Watch this thorough Cinnamon Bark Exploration to learn about Cinnamon’s chemistry, medicinal properties, and healing properties.
Many are celebrating Halloween this week, but we like to remember the more ancient meanings of this holiday. At the Atlantic Institute, we honor those who came before us with knowledge of the cycles of the year.
November 1 marks the halfway point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is when we descend into the darkest time of the year. Plants start to slow their growth and shed their leaves, preparing their seeds to lie fallow for the winter. What that means is that it is time for quiet reflection and going inward. One may start to look back on the activities of the past year and decide how to best move forward once the light starts to return in a few months.
In this modern world, we don’t necessarily have to follow these patterns like our ancestors. But for most of us, the holiday season keeps us so busy that we have to hold off on many of our projects.
Just like you, we are taking the next few months to make plans for the springtime. We’re thrilled to see the growth of our staff-family, helping to create even better ways to teach you the intuitive science of healing with essential oils.
As Sylla moves closer to retirement and Nyssa continues to build this incredible program her mother created, we are looking for serious students that may one day like to become aromatherapy educators, too.
Read about what it takes to teach aromatherapy and why we need more of you!
We encourage you to reflect on what your heart needs to blossom … Remember that the greatest gift you can give the world is your own self-healing. Let us know how we can help.
I’ve been an aromatherapy educator since the early 1970s. Since then, the field has undergone many changes. With the introduction of the Internet and multi-level-marketing companies, I’ve seen both good and bad information circulate rapidly.
There’s a lot of potential for misunderstanding when it comes to the power of natural essential oils. This makes quality aromatherapy education more important than ever.
If you’re interested in teaching aromatherapy, here are some tips from a vintage educator.
1. Know your subject. Study with as many teachers as you can. Absorb different styles, viewpoints, and experiences. Always examine information with a critical eye. Consider the sources and never hesitate to do your own research. As an aromatherapy educator, I work to provide useful, factual, and cited information. But I never mind if a student has questions or does research on their own. In fact, knowing which questions to ask during a live class can provide you with a better education.
2. Apprentice with established institutes. Instead of trying to start from scratch, look for apprenticeships or positions with established teachers. For instance, we sometimes calls on our own students to teach in their areas to increase our educational reach. As these student-teachers improve, they feel more comfortable teaching larger classes and mentoring home-study students. Begin as an apprentice or teaching assistant and work your way up. This can be a great way to establish yourself as an aromatherapy educator.
3. Get comfortable with teaching. Students can often teach you just as much as other educators. Knowing the subject is one thing, but thinking on your feet when students ask unexpected questions is another. Being comfortable in front of a group of people is a skill that needs honing. Teaching can help you discover your own unique educational style.
4. Know how to relax. Being an educator, especially in an unregulated and relatively new field, can be as stressful as it is rewarding. I rely on morning walks, meditation, gardening, or being in nature to relax, center, and energize me. I keep my office and therapy rooms scented with my standby Rosemary and Geranium. I’ve used this aromatherapy blend for 30 years, and it still feels like home to me. Know how to establish a relaxing space and find activities that will help relieve the pressure. Trust me—you’ll need these skills!
5: And remember: teaching is learning. Have a wonderful journey, and enjoy it!
One of the things I remember most about growing up with my mom is her herb garden.
Our friend Billy came and installed a raised bed with cinderblocks and bricks when I was four years old. It wasn’t long before I was pinching the Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, and Sage to smell their unique aromas.
It’s so amazing when I think about it—how we’ve figured out that we can distill these plants and collect concentrated essences of what we smell. I’ve worked with oils in bottles for a long time. I’m familiar with how to dilute them and use them in blends, but I’m just now starting to get to know the herbs themselves.
It feels like coming home.
This time around, Sylla explains that you’ve got to cut back the abundance of growth from the summer. That way, you can get rid of what’s run its course or isn’t growing, to make room for what’s yet to come.
Here’s the great part about cutting back: you get to enjoy what you reap! For Sylla, this means collecting and drying all the herbs that she’s been growing.
Ever since her trip to France in the 90’s (and presumably after she ran out of the herbs that she got there), she’s collected and dried her yarden herbs, calling them “Herbs de Sylla’s Yarden.”
Walk through the yarden with Sylla as she cuts back what’s overgrown or no longer thriving to make room for new growth.
Recent Comments