MAT shows that self-healing is simple, natural, and joyful

Updated 14 July 2020

In a shop in Rishikesh, Miryam López had a powerful encounter with essential oils – and immediately knew she wanted to learn more about how they work.

Remarkably, within just a few weeks of returning from India, Miryam received an email from MERU announcing the Maharishi Aroma Therapy Foundation and Consultant Courses. And she decided to attend.

Thanks to these courses, Miryam has had her eyes opened to this delightful and practical area of Maharishi’s knowledge.

I spoke with Miryam to ask her more about her story and find out how she’s been using this knowledge of Maharishi Aroma Therapy in her own life. I hope you find the interview illuminating!

Gain insight into the world of essential oils at the Maharishi Aroma Therapy Foundation Course, presented online by MERU. 

Rebekah: Could you tell me where you’re from, where you live at the moment, and what you do?

Miryam: I’m from Spain, and until one year ago I lived in the U.S. I lived abroad for 20 years – as a journalist in Latin America and New York City; as a student at Maharishi International University getting a master’s in Vedic Science and another one in film with David Lynch; as a TM Teacher working in a school project in Mexico; and then in Washington, D.C. doing some communication and marketing at a foundation.

After twenty years abroad I’ve come back to my own country. My main thing now is TM, and right now I am also starting some school projects with TM.

Rebekah: Can you tell me a little about your experience teaching TM?

Miryam: Well, what can I say? I love it! Teaching TM, you don’t even feel that you’re working. Sometimes of course you have to coordinate many things, but it’s still really beautiful. 

Now that I’m back in Spain, I’ve seen a totally transformed consciousness and more openness to this knowledge. Almost without any marketing or anything, people are coming to me, and it’s really beautiful to me, the whole thing.

I am even teaching my close friends TM, which is really fulfilling, and it is working so well for them. We often meditate in a group, and we do asanas, advanced lectures, and some residence courses. So on a personal level, teaching TM is really beautiful, and of course for the country as well.

When did you become interested in aromatherapy, and specifically in Maharishi’s approach to aromatherapy?

I always liked oils, aromas, and essential oils a lot. And I knew there were some Maharishi oils related with AyurVeda products, but I did not know much about them. I knew a lot about many other Maharishi technologies, because I was at MIU. I took the yoga class, the AyurVeda class, Jyotish, and many other things – but the aromatherapy I wasn’t sure about.

And then last year I went to India to work in a film festival in Rishikesh, where there are many stores with great organic products. I was with my cousin, and we spent a lot of time with the oils in those stores, smelling the oils, trying them in different ways, and noticing how good we felt with them.

And I started to think, ‘Wow! I really want to know more about this.’

And right after that trip, which was around April or May, I received the newsletter from MERU. I saw there was the Aroma Therapy Foundation course and the Consultant course at MERU in June. 

My intuition told me I should do it. But I wasn’t sure, because that was the same moment when I had started teaching TM full time – I thought it was going to be a lot. But then some money came to me without expecting, so I decided to do it!

How was your experience on those courses?

It was amazing, really! I was so happy the whole time. First, I discovered aromatherapy in general. And second, I discovered that you can apply aromatherapy in an ayurvedic way. This is not just any aromatherapy that recommends one oil for everybody. This is more oriented to your dosha type, your age, the time of the year, the time of the day – all these things. I was also able to reconnect with the AyurVeda that I studied for my master’s degree.

So it was wonderful coming back to the knowledge. And I didn’t have any expectations, I just wanted to do it! It really opened a new world for me.

Being able to connect the smells, the oils, the plants and the flowers, with consciousness, and to realise that you can even develop higher states of consciousness through the oils – discovering this super powerful Vedic technology was really nice.

Plus, Nadine Thomas is an amazing teacher, the group was very nice, and being in Maharishi’s house taking a course – the whole thing was a wonderful experience.

So what is unique about this specific approach to aromatherapy compared to others? Can you tell me a little more about the connection with AyurVeda?

The first thing is that the oils are a very good quality. Because right now, there are many brands, and all around the world people are doing aromatherapy with all types of oil. You never know if these oils are natural or synthetic, or if they contain alcohol. Most of the times they’re not even pure. So one important aspect to Maharishi Aroma Therapy is the quality of the oils – that they are organic, pure, and harvested in a traditional, respectful way.

And then there’s the connection with AyurVeda. If you ask people who know something about oils, ‘Which oil is best in winter to feel a little warmer?’ They will say rosemary. But in AyurVeda, rosemary is heating, so you don’t use it very often if the person has any pitta imbalance. It can be overheating.

In the end, you don’t have to know much about Ayurveda, but you have to know a little bit about what is good for the morning, for the digestion, for bedtime – and what’s not. These very subtle but simple things are very powerful. But in other approaches you don’t have this knowledge.

And even with people that know a lot about essential oils – when I tell them these things they are very surprised.

Perhaps most importantly, having this AyurVeda element is also about consciousness – it’s about giving the body, the mind, the emotions, and the whole Self what it needs to heal itself from the inside out. 

And it’s very subtle. It’s really subtle, but it always goes very deep through your nervous system.

One of the things that I always remember is that with these oils, you remember the Self – you remember who you are. And that’s beautiful because it’s true! The oils give you this depth, but in a very light way that connects with the Self. 

So, since taking these courses, how have you personally benefitted from this knowledge?

Sometimes, you know, some weeks are busier than others – but even though I can’t always use them very often some days, just having the oils in my house makes me happy! And some people who understand the plants and the oils say this is normal because on a molecular level, the oils can connect with you even if you don’t touch them. So yes, in that sense even when I don’t have the time to use them regularly, I love having them near me.

But I do use them a lot for digestion, in the micro-diffuser, and of course for massage. And now I know how to use them for my cycle, or if I’m dealing with any pain. I know what I like before bed, and I always have something with me if I’m in a car, because I get motion sickness. Now I know to take the peppermint with me!

Just for all of that – taking the course and gaining this knowledge is worth it. Because for your whole life, you have this tool to help you feel good. It’s not taking a pill … it’s just smelling!

So, because you took the consultant course, you are qualified to give consultations now. How is that going?

I’ve been mainly doing it with my family and with friends. But even without giving many official consultations, whenever someone tells me they have problems – with falling asleep, for example – I recommend they take lavender, or give them my own oils … even just one oil here and there.

I have also been using them with some meditators. We smell them together in a group, and when they tell me an issue they’re having I recommend them an oil. Some even buy the Vedaroma Micro-Diffuser because they like it so much.

Later on, when I have the time I will probably do more consultations, because I really like it!

What do you feel you’ve learned from being able to give this knowledge to other people?

I’ve seen that people feel a lot of joy from the oils. They’re discovering that every smell has a different effect. And when I explain the benefits, people are really surprised how something so simple could work so well. So for me it’s that simplicity of one flower or one plant – how much it helps. But also it’s the joy that people get. People are happy when smelling or applying the oils!

One of the things that the teacher on the course says, and it makes sense – always take with you at least one oil. Because in any situation – an accident, a child crying, or somebody feeling very sick, or whatever – you give them the oil, you hold the oil under their nose, and you’re going to take them to another state. It doesn’t matter which oil. It’s going to calm them down and open up the possibility of change. And that’s really beautiful. Maybe it’s not exactly the oil they need for that problem, but if you give them something, it’s going to change the situation. And I think that’s really amazing.

If someone would like to know more about Maharishi Aroma Therapy, what would you say to them?

One thing I recommend they do is to go to VedAroma website, to watch all the videos that are there – what you have to do is subscribe to the newsletter. They include lot of videos with every oil, and they have an Ayurvedic doctor, Vaidya Vyas, who is very good at giving his knowledge of the oils in those videos – so many benefits! And he connects it with the Ayurvedic knowledge.

Another thing I’d recommend is the book, The Power of Essential Oils. It’s also on the VedAroma website. In this book you have a very good idea of how to use each oil – whether it’s best through massage, diffuser, on the temples. It goes first by the system: nervous system, respiratory, digestive, skeletal, endocrine. So if you have a problem you go to that page. It also goes oil by oil to give you the physical and emotional benefits, which is very important.

And for people who already know something about essential oils, what would you say is the benefit of going to the foundation and consultant courses?

These courses are very good because they are very complete, and this approach of consciousness is amazing for everyone. They take you very deep into what consciousness is, and the relationship with the mind, body, emotions, and even the Self, and how this goes through the oils directly to the deepest part of you. Even just with the foundation course, you get knowledge that you don’t get anywhere else.

And then for the consultant course. In some disciplines to become a consultant, you have to do two or three months of training. But with these ten days of the consultant course, you really get a lot because they give you a lot of material, and you have access to many things. It’s very, very complete! 

I feel people should know more about this – meditators, Sidhas, TM Teachers. I want to bring this to Spain because I believe everyone should have some basic knowledge of how to use the oils.

It’s such a great, simple thing you can do for your own health and happiness!

The wonderful world of essential oils

Gain profound insight into the power of essential oils when you attend the online Maharishi Aroma Therapy Foundation Course hosted by MERU from 10 August-4 September 2020.

In this beautiful online course, you will learn how to holistically enhance your well-being through selecting essential oils according to the principles of Maharishi AyurVeda.

The foundation course is also the prerequisite training for the more advanced Consultant Training Course, a ten-day training course for Sidhas and TM Teachers to become Maharishi Aroma Therapy Consultants. So if you’ve been thinking about becoming a consultant, now is the perfect time to take the foundation course!

Apply early to claim a spot on the online Foundation Course.

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