Thursday, September 19, 2013

Aromatherapy For Kids!

A few weeks ago, I got an email from someone who is a good friend and a great massage therapist/acupressurist/aromatherapist. Her name is Sara Naomi and she's the owner of Therapeutic Calm, one of the practices that operates through the Rooted River Therapies consortium in Yardley.  It turned out that she was conducting her first aromatherapy class for kids! I was very excited to bring Rowan. She is already interested in 'good smells'. Lavender essential oils helped us all through some particularly rough sleeping patches, so she already had a bit of experience in her 4 1/2 years with the benefits of aromatherapy. 


We arrived at the class a little late. Am I the only mother who can never get anyplace on time? Anyhow, when we walked in, Sara was surrounded by kids ranging in age from 5-8 who couldn't take their eyes off of her. She was speaking to them in her gentle voice and showing them pictures of functioning and non-functioning cells. She taught them about olfactory nerves. She gave them tips on using scents to aid in studying and learning. She taught them about using oils to help with headaches and sore muscles. It was great. The kids and parents loved it. 


At the end of the class, each of the kids got to mix their own oil to take home. And Sara had made a delicious (and super healthy) coconut bar for a snack! It even had essential oils in it. 

This is the first time that I took Rowan to a class like this. It's actually the first time I've even heard of a class like this for children. I'm looking forward to attending more. It's nice to set a tone for holistic living at such a young age. And it was pretty great for her to be able to bring home a craft that wasn't made out of paper, straws & pipe cleaners. Nothing against paper, straws & pipe cleaner, but lavender-clove oil is a pretty nifty alternative. 

Here's to staying healthy & strong!

For more on Therepeutic Calm and all of the other cool things that Sara Naomi does, here's some links:
You can also follow her under 'therapeutic calm' on facebook, instagram, etsy and pinterest. Or if you're interested in setting up a class with her, email her at therapeuticcalm@gmail.com. It's a great way for kids to learn something new either as part of a home school program or as a fun after school thing to do.

Go say hi to her at the Rooted River Therapies booth at the Yardley Harvest Festival this weekend. She may even have some treats for you.