In the year 1995, when I was studying aromatherapy in London, I had the chance to cross the English Channel and visit a lavender distiller in Provence, France. I had never visited an essential oil distiller before, and it had always been a dream of mine. How could I say no?

My friends Rhiannon and Bob invited me to go in their tiny European car. We rolled the windows down so we could enjoy the perfect July weather, and set off toward the distillery. The smell of lavender filled the air when we were still miles away, and I took a deep breath. I had already been looking forward to this, and now I was really excited—I was actually going to meet people who distilled lavender essential oil!

I will never forget rounding the corner on that bumpy little road and seeing endless fields of lavender stretching out before me. I couldn’t believe my eyes—row upon row of lush lavender plants as far as I could see! The endless expanse of purple was exquisite. It really took my breath away.

We drove along roads that wove in and out of the fields, passing roadside stalls that sold fresh and dried bundles of lavender, lavender soap, creams, body oils, mists, potpourri, and many other wonderful products, all handmade by local artisans.

The day got only more exciting when we arrived at the distillery. The stainless-steel stills had obviously been loved—they weren’t new, but they were very well kept. I spent a long time talking with the two distillers, who shared their stories about growing the lavender without chemicals or pesticides, and harvesting it by hand in the early days. I stayed with them while they distilled a fresh batch of essential oil, and I couldn’t believe the jaw-dropping amount of plant material they loaded into their still. I watched the distillation process, and after 1 hour and 15 minutes of distillation, the oil dripped into a clear glass container, yielding one liter of essential oil.

Just one liter!

That was the first time I really understood how concentrated a single drop of essential oil is.

The liter of oil was a thin layer on top of a much more substantial layer of liquid—the hydrosol. The hydrosol was the water they’d used in the still, which had become infused with the water-soluble components of the lavender flowers. Hydrosols that are created during essential oil distillation are pure, aromatic waters that have therapeutic properties. We washed our faces, hands, and feet with the lavender hydrosol. It was so refreshing!

The more I talked with the distillers, the more impressed I was with their work and their overall approach to life. They were in touch with the land where they had been working organically for many years. They had no website or marketing. They were simply a local, small-scale lavender farm and distillery, making and selling products to the locals, pharmacies, and people who made aromatherapy products and perfumes. I had always purchased my essential oils from companies with their own labels on the bottles, and now I realized that this small farm—and others like it around the world—was where the oils really came from.

The oil had taken on a new personality for me. It was just as gentle, relaxing, and inspiring as before, but it was no longer simply the liquid essence of the plant in a bottle. Using the oil felt like being with a friend who always left me feeling restored and uplifted. I still feel centered and calm in my heart whenever I smell lavender essential oil.

My new outlook extended into my aromatherapy studies. I took more trips to visit distillers around the world, and the more time I spent with other essential oils, the more they all began to feel like friends.

Teaching classes in the therapeutic uses of essential oils felt like a very natural development for me. In 1998, I founded Aromahead Institute, teaching classes in the art of blending and the science of essential oils.

Feeling educated about essential oils is such an empowering experience because there are so many different oils you can work with. They all offer the nourishment of the plant they are distilled from in a single drop, and education helps you understand which oils to reach for at which times. Nature works holistically . . . and so do we. When nature touches one area of your life, you can feel it in many other areas. Essential oils demonstrate this in a big way. I believe that aromatherapy is a gateway into a broader understanding of traditional healing, and a path toward healthy living.

I am still amazed when I use lavender essential oil to restore my skin after I’ve been exposed to the sun all day, and it helps me slip off to sleep easily. Or when I use sweet orange essential oil to ease my belly after I’ve eaten a little too much and feel tension I didn’t even know I was carrying melt away from my muscles.

There are so many different essential oils that can help you calm down, give you more energy, ease worries and fears, help you release anxiety, soothe sore muscles, nourish skin, help you stay healthy and prevent illness, and help you recover from injuries more quickly and comfortably . . . and that’s only the tip of the iceberg! Each of the oils has more than one property—just as people have more than one aspect to their personality—so when you use the oils for one purpose, you can experience multiple benefits.

Staying healthy is an ongoing process—a way of living rather than a result.

Essential oils offer a natural way to engage in this process—to care for yourself and your family, create a beautiful and comforting home, and unfold new layers of vitality and happiness. Think about how a plant can go from a seed to a flowering fruit tree that feeds many people year after year, and you’ll get an idea of how essential oils can bring about transformation. The transformation can be in your heart, mind, body . . . or all three!