As nurses, our priority is to care for, and heal our patients' mind, body, and spirit. Nurse Lani Campos, RN CCM HTSM-HP is certified in using Essential Oils and Healing Touch. In addition to her other nursing expertise, her holistic approach has yielded wonderful results with her patients. Below describes how they work.

Essential Oils

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are the very life force or essence of the plant. The oil or resin carries nutrients throughout the plant and protects it from any form of stress. The oil has been called the “life blood” of the plant since it protects against infections and other diseases. These oils are tiny droplets produced in glands, sacs, or veins of different plant parts and may be found in any portion of the bush, flower, herb, or tree. It is what gives each plant its characteristic aroma. The essential oil of a plant is not oily at all but rather is a water-like fluid.

What do they do?

Essential oils can perform many functions for our bodies, minds, and spirits. As plants of the earth, they are God’s gifts for our healing. They can support and balance many systems-circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous, endocrine and reproductive. When an essential oil fragrance enters the nose, it goes to the lungs and finds its way into the bloodstream and every part of the body. Chemical interactions can occur between the oils and our bodies that result in physical changes. There can be hormone and enzyme responses to the chemicals in the oils. Our bodies can become sedated, stimulated or relaxed by the actions of certain oils. Pain may be relieved, wounds may heal, and inflammation and spasms may cease.

Additional effects

Essential oils can also affect our minds and emotions. All aromas have a potential emotional impact that can reach deep into the psyche, and both relax the mind and uplift the spirit.

Healing Touch

Healing Touch is a form of energetic healing that has its origin in the laying-on of hands that can be found in all spiritual paths. It is based on a philosophy of caring and compassion and is oriented towards service to humanity.

The soul of the Healing Touch program is heart work. In scientific language, practitioners energetically synchronize their hearts to the heart of another who is hurting. They extend the qualities of love that are nurturing, connecting and integrating. As they lift the hurting person to God in prayer, hands-on healing and anointing, the healing work becomes sacred work. They enter into that divine work of being couriers for God’s healing grace.

In her Judeo-Christian path, there are many ways to use one’s hands with the intention of healing that are based in the scriptures and in the Christian tradition. Lani works with the Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry.