Back when I was first diagnosed with cancer in 1998, my dear friend Robbi Zeck gave me a book by Dawna Markova called, I Will Not Die an Unlived Life: Reclaiming Purpose and Passion.
This book, and a particular poem in it, became a pivotal part of my healing. Here is the poem:
I will not die an unlived life
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.
This was almost 20 years ago. These days, I’m at the point where I’ve almost forgotten that time. I consider myself a thriver, not survivor. I had the best kind of cancer—not enough to kill me but enough to change my life. Now at age 68, I have been, done, seen, and learned so much more since then.
Life is so short, and I’m certainly not finished! I’ve packed a lot into my aromatic journey years, and there’s a lot I feel compelled to share (for historical interest if nothing else).
Use Me
A few years ago, I attended a concert featuring one of my favorite musicians, David Bromberg. After a 14-year break from performing (during which time he repaired violins and never actually stopped playing music because friends would not leave him alone!), he said, “Why not go on the road again?”
He invited all of his friends to write and record songs with him on his album. He wanted to be used! So the title of this album is “Use Me.” (I was lucky to see him again this year at a house concert—less than 10 feet away from this man who I listened to most of my adult life. Check that off the bucket list!)
I told Nyssa that’s what I wanted, to be used—in the best possible way, of course! I do not want to die with an “unused” life.
This idea helped to fuel the growth of our home-study course, which includes a thriving online student forum, the publication of Natural Aromatic Materials: Odors and Origins, Second Edition, and now, our new online membership, the Atlantic Aromatic Library.
Some of the students who were lucky enough to come to my office for classes know that I call the back room the Atlantic Aromatic Library. Many more stories have come from that room as well.
I want to share those stories, share movies from trips to France and Australia, talk about the Purdue classes I took with my colleagues, share historical tidbits from 40 years of following my bliss—that irresistible calling—into the world of aromatics.
What Do You Want to Know?
In addition, I want to tell you what I use, why I use these things, and how I did things when I was getting started, so I can inspire the next generation. I want to capture special times and moments before I forget, talk about the people on my journey that inspired in me, who they were and still are, and tell my story for the next generation to learn from.
So, with all that being said, I am also asking for your advice. How can what I have to share serve you? What do you want to know? How would you like to use my knowledge? Let us know in the comments.
I’m not going to die an unlived life, but I also don’t want to go out before my life’s knowledge and wisdom is put down on paper (or screen), so that I can share with all of you and feel all used up!
Aromatically Yours,
Sylla
Love this Sylla! Thanks!
My favorite would be personal 1-on-1 chats with you! I just LOVE the personal connection and yacking it up with a friend and pick your brains about your whole life! One can say so much more than they can write… That’d be sheer ha-ppiness! 🙂
and we all need more hAppiness!!!
Oh, my! In one short month of being in your Inner Sanctum, my aromatic journey has been expanded a hundredfold! I just want to be a sponge ~ soaking up all your knowledge. This is all so much more that selecting some Essential Oils to diffuse . . . . Love the interviews ~ yours and the talk with Marge. I truly look forward to Mondays so I can see what you will share with us that day! Thank you so much for letting us in . . . . .
oh this is exactly why we created this!! thanks so much for your feedback!
You have given us so much. I would challenge any whose lives you have touched to tell us how they have been affected by knowing you. Certainly your vast knowledge of our shared passion….but you have given so much more….lessons by example of a life lived with dignity and integrity….lessons by example of a strong woman and an exceptional parent. And challenges that you met and faced down, cancer being a huge and terrifying example. Cancer changes us and I believe it stays with us. I remember saying that it might have been one of the best things I ever had to learn from and people were horrified. Looking back, it was the best and the worst. I would love to hear your story from finding it to being free from it.
People who live through the scents of life carry many little gardens within. I know you do and I think you are magnificent.
How can we be of service to you? How can you use us? Gifts are so often fullest in the giving.
Write a book about your life!
AWWW thank you Sherry! what a nice tribute! This may be the book of my life!! thanks for your sweet words!
Hi Sylla, love this and I’ve loved the first month in the Inner Sanctum. I would be interested in info about the business of aromatherapy. I want my next act to be something that I create for myself instead of working for someone else, and aromatherapy is definitely going to be part of it. Thanks!
YES good idea, we can add that to the list of Lesson Drops!! thank you!
Thanks! we will add that to our list for Lesson Drops!!
I embarked on the dementia journey as my mother’s caregiver almost a year ago and have just started to research aromatherapy as a tool to manage her anxiety and fear as well as my own. I would be interested in any information you have on aromatherapy and the elderly, especially in regards to dementia and alzheimers. Thanks! Holly
Thanks Holly, will add this as topic. Meanwhile, try different oils and see what works for her. Ive seen some work with calming hand massage with Melissa, and think its a lot like kids, try different oils to see if you can determine what they react to. I will add this to our Lesson Drops too. thanks for your feedback.
I am enjoying the Inner Sanctum! Thank you! One thing I’d like to learn more about is CO2 extracts. I understand the process of CO2 extraction, but I’m finding very little information about how to USE CO2 extracts in every day practice. The constituents are often different between the EO and the extract, and I’m honestly not sure how to deal with that. If I have a recipe that calls for 3 drops of steam distilled Frankincense carterii, can I use 3 drops of my Frankincense carterii CO2 extract in its place? I have about a half-dozen CO2 extracts in my collection and I tend to be reluctant to use them because I don’t want to use too much or too little. I’d love to know if there is a general “rule of thumb” regarding substitution.
Thanks,
Linda Lyles
ll*******@gm***.com
hey Linda, I am glad you asked that because we are cautious too as CO2 extracts have not been tested for safety so I hesitate promoting them just yet. And there are two versions, the select, more like an Eo and the complete which has more extracted. So to be safe I think you can easily start slowly and use the select of oils like frankincense and other safe oils. We will cover this more in a Lesson Drop. Thanks for asking that.
Just be the way you are, doing the things you do for Aromatherapy….you have done a greatjob on that…and it will last forever. Thank you for it all. I got in love with Aromatherapy thanks to your writings.I am most greatfull to you.
Awwww, thank you! so inspiring to hear this!
Hi Sylla! I am new to the online Inner Sanctum. Once I become familiar enough with your material I would love to present it as a free talk at the library!! Maybe a power point?
Hey! not sure what you mean? this content is for members only. I wouldn’t appreciate you to show it all in a free talk!! email me and we can discuss.
Hi. I just joined the inner sanctum this morning. I have been researching for days about what essential oils to use for cancer; because a young mom in her thirties was not given a good prognosis. and she just happened to stay at my daughter’s house for the night due to a plane layover and I had made up a blend that I got from dr. Z’s website but then this morning when I looked at the video of your interview with Marge she cautioned that during active chemotherapy not to use frankincense and those oil
I found out that she’s done with her chemotherapy so I went ahead and apply the concoction I had made for her in a little jar for her to take home. She was too tired to go to my upstairs where I have my healing room so I just did reflexology and energy work after applying the essential oils
so I would love to know if it’s not too personal were you into the oils at the time you had cancer and did you use them to help support your journey in healing.
I am a massage therapist of over 20 years, and a Reiki master, also trained in Body Talk Access amongst other healing modalities. But a Common Thread of healing for me has always been the oils ever since I was in massage school I have always had oils in my life and yet with you I feel I’m ready to take it to a whole new level. When my children were little they used to dance and sing my mom’s a witch doctor, a witch doctor to the tune you know.
Another time I’d like to share with the group my experience with planting a healing herb garden…. and put stinging nettle in it …unbridled. bet some of you know what happened.
I have enjoyed reading all the other post and say hello to all you lovely ladies, don’t recall seeing any gents.
Oh wow, what an awesome share! We are thrilled to get to be a part of your journey into oils, an ever-deepening journey, it sounds like. To answer your questions about how Sylla used oils, in short, yes absolutely! Go to the Bonus Resources in the Inner Sanctum to see Sylla’s Aromatherapy and Cancer story.
Love how you have learned to integrate massage and aromatherapy with so many other modalities. I have a feeling you’ll love the interview coming out tomorrow in the Inner Sanctum, Let us know what you think! Keep in touch!
Nyssa, I feel like I’ve been fed a diet of canned food from the essential oil MLM companies, then I walked through the gates of the inner sanctum and discovered an organic Feast laid before me.
When you get in the web of an essential oil company that is so huge they train you to things that they have the only oil so you can trust. They have the market on Therapuetic grade oils and then I found out that’s a trademark they have the market on the only certified pure oils and again I love what you said that something could be absolutely pure but the quality might not be there necessarily.
I had trainings from these MLM companies that had us Sprinkle the spines of people with essential oils neet, like they were turkeys. I never heard about sensitization. I am so grateful I never experienced it nor any of the people I worked on ever did perhaps it was Spirit knew my intent was good and pure.
Unless someone is allergic to the oils I can’t do a massage without using them. They are my helpers or I could even say I am their helper.
I pray before the client comes and meditate about what they need for that treatment and invariably for instance I’ll pick out a blender of oils for Digestive issues and the client comes and tells me they have a stomach ache or I’ll meditate and I’ll get the feeling they have a headache, oils will already has been picked out for them to address their headache.
it’s really a lot of fun to be like the radio for a symphony and that symphony is Spirit coming through me I know I didn’t write the symphony, I can`t take any credit for it but what a thrill to be like a radio channeling what can help precious people.
You do your mother proud you really give excellent interviews because you understand the art of asking the right questions. I am so pleased you decided to carry on your mother’s wonderful work.