by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger | Dec 14, 2013 | Sylla's Confessions
The word ‘cancer’ encompasses over 200 different diseases, yet when it affects an individual it takes on a greater significance, a different tone, and much more meaning. The day my doctor told me I had breast cancer, she also said it would not kill me, but it would change my life. A diagnosis of cancer is a chance for deep reflection and profound change. It is a balance of hope, optimism, and being realistic. It is about figuring out priorities, understanding relationships, and considering future plans. And she was right. With my cancer, an uninvited teacher had arrived.
I had a lumpectomy in August 1998, after having discovered a lump in my right breast earlier in the Spring. Several weeks later, I underwent removal of lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread. I was lucky, the lymph glands, bone, and liver scans were clear. Only a course of radiation was in order. During the following six weeks, I had radiation treatments 5 days a week, and coped with the physical and mental side effects of extreme fatigue and skin irritation.
Over the last few years I have been able to look back at my own treatment experience from a different perspective. HERE is my account of how aromatherapy helped me cope. You can click HERE if you are interested in the full-story via audio interview with K. G. Stiles.
Many supported me during this time of my life and one particular gift stands out. Robbi Zeck, ND and aromatherapist from Australia gave me a book called “I Will Not Die an Unlived Life” by Dawna Markova. She who wrote the poem of the same name that mentioned in a previous blog. This became my mantra for the years following my cancer. I knew I still had some living to do.
Interestingly enough, there was no research for me to look at back then. Now we have the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information, a summary which provides an overview of the use of aromatherapy and essential oils in improving the quality of life of cancer patients. THIS SUMMARY includes a brief history of aromatherapy, a review of laboratory studies and clinical trials, and possible adverse effects associated with aromatherapy use.
Over the last few years I have been able to look back at my own treatment experience from a new perspective. I am grateful for the experience, for the awareness of better health and habits. I don’t call myself a “survivor”, which promotes something awful happened and keeps it alive, but I choose to be a “thriver”. I don’t support the pink ribbons due to understanding the pinkwashing that goes on. Now 15 years later, I have an exit letter from my surgeon. No more yearly visits, no checking, and certainly no worries. In reality, I forgot about it long ago, fired my oncologist for making me wait 45 minutes, and have released my contract with all negative health issues. This body is healthy and this is my greatest gratitude. Cancer was the greatest teacher, uninvited or not!
by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger | Dec 10, 2013 | Sylla's Confessions
In the mid 70’s, like all good hippies, I went on a 6-week road-trip with my Mom in a VW microbus camper to California and back. I found the first scent shop I had ever seen in Dallas, TX. That shop changed my life! The smells were wonderful; the colored oils in glass decanters with pipettes for dispensing were a sight to behold! I bought at least six samples including patchouli, and so-called rose and jasmine (synthetic, as I discovered later). I mixed various scents together, patchouli and rose one day, patchouli and jasmine the next; and I observed how people reacted. This helped me define my own trademark scent that I still wear to this day.
I gave scents to my friends and family. I remember my brother D began first by scenting his fiddle case with patchouli, then it became his scent that he wore for the next 40 years. Another friend had been given a blend of vetiver/patchouli and I became obsessed with that too. I made perfumes, and perfected my famous personal scent. My own scent left a trail where I went; people would say I knew you went to the library on campus when I smelled you on the door after I opened it. Once at a party someone said I was at the airport on a particular day as they had smelled me in the elevator. At first I didn’t know what they were talking about. Later though, I remembered I had taken my Mom to the airport to fly home after a visit; sure enough I had been in the elevator at Tampa Airport that day in October. My scent followed me wherever I went and became a signature for who I was and who I would become.
Once I had my massage license (1979), I began adding oil blends to treatments and I saw that more intensely deep relaxation and occasionally psychological miracles occurred. I really thought I was onto something, wondering why anyone hasn’t anyone done this before?. “Surely this could be something big,” I thought. I understood a new potential and began an earnest quest for more information and more oils.
I ordered patchouli and “musk”- at the time really popular scent from Kiel’s pharmacy in NY, and begin to locate oils at the local food co-op, early health food stores and “head” shops.
I found advertisements for essential oils in the herbal magazines, as aromatherapy slowly entered the US through the door of herbalism, and the natural health movement. Many of the first teachers were herblists such as Jeanne Rose and Mindy Green and of course Colleen Dodt.
Odd that today, many aromatherapists are moving back into herbalism, wishing for a deeper understanding of the traditional medicine, and wanting more info on the plants these oils come from. With that in mind I have asked another well known herbalist to help create a course for our students, so watch this space!
by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger | Dec 7, 2013 | Featured Vintage Aromatherapist
In the summer of 1989, I attended an aromatherapy class by perfumer Christine Malcolm of Santa Fe Botanical Fragrances. Christine has deep roots in the perfume industry. Her career began in 1970 in the research and development area of the fragrance supplier industry.
She worked for several major companies including International Flavors & Fragrances, Givaudan and Florasynth progressing through various positions in the industry from laboratory technician and quality control evaluator to creative perfumer. In 1987, she founded her company Santa Fe Botanical Fragrances, because she saw that there was a need for perfumes and toiletry products to be created with authentic botanical ingredients. She is among the very first pioneers in the return to naturals with aromatherapy and botanical fragrances and helped start the current natural perfumer movement long ago. In spite of this title now being claimed by late comers, Christine may well have been first.
She has given presentations on aromatics and perfumery via platform and workshops over the years. As a freelance journalist, she wrote articles for magazines that featured aromatherapy, botanical perfumery and olfactory perception.
Christine also wrote a chapter in the book titled The World of Aromatherapy which you can read here in her BLOG. She has created some wonderful VIDEOS on the extraction of oils, bottles, and more on her site. Enjoy the process of harvesting and distillation of flowers. Learn about the history and evolution of fragrances and how their containers were linked with the fashion world in the early to mid 1900’s. there is also a GLOSSARY of fragrance terms that is very informative.
During that first meeting with Christine, I smelled orange blossom absolute for the first time, and of course never forgot it. Years later I realized neroli essential oil is not that scent, yet from the same flower. The early absolute haunted me until I finally got some. Of course, I was transported back to that first class! Christine helped me realize putting an oil blend on moist skin, preferably out of the shower when the skin is wet or from a hydrosol is “making cream” on your face, because cream is an oil and water mix. She still offers facial moisturizers, essential oil blends, perfumes, and colognes. Thank you Christine for your contribution to my development as an aromatherapist and to aromatherapy as a whole.
by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger | Dec 2, 2013 | Memoirs Of a Vintage Aromatherapist
By the mid-80s, I started to realize that that I was not alone in my practice with essential oils. Colleen Dodt was working quietly away up in Rochester Hills, MI having been recognized in her own right by 1987. Her company, Herbal Endeavours, had started up the year before, but she had already been promoting aromatherapy in the herbal industry for some time.
In 1987, Phyllis Shaudys opened her book Herbal Treasures with Colleen’s work on aromatherapy. She called Colleen a one woman pioneer in aromatherapy and said that Colleen had been “very gracious to those who turned deaf ears to her in the early days” and apologized to Colleen for having ignored her.
Colleen was called the “crazy herb lady” for many years and pioneered the use of gems in oils for personal blends. She coined the term “scent wagon,” as in everybody getting on it. Having gone to the UK to see Robert Tisserand in December 1986, she then was the first to bring the Tisserand line of oils here to the US. She first brought Robert Tisserand to Baton Rouge, LA, and Detroit, MI. She also first brought Marcel Lavabre of Aroma Vera (see photo) and Anita Roddrick of Body Shop to Ann Arbor, MI., and Jeanne Rose as guest speaker to Rochester Hills, MI.
She wrote two books: The Essential Oils Book: Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body (1996) and Natural Baby Care (1997). Finally she was the first American and first woman author in the International Journal of Aromatherapy, Vol.1, 1988, called “Aroma What? Americans May Not Know it Yet But They Are Heading for a New Revolution.”
I consider Coleen to be another very early Pioneer Vintage Aromatherapist, deserving of recognition and honor for her contributions to the field. Many people know nothing about her. She got lost in the years to follow and is now making a come back. One thing I have seen happen is that once the internet started up and many who jumped on the internet with lots of marketing became well known, while others with less resources and skills got left behind. She is one who did not get a big flashy website and marketing; her books was translated and sold all over the world with no compensation to Colleen. Now she is known again, and my dream is to see her course online, she is not done yet! I thank her for coming to St. Pete to be honored.
by Sylla Sheppard-Hanger | Nov 26, 2013 | Featured Vintage Aromatherapist
The same year I opened my salon Rumors, Natures Symphony Inc. opened in Boca Raton, FL. It was one of the first true aromatherapy stores in Florida and has been a pioneer in the field of Aromatherapy in the US for since its beginning.
The company was formed by a French medical doctor, William Amzallag, and Gerri Whidden in 1982. Pat Ashford then joined Gerri to create one of the first and most complete aromatherapy stores on the east coast that is still in business. They attended many conferences and we had wonderful times together in the aromatherapy adventures. When I sponsored a lecture day with special guest Maggie Tisserand they came and showed their wares.
Pat, Gerri, Sylla, Emilee Stewart, Lisa Fulmer, Maggie Tisserand, Cynthia Haas, way back in 1990’s hosting Maggie Tisserand in Tampa.
They were the best source from oils to bulk supplies, skin care, books and all things aromatic. Their shop is still located in the heart of Boca Raton. Do stop in if you are near.
Recently we met up in St. Pete with Shellie Enteen and many others. (Sylla, Shellie , Pat, Gerri). they were two of the 5 that received the Pioneer Vintage Aromatherapy awards, and I am so thankful they came here for the presentation.
I taught basic aromatherapy there with them for quite a few years and watched as Natures Symphony became the aromatic presence in South Florida for the last 30 years. Gerri has been directly responsible for the education of over 30,000 students in Aromatherapy. She is recognized as a leading aromatherapy expert and has been invited to lecture at seminars in the USA and internationally.
Besides sponsoring Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy teachers Martin Watt on medical aromatherapy and Robert Pappas on chemistry, they also brought quality education to Florida early on by sponsoring leaders in aromatherapy including in 1989 the first east coast two-day seminar with Robert Tisserand. This seminar included a class with Colleen Dodt, a sometimes forgotten pioneer of aromatherapy in the US. Stay tuned for more information about Colleen.
Visit their website http://www.nsaroma.com/.
