, I married my husband, O.V., on Valentine’s day. In the same month, I bought the salon business that I had worked at for a few years. I renamed it Rumors, in honor of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, my obsession at the time.

Originally, I sold my collection of vintage clothes there, that I had worn and accumulated for years. I called this “Sylla’s Fancy.” (I was later known for this kind of attire—dripping lace, antique slips for dresses, layers of slips showing some lace-up boots. I loved finding something to add to my style of dressing.) Once, my friend Michael’s son (who’s now an adult) told me that when he was still a child, “I thought you were the goddess or the good fairy with your dresses.” So cute.

Pretty soon after opening, I also sold my first aromatherapy products and essential oils. Eventually, my line was called “Rumors Aromatics.” I sold oils, blends, natural perfumes, and Aveda products on the side. I also created a scent bar where my clients could sit and play with oils, to find the right scent or just smell and look.

Being the first in Tampa to offer aromatherapy, I received a bit of publicity, There were many articles and interviews in the papers, and I did talks on local TV news. Early on, my clients thought I was saying that I did “roman therapy,” wondering what the heck that might be. Now, of course, they know more than most people thanks to their early education in what was then a little-known therapy.

Rumors Signature Scent

My signature salon scent became a Rosemary and Geranium blend (recipe below). Clients would just come and sit and relax as they passed by. Others would know that they had been there due to their smiles and subtle scents. Students from the nearby University of South Florida would come to get a “study blend sniffie,” a cotton ball of Basil and Rosemary. They loved getting fresh ones for exams.

I made custom blends for massages, giving clients the remainder to “bring them back” to my table when they used them. Aromatics, aromatherapy massage, and natural facials became the rage as we became a communal gathering place for looking and feeling good. I did consults and helped a lot of people find essential oils.

My first blends included my own personal scent with a Patchouli base. This has changed yet remained the same over the years (so they say). I also made a blend for protection during meditation that includes 33 essential oils; an earthy, grounding blend with Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood. Finally, there’s also the most asked for blend—our famous Rosemary and Rose Geranium House Blend.

Becoming an Aromatherapy Educator

After half a decade of playing around with oils on my own, I wanted to expand my offerings and share the knowledge I had collected. Many were also requesting classes and courses. My first classes were live, but eventually, I created the Aromatherapy Practitioner Correspondence Course for mail-order. In 1989, I created the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy as my official educational arm, separate from the oils. A few years later, after the salon had been open for 10 years, I closed Rumors and quit selling oils.

It became clear around this time that it is unethical (illegal if medical) to make claims and sell products. I couldn’t continue to teach aromatherapy and sell oils at the same time. I had seen too many so-called educational classes in the hair industry that really only wanted to sell products. So, I moved my office and salon/treatment room to my home. From there, I devoted myself to developing knowledge and experience in this field that had become my passion. I remain here today, working out of my home, seeing clients and working in my yarden …

Recipe for the Rumors Salon House Blend:

Use a 1:2-3 ratio of Rosemary (camphor type) and Geranium, depending on the sweetness of your Geranium.

Rosemary helps open up our breathing, allowing for an awakened state, heightened senses, and an alert mind.

Geranium has always been a balancer for me and many others, most especially it seems with hormones. At least, it seemed to help in those days for a bunch of fertile females in close daily contact. We were all at different places in our cycles, so it seemed to balance out those mood swings, emotional outbursts, etc.

Mix to your preference; some Geraniums are rosier (like Rose Geranium from Reunion), and some are less rosy (Chinese type); the other cineole type Rosemary will also work, but my preference has always been the camphor type for mental effects!

 

This blend still makes those who visited or worked at Rumors remember those days with fondness and fun. We’ll never forget the deep friendships that last to this day.

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Fall Equinox Yarden Walk

Fall Equinox Yarden Walk

It’s harvest time! What are you gathering and bringing into your life now that we’ve reached the Fall Equinox? The seasons (and the yarden) often reflect our inner lives. 

Join us in cherishing what they put forth, and follow along with Sylla as she takes you on this 2019 Fall Equinox Yarden Walk.

In this Yarden Walk, you’ll discover:

  • How to make a Jasmine infusion.
  • An unusual garden pest.
  • How Sylla makes compost.
  • One of Sylla’s favorite trees.
  • How the rock pile just keeps rolling.

 

 

So, what are you putting into your compost? Both in your yarden and in your life? What are you are cutting back to help fuel the next stage of your growth?

Leave us a comment below! 

If you love the Yarden Walks, then you’ll love the Inner Sanctum Library

This is our virtual classroom, where you can learn with us at any time in the garden, the classroom, and beyond! We’ve even got special Yarden Walk videos that you can’t see anywhere else! 

 

Summer Solstice Yarden Walk

Summer Solstice Yarden Walk

Are you out there enjoying the slowness of summer? Summer is a really slow time for us here in Florida because it’s just so hot outside!

Learning to live more in sync with the natural world means learning to honor the cycles that surround us. Nature is teaching this lesson all the time. In the Spring of 2018, we began filming Yarden Walks—where I follow Mom around her yarden as she talks about the plants she’s got growing there.

True to the season, we went fallow for the winter and haven’t filmed another one since. Okay, in all honesty, we did film one in the spring, but it was never edited, so we weren’t able to release it on time. Read more to find out how you can view that Yarden Walk!

Summer Solstice is about bringing everything out into the light, so we thought this would be a great way to reintroduce a series that many of you have been asking for.

Paying attention to the Wheel of the Year helps us notice the ways in which we’ve grown. We’ve been reflecting on all that we’ve learned since last year. You can read more about the Summer Solstice and what was happening for us last year at this time here, but you’ll have to watch the video below to hear about what’s happening now!

In this Yarden Walk, you’ll discover:

  • How Sylla’s Vetiver Experiment is going.
  • Two simple summer infusions you can do at home.
  • How you can begin learning plant identification.
  • What to do when your rock pile falls over.

 

QUIZ TIME: While editing this video, we realized Sylla said something that was not quite right. Did you hear what it was? We decided to use it as a quiz to test your knowledge. Scroll to the very bottom to find out what it was.

You can also read about our first Vetiver harvest here and learn more about Marc Williams here

Now we want to know: What are you doing with your summer garden/yarden? What’s getting you outside during these long, hot days? Leave us a comment below!

Remember, everything has a season and this one will pass before we know it. At least, that’s one of the ways we survive the long, hot days here. : ) 

If you’d like to see all of our Yarden Walks, join the Inner Sanctum Library. You’ll be able to see the Spring 2019 Yarden Walk. Plus you’ll receive hours of lessons on aromatherapy, plant medicine, and holistic healing.

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Quiz Answer: Remember when Sylla was describing the Summer Solstice  … Well, she was actually describing the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. That’s when we have equal amounts of light and dark each day. At Summer Solstice, the day is the longest it will be all year, while the night is the shortest it will be.

Do you ever say one thing when you mean another?

I did it when I said, “It’s Spring Equinox!” to the students in the Fill Your Cup class that Sunday. Wonder where I get it from … ? 🤔

Healing from PTSD with the Help of Aromatherapy

Healing from PTSD with the Help of Aromatherapy

Are you wondering if aromatherapy can help you with past trauma so you can move forward with your life?

Is there a specific oil that triggers you, but that you feel might be helpful for you to work with?

This story will give you ideas on how you can turn to aromatherapy for the deep healing that you are looking for, even when you least expect it.

Though there are plenty of people who study aromatherapy as a hobby, others begin with a curiosity—one that ends up transforming their lives. It’s more common than we might think at first. I’ve met many students who begin the study of aromatherapy hoping to learn how to use essential oils safely. Then, unexpectedly, they discover deeper healing as they start to understand the emotional effects of the oils.

Chris Mack is one of those students. Not only is he an unlikely aromatherapist, working as a bailiff in the courtroom during the week, but he is also a man with a heart of gold. When he tells stories, it’s like he is a sage poised to deliver some potent truth.

I first met Chris when he came to our weekend workshop, after his wife and mother-in-law (also former students) decided to pursue their passions and open Aromatic Harmony in Plant City, Florida. Since Chris would be helping out in the store, he figured he should learn a few things.

In our two days together, he discovered an essential oil that, with one whiff, brought him back to a past traumatic experience. With our guidance and his own inner wisdom, Chris used this oil to work through the trauma.

In this interview, Chris shares in his own words what it was like encountering this “trigger oil” for the first time. He also outlines how he worked with this oil and “reprogrammed” his mind.

Hear it from Chris himself:

 

Ylang Ylang is one of the oils that is featured in the Inner Sanctum Library. We thought, who better to contribute a guest recipe for Ylang than Chris Mack. Since Ylang Ylang tends to be a great floral oil for men, Chris’s Blend would make a great cologne for a man (though I’m sure women will like it as well). He suggests that you use this blend as a “base” and build on it to make it your own.

Remember, there’s no right way to make a blend, as long as you like it and the application is safe. If you need guidelines on the safe use of essential oils, sign up to receive our Safety-First Aromatherapy PDF.

You can find Chris’s Blend (and so much more) in the Inner Sanctum Library. Learn from the comfort of your own home and let the wisdom of the oils speak to you. Doing the deep healing work that these oils evoke is hard, but learning how to use them doesn’t have to be.

 

Now, we want to know:

Have you ever used essential oils to help you heal from trauma? What did you use and how did you use it? Is there an oil that tends to be a trigger oil for you? What are some things you can do to work with it?

Let us know by leaving a comment below. We love hearing about how you’re turning to aromatherapy for your healing.