Jodi Baglien Makes Scents of Aromatherapy

That candle you bought at Bath and Body Works might have the word “aromatherapy” stamped on its label, but the actual practice of aromatherapy is far more nuanced than burning the wick in a jar of wax.
   
Aromatherapy makes use of essential oils to treat stress, anxiety, pain, nausea, respiratory issues and much more. It’s a mash-up of art and science. On the science side, the oils work via specific electromagnetic vibrations to respond to frequencies in the body—working as a preventative to stop viruses, keeping you healthy. The art side taps into your emotions and energy. Simply put, good smells make us happy, impacting our physiology and mental wellness immensely.
   
“I think of aromatherapy as a big, soft blanket,” says Jodi Baglien, owner of Jodi Baglien Well Being + Wisdom Studio in Osseo. “The point of practicing it is to help you find balance and to bring you peace.”
   
With more than 25 years as a holistic therapist and years of widespread involvement in and certification from professional aromatherapy organizations, Baglien is considered the Twin Cities’ “go-to” expert for hands-on, integrative aromatherapy. In addition to mixing and selling her own line of essential oils, she offers shiatsu massage and councils on health and wellness. To hear her talk about aromatherapy is to learn not only about essential oils, pocket inhalers, room diffusers and bath salts, but it’s to glean insight into a lifestyle.
   
“My clients don’t want another prescription,” Baglien says. “They want to learn how to be their own health authority again.”
   
A typical visit to see an aromatherapist such as Baglien will begin with a basic question: How are you? Are you feeling hyperactive like a pinball going ping! ping! ping! Or are you feeling deflated and lethargic like a poorly patched inner tube? Based on your answers, an aromatherapist will work with you to attain centeredness. She might uncap a bottle of cedarwood essential oil and tell you to breathe it in deep. This is considered a “grounding oil”. Next, you might inhale a little bergamot (an orange scent), which will uplift and refresh you. You might dilute that oil with a neutral oil (such as coconut oil) and rub it into your skin. During your session you might use three or four different oils, and perhaps you leave with a bottle of your favorite aroma.
   
“If you can achieve a positive overall feeling—wherever you are—everything sort of falls into place,” says Carolyn Dolan, a client of Baglien’s who now mixes her own essential oils. “I always carry an aroma stick with me at work. It makes me more calm and focused, taking me from argh to ahhh.”
   
Dolan is an R.N. at North Memorial Medical Center, so she knows a thing or two about fast-pace work environments. Pausing to take a deep breath of an aroma stick inhaler, she says, forces her into a mini time-out to inhale and exhale.
   
“Scent is something we experience everyday,” Dolan says. “To make those moments positive is huge. These drops of oil are a gift.”
   
Another client of Baglien’s, Julie Spanier, also attests to the benefits of using aromatherapy. She’s noticed improvements such as sleeping better and feeling more energized throughout the day. Additionally, Spanier notes that aromatherapy has helped her son with A.D.D. problems he’d been having at school.
   
It’s not surprising that Baglien has had such an impact on her clients. She’s an educator through and through, teaching at community colleges, mentoring healthcare professionals on the use of aromatherapy in hospitals, and of course teaching and practicing at her own studio.
   
“Stress costs us a lot—both financially and health-wise,” Baglien says. “Learning how to be present is crucial. We can’t just sit on the couch eating Doritos waiting for the world to get simple.”
   
The world may not be simple, but the lovely feeling you get from breathing in fresh lavender? Now that’s pure, unadulterated simplicity.