Enhancing wellbeing in beauty salons and spas through the integration of mindfulness and aromatherapy in beauty vocational education: a qualitative narrative inquiry

Figures & data

Figure 1. Illustrates the design process of the six mindful meditation sessions.

Figure 2. Illustrates how each mindful meditation session leads the individual to transition into a deeper meditative state.

Table 1. The chosen mindfulness meditation sessions.

Mindful Gazing	Mindful Breathing	Mindful Body scan
When one holds the gaze, the mind is slowly drawn back from any wondering thoughts to focus on the object. In turn, the mind becomes peaceful and develops a compassionate awareness (Godfrey, 2018). Mindful gazing also aids in 1) balancing the nervous system, thus relieving nervous tension and 2) aiding memory and enhancing concentration (Rajpoot & Vaishnav, 2015).	Many claim that focusing their awareness on their breathing helps them feel calmer (Burk, 2014). Studies show that deep and slow breathing techniques significantly reduce negative feelings, thus working harmoniously with relaxation ( (1993Zaccaro et al., 2018).	This practice is linked with significant and positive correlation with decreased anxiety, stress, and depression as well as increased emotional wellbeing ( (Hazlett-Stevens, 2018). Furthermore, it allows the notion of noticing without judgment (Dreeben et al., 2013). This non-judgmental practice helps the individual to familiarise themself with things as they occur. In return, it liberates the person from selecting or overthinking experiences (Kiken & Shook, 2011).
Mindful self-appreciation	Mindful inner smile	Mindful Healing
Self-appreciation leads to the elimination of shaming and belittling of oneself, thus improving self-esteem (Shonin et al., 2014). The study of Mbuva (2016) concluded that educators with healthy self-esteem positively impact their teaching career and their students’ learning. Even more, people with good self-esteem tend to be happier, healthier, more successful, productive, and more accepting of others (Obidigbo & Onyekuru, 2012).	It is believed that a true smile can generate loving energy with the ability to heal (Chia, 2002). Smiling has various beneficial effects, such as lowering blood pressure, improving the immune system, and being a natural anti-depressant (Bays, 2011). According to Hellerstein (2011), when the body has an overproduction of stress hormones for an extended period, the chemicals produced become toxic to the brain and the body. On the other hand, organs secrete a honey-like substance when the person is smiling and happy (Chia, 2002).	To achieve healing that goes beyond medicine, one needs to still the mind (Wilson, 2011). Such healing is referred to by Schmidt (2004) as “the healing attitude.” According to Fulder (2019), one should learn to listen and communicate with one’s body, then direct the healing intention by transferring warming, loving and soothing energy.

Table 2. The chosen aromatherapy oils.

Sweet Basil	Rosemary	Clary sage
Basil is an effective cephalic and neurotronic, making it an excellent essential oil for clearing the head, calming anxiety, and reducing stress-related symptoms (Gould, 2003; Pitman, 2019; Ryman, 2002; Tucker, 2015).	Studies report that inhaling rosemary essential oil improves memory, gives a sense of clarity, and enhances the ability to focus (Filiptsova et al., 2017). Furthermore, rosemary is also associated with decreasing stress and anxiety (Rahimi et al., 2019).	Various studies confirm the herb’s reputation for providing mental clarity as their findings show a positive influence on cognitive performance such as attention, alertness, memory, and decision making (Lopresti, 2017).
Ylang Ylang	Peppermint	Lavender
Ylang Ylang is known to be a natural anti-depressant and is useful for enhancing a sense of wellbeing (Ali et al., 2015). Furthermore, Hongratanaworakit and Buchbauer (2004) report that inhaling Ylang Ylang essential oil activates alertness and attentiveness.	Peppermint is known to open the mind, improve concentration, release mental fatigue, and reduce stress (Pitman, 2019; Tucker, 2015). Supporting these therapeutic effects is the study of Warm et al. (1991), as the authors state that inhalation of peppermint essential oil aids focused attention.	According to Sakamoto et al. (2005), inhaling lavender essential oil aids the individual to feel refreshed and thus enhances their concentration. The authors explain that this contribution may be due to the oils’ de-stressing properties.
Frankincense	Frankincense is well-known for its ability to aid focused attention during meditation (Pitman, 2019; Tucker, 2015). Moreover, Okano et al. (2019) study confirm that Frankincense essential oil can counteract the effects of stress, thus useful for stress management.

Table 3. Provides the demographical information of each participant.

Participant	Position			Experience
	Vocational Educator	2nd year Student therapist	Salon Owner & therapist	Teaching experience	Industry Experience
P1	✓			20+	30+
P2	✓			11	18
P3	✓			7	22
P4		✓		–	2
P5		✓		–	2
P6		✓		–	2
P7			✓	–	17
P8			✓	–	15

Table 4. Educators’ narratives.

	Educators
Participants	Participant 1	Participant 2	Participant 3
Introduction	This participant is 60 years old. She is qualified in various holistic therapies and is a beauty therapy lecturer. She is knowledgeable about mindfulness and has been a regular practitioner for several years.	Participant 2 is in her early forties and is a nurse by profession. She is a full-time lecturer at a vocational college and has kept nursing part-time. The participant had never experienced mindful meditation before and stated that she might find it difficult to relax during these sessions.	Participant 3 teaches beauty therapy students at a vocational college. She associates mindful meditation with achieving “inner peace”. She states that these sessions came at a time when she faced life-changing situations.
Theme 1: Achieving self-awareness	The participant's reflections show evidence that self-awareness was achieved. This reflexive process is consistent throughout the sessions.	This process helped participant 2 achieve enhanced self-awareness. In turn, it made her realise how much her state of wellbeing affects the people around her, especially her family. It also made her mindful of her physical pain, thus making her feel anxious. Yet, served as a wake-up call to tackle the issue rather than live with it.	Participant 3 developed a sense of self-awareness which exposed a path leading her to holistically enhance her wellbeing.
Theme 2: Achieving wellbeing	The participant rates a lower stress and anxiety level after each mindful meditation. Thus, achieving wellbeing.	With the exception of the mindful body scan session, all the other sessions helped improve the participant's wellbeing as her stress and anxiety levels lowered or remained stable.	Participant 3 began this journey feeling emotionally vulnerable. However, by the end of these sessions, she embraced the concept of accepting the things we cannot control. In turn, her frustrations shifted to a sense of peace without regrets. This helped decrease the participant's stress and anxiety levels.
Theme 3: Aromatherapy enhanced mindfulness	Participant 1 feels that the sessions that included aromatherapy were stronger than the ones that did not. Thereby positively affecting her experience.	Participant 2 states, “Aromatherapy definitely helped me because it puts me in a peaceful mode.” Hence, the combination of aromatherapy and mindful meditation positively impacted the participant's experience as it triggered her to relax.	Participant 3 automatically began associating the aromatic scents with relaxation. Due to this positive impact, she recommends using aromatherapy in salons and classrooms.
Theme 4: The ambience for mindful practice	Participant 1 explains that ambience played a considerable role in enhancing her experience and wellbeing. She claims that “the environment and energy in the room helped me put all guards down.”	The aromatic scents and the ambience helped enhance the participant's focus and ability to relax. She states, “This sort of ambience helped me a lot. Its effect is very calming.”	Participant 3 states that the surrounding ambience contributed to making her experience more pleasant. Stating, “The peaceful environment made me feel more relaxed and at ease.”
Theme 5: Achieving a deeper meditative state	The participant's profound reflections and visualisations confirm her transitioning to a deeper meditative state. She states, “I am going up my meditative level, and this journey was the key to transition smoothly.”	Throughout her narrative, participant 2 states that visualisation does not come naturally. Albeit, the ambience in the room aided the participant's visualisation process.	As we proceeded with the sessions, the participant's visualising ability and focus improved, resulting in a deeper meditative state.
Theme 6: Enhancing our personalities	Participant 1 explains how this mindful journey positively changed her personality by enhancing her sense of appreciation and gratitude for the people around her.	These sessions helped participant 2 become mindful of the positive things in her life and thus develop a greater sense of gratitude, leading her to respond better to the people around her.	Participant 3 noticed a positive change in her personality as her frustration and anger changed into understanding and acceptance.
Theme 7: Mindfulness enhances our profession	Participant 1 states that her changed personality helped her enhance her teaching profession, stating that through these sessions, she feels she has become more sensitive to her students’ emotions and seeks to foster a more positive approach.	“Being in a positive mood helps me see my class in a better light.” participant 2 believes mindfulness can help lecturers enhance productivity and become more compassionate towards students.	Based on her experience, the participant believes mindfulness can help lecturers bring positivity to the classroom, giving students a better education.
Theme 8: An embodiment of mindfulness	As participant 1 talks about her experience of mindfulness, it becomes clear that her embodiment of mindfulness grew stronger as she continued to practice independently. The embodiment of mindfulness is seen in her personal life, professional life and general wellbeing, and relationship with the students.	Although the effects of mindfulness are present in the participant's personal life, it seems that she does not apply the same mindful approach in her profession. Thereby, participant 2 may require further mindfulness training to help her further develop her embodiment of mindfulness.	Participant 3 states that these mindfulness sessions served as a learning curve that continues to influence and flourish in her personal and professional life. It is encouraging to see how the participant's embodiment of mindfulness is reflected in her personal and professional life.
Theme 9: Mindfulness training for lecturers	The participant's embodiment of mindfulness brought about a change in the way she usually deals with challenging students. This is visible in her way of caring and showing a compassionate attitude toward students and in the way she implements mindfulness in her delivery. The participant argues that “it is because of these reasons that we as lecturers need mindfulness.”	Based on her experience, participant 2 believes that providing lecturers with mindfulness training can improve both the lecturers’ and students’ wellbeing, thus enhancing productivity.	Participant 3 firmly believes that if mindfulness training is provided to lecturers, it has the potential to make individuals more considerate and empathic toward their students.
Theme 10: Mindfulness within the curriculum	Participant 1 believes integrating mindfulness as part of the curriculum can help students “on a personal and civic level.” She explains that characteristics such as empathy, compassion, and other soft skills can be enhanced by achieving self-awareness. In turn, students can potentially be more efficient and better in their line of work.	Participant 2 explains that integrating mindfulness into the curriculum will allow students to deal with their challenges and thus develop more positive behaviour. She elaborates further by stating that teaching student mindfulness will provide them with a much-needed skill and tool to use with their patients, potentially improving their quality of work.	Participant 3 is convinced that learning mindfulness will boost the student’s career. she is convinced that those students who are compassionate towards their clients and can transmit positivity will ensure customer loyalty and benefit from a successful career.
Theme 11: The lasting effects of mindfulness	“The impact the sessions had on me two years ago is still very strong in my mind and heart.” The above excerpt shows that participant 1 is still reaping the benefits two years after the mindful meditation sessions.	Two years after the mindfulness sessions, the participant has kept a daily schedule of taking care of herself. By going for a walk or a swim, participant 2 finds the time to practice mindfulness as she allows herself to clear her mind and relieve some of that accumulated stress.	“The sessions still affect me because I continued practicing mindfulness on my own.” Participant 3 explained that since those sessions, she kept to the same positive mindset and that mindfulness taught her the importance of acknowledging her feelings.
Theme 12: Dealing with scepticism	Participant 1 is aware that some individuals might be sceptic about mindfulness practices. However, trusts that those who experience the practice will advocate its benefits.	Participant 2 states that for sceptical individuals like her, first-hand experience is crucial to understanding the benefits of mindfulness.
Theme 13: Hindrance for mindfulness integration		Participant 2 explained that online lessons and time restrictions prevented her from implementing the principles of mindfulness in her teaching profession. However, she is hopeful that in the next academic year, she will have the time to implement the element of mindful reflection in her delivery and wishes to have a timetable that allows her to build a relationship with the student.

Table 5. Beauty students’ narratives.

	Students
Participants	Participant 4	Participant 5	Participant 6
Introduction	Participant 4 is 19-year-old. She claims that school is the leading cause of her stress and anxiety. To make matters worse, the educational system she was used to changed significantly due to the COVID pandemic, and as a result, she feels insecure and is constantly worrying that she might fail.	Participant 5 is in her early thirties and is a beauty therapy student. This final year was notably more stressful and challenging due to the Covid pandemic. Additionally, the participant's situation is even more challenging since she is deaf. With her interpreter's help, participant 5 could focus and enjoy these mindful meditation sessions just as much as the other participants.	Participant 6 is in her twenties, studying to become a professional beauty therapist. The participant claims that this was not an easy year for her. Besides dealing with the Covid pandemic challenges, she also dealt with personal health problems and family troubles.
Theme 1: Achieving self-awareness	These mindful sessions allowed the participant to spend time with the “self” and thus achieve self-awareness. This process helped her work through her struggles and channel her feelings.	Acquiring self-awareness helped the participant to develop a positive outlook and a greater sense of self-appreciation. In turn, helping her improve her self-esteem and her overall wellbeing.	Participant 6 states that having quality time with the “self”, helped her achieve self-awareness. Consequently, the process led to self-appreciation, self-confidence, and a positive attitude.
Theme 2: Achieving wellbeing	Participant 4 explained that this experience helped her understand that life is to be lived one step at a time and that worrying will only make life more challenging. This perspective helped reduce the participant's stress and anxiety levels.	For participant 5, mindfulness also helped her understand and accept that there are situations in life that one cannot control. Once she adapted to a more positive mindset, she could move on, and her wellbeing improved.	These mindful sessions allowed the participant to step into a “little bubble,” which provided her with a “safe haven” away from her worries and struggles. In turn, her stress level decreased significantly after each session.
Theme 3: Aromatherapy enhanced Mindfulness	Participant 4 notes that the calming and relaxing effects of the aromatic oils combined with mindfulness meditation have a symbiotic effect, as together, they intensified her experience.	Participant 5 states that the aromatic scents helped her focus better during the sessions, making her experience more intense.	Participant 6 emphasised that she preferred the sessions that included aromatherapy. She explained that the aromatic scents helped her immerse herself in the session and made the experience more powerful.
Theme 4: The mindful ambience	At times participant 4 found online sessions distracting and would have preferred a quieter environment.	Doing online sessions distracted her focus. She would have preferred a more peaceful environment.	Unfortunately, throughout the sessions, the participant had various distractions. She believes her overall experience might have been even better if the session had been conducted in a quieter environment.
Theme 5: Achieving a deep meditative state	Despite not having the ideal ambience, participant 4 could still visualise the instructed guided imagery and have moments of deep reflexivity, indicating the attainment of a deeper meditative state. In turn, this enhanced her awareness and appreciation toward life, the people around her, and herself.	Despite her fluctuating focus, the participant's narrative indicates that she still managed to experience moments where she entered a deep meditative state.	Participant 6 explains that the mindful journey leads you into a reflective process, where one becomes aware of things that usually go unnoticed. This awareness instils in us a greater sense of appreciation, enhancing our values and sense of morality.
Theme 6: Enhancing our personalities	Participant 4 states that she noticed a change in her personality in how she gained control over her emotions even when her mood was not at its best. “When I have one of those moods, I am now able to calm myself down and speak my mind calmly. As opposed to reacting badly.”	Participant 5 understands that the way we project ourselves can potentially affect the people around us. Seeing how these sessions helped her overall wellbeing, she thought of her friends and the deaf community and how these sessions can also help them.	The participant claims that as she proceeded with the sessions, she became that one needs to focus on the person's positive side rather than on their negative aspects. “Everyone makes mistakes. One cannot keep being negative and thinking the worst. We need to see the good in people.”
Theme 7: Enhancing our profession	Participant 4 explained that a calm, grounded, and self-controlled personality is needed when faced with overwhelming situations presented in the workplace. Thus, believes that these mindful sessions will help her thrive as a beauty therapist.	Participant 5 also connects mindful meditation with having a successful career. She believes that through mindfulness, we can connect better with our clients. Moreover, she would like her clients to experience the same positive benefits she experienced through mindful meditation by incorporating mindfulness within her treatments.	Participant 6 states that practicing mindfulness helped her keep her emotions in check, allowing her to focus and work professionally on her tasks. Thus, enhancing her profession.
Theme 8: Mindfulness within the curriculum	Based on her experience, participant 4 states that such sessions could help students with their personal lives and academic studies. Thereby, believes that the subject of mindfulness should be taught throughout the academic year.	This participant is convinced that implementing these sessions within the beauty therapy curriculum could be helpful to all students across the board. She explained that these sessions were beneficial throughout her studies as they helped her focus better and gain control over her stress and anxiety during a recent assessment.	These sessions also helped the participant with her academic studies. She is certain that if mindfulness had to form part of the beauty therapy curriculum, it is likely that students would benefit in the same way as her. However, underlines that no assessments should be given; otherwise, it would create additional pressure, thus risking minimising the benefits.
Theme 9: Dealing with scepticism	Participant 4 could not foresee the benefits and effect mindfulness would have on her life and her way of thinking. Therefore, she is confident that students who might be sceptical at first will enjoy the sessions and be eager to learn more about the topic.	Before this experience, participant 5 was doubtful of its benefits, but now she is committed to promoting the benefits of mindfulness meditation as she believes it benefits everyone.	Participant 6 never imagined that these sessions could make such a difference, and at first, she admits she was sceptical about it. However, she now believes that once a person experiences the benefits of mindfulness, they will learn to appreciate its value.

Table 6. Salon owners’ narratives.

	Salon owners
Participants	Participant 7	Participant 8
Introduction	Participant 7 is the proud owner of a well-established local beauty salon, which she has been running for nine years. Currently, she has a part-time employee who has been working with her for six months.	Participant 8 has owned her beauty salon since 2004. She is currently managing the salon independently, but she had a full-time employee for some time. Once the pandemic is over, the participant states that she will consider employing another therapist.
Theme 1: The embodiment of mindfulness	As the participant tells her narrative, we get to understand how she implements mindfulness in her personal and professional life and how it influences her decisions. Throughout the narrative, participant 7 shows an embodiment of mindfulness in her behaviour, practices, and beliefs.	Through the participant's narrative, we gain meaning and understanding as one notes how her embodiment of mindfulness is applied in her personal and professional life. This is seen in how she uses mindfulness as a stress management tool, her approach toward clients, and her perspective toward the business.
Theme 2: Recruiting a beauty therapist	When employing a beauty therapist, participant 7 is careful to employ someone who embraces the same principles of mindfulness. Otherwise, as she states, it would be difficult for her to have a good working relationship with the employee. The participant seeks to employ a therapist who, besides having the right qualifications, also knows how to be a good listener and compassionate.	Participant 8 seeks a therapist that is a good listener, is understanding toward clients, and knows how to put aside her personal issues. Prior experience is not a priority. She views the lack of experience as an advantage. As she states, “It is even better because I can teach the individual my way of doing things.”
Theme 3: The mindful approach	The participant's narrative notes that she is very caring toward her clients and implements a mindful approach in her treatments and in the way she reaches out to her clients. She states that a client does not only come in for the treatment, but they also look for someone they can confide in.	Participant 8 believes that mindfulness in the salon plays an important role as it gives the client a sense of belonging. She explains that when the client comes in for treatment, as therapists, we are expected to “wear a mask” and put aside our worries. She points out that meeting the client's demands requires a therapist that is always collected and mindful in her demeanour.
Theme 4: Mindfulness for the client’s wellbeing	To provide her clients with a holistic treatment, the participant likes to incorporate mindfulness and aromatherapy into her treatments. She states, “I love aromatherapy because it provides a helping hand in the healing process.”	To give her clients a pampering experience, the participant likes to create the right ambience by dimming the lights, playing soft background music, and diffusing the room with aromatic scents. She also merges mindful breathing and other mindfulness practices with her regular treatments. However, she is cautious of how and with whom to implement such practices, as not all her clients are willing to accept this mindful approach.
Theme 5: Mindfulness beyond the salon	Participant 7 is very keen on teaching and educating her clients about mindfulness so that they can keep reaping the benefits at home. She explains that due to the rise in stress levels, it is crucial that people become more aware of the benefits of mindfulness.	Participant 8 is conscious that there is a lack of education concerning mindfulness. Therefore, she believes that therapists can play an active role in educating clients about mindfulness so that they can keep reaping the benefits throughout their lives
Theme 6: Mindfulness for the therapist’s self-care	Participant 7 explains and highlights the importance of self-care. She states that mindfulness helps prepare the therapist for the workday ahead. Moreover, the participant states that if the therapist is angry and frustrated, she will not be able to focus on the client’s needs. Additionally, she risks transferring negative energy, which can reflect poorly on the business.	“ … in our line of work, our energy is transmitted to the client, and if we are tense, they can feel us.” Every morning, the participant practices mindfulness, as it helps her prepare herself mentally. She explains that in the salon, clients tend to share their experiences, so it is part of the therapist's job to listen emphatically and give the client undivided attention.
Theme 7: Mindfulness for a thriving business	Participant 7 emphasises that the idea of mindfulness is essential for a thriving business. She believes that introducing mindfulness practices in her treatments and having a mindful approach toward clients is the reason why her clients keep coming back.	The participant's narrative puts in perspective the value of mindfulness in the salon. She notes that clients want an experience that makes them feel pampered and will seek someone else's service if the treatment is not to their satisfaction. She claims that a lack of harmony with oneself can cripple the business. She refers to this as the “domino effect”. Furthermore, the participant states that mindfulness at work can help unite employees in their attitude towards each other and share the company's mindset and goals.
Theme 8: Mindfulness in the beauty curriculum	Participant 7 welcomes the concept of providing mindfulness training to beauty therapy students as she states, “That would be amazing, I agree 200%, and I look forward to such students coming along.” However, believes that mindfulness should be taught at school from an early age.	Participant 8 supports the idea of integrating mindfulness within the beauty therapy curriculum. She claims that “ … clients can talk about certain traumatising issues that can leave us feeling overwhelmed.” Therefore, she believes that besides providing the academic and practical aspects of the course, novice therapists should be taught mindfulness as it can help them deal with the emotional labour that comes with the job. However, she points out that the benefits can only be effective if the individual is ready to harness mindfulness from within.

Table 7. Participants’ information table.

Name	Position			Experience		Familiarity with mindfulness
	Lecturer	Student	Salon Owner	Teaching experience	Industry Experience	Very Familiar	Some Familiarity	Not Familiar
P1	✓			20+	30+	✓
P2	✓			11	18		✓
P3	✓			7	22			✓
P4		✓		–	2			✓
P5		✓		–	2			✓
P5		✓		–	2			✓
P6			✓	–	17	✓
P7			✓	–	15	✓

Figure 3. Model 1 shows how one can create a blissful ambience ideal for practicing mindfulness meditation.

Figure 4. Model 2 illustrates how one can achieve a deeper meditative state.

Figure 5. Model 3 demonstrates how achieving self-awareness holds the key to our wellbeing.

Figure 6. Model 4 provides a support framework for mindfulness practice.

Figure 7. Model 5 shows how the integration of mindfulness within the educational field can potentially lead to a thriving organisation.

Godfrey, H. D. (2018). Essential oils for mindfulness and meditation. Healing Arts Press.

 Google Scholar

Rajpoot, P. L., & Vaishnav, P. (2015). Effect of Trataka on anxiety among adolescents. International Journal of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, 8, 4004–4007. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1099920

 Google Scholar

Burk, D. S. (2014). Idiot's guides to mindfulness. Penguin Group Inc.

 Google Scholar

Ashforth, Blake E, & Humphrey, Ronald H. (1993). Emotional Labor in Service Roles: The Influence of Identity. Academy of management review, 18(1), 88–115. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1993.3997508

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Hazlett-Stevens, H. (2018). Mindfulness-based stress reduction in a mental health outpatient setting: Benefits beyond symptom reduction. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 20(3), 275–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2017.1413963

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Dreeben, S. J., Mamberg, M. H., & Salmon, P. (2013). The MBSR body scan in clinical practice. Mindfulness, 4, 394–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0212-z

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Kiken, L. G., & Shook, N. J. (2011). Looking up: Mindfulness increases positive judgments and reduces negativity bias. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(4), 425–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550610396585

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Loving-kindness and compassion meditation in psychotherapy. Thresholds: Quarterly Journal of the Association for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Counselling, Spring Issue, 9–12.

 Google Scholar

Mbuva, J. (2016). Exploring teachers’ self-esteem and its effects on teaching, students’ learning and self-esteem. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16, 59.

 Google Scholar

Obidigbo, G. C. E., & Onyekuru, B. U. (2012). You and your self-concept. Sages Communication.

 Google Scholar

Chia, M. (2002). Taoist ways to transform stress into vitality: The inner smile, six healing sounds. Universal Tao Publications.

 Google Scholar

Bays, J. C. (2011). How to train a wild elephant: And other adventures in mindfulness. Shambhala Publications.

 Google Scholar

Hellerstein, D. J. (2011). Heal your brain: How the new neuropsychiatry can help you go from better to well. JHU Press.

 Google Scholar

Wilson, C. A. (2011). Healing power beyond medicine. John Hunt Publishing.

 Google Scholar

Schmidt, S. (2004). Mindfulness and healing intention: Concepts, practice, and research evaluation. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 10(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1089/1075553042245917

 PubMedGoogle Scholar

Fulder, S. (2019). What's beyond mindfulness? Waking up to this precious life. Watkins.

 Google Scholar

Gould, F. (2003). Aromatherapy for holistic therapists. Nelson thrones.

 Google Scholar

Pitman, V. (2019). Aromatherapy a practical approach (2nd ed.). Lotus Publishing.

 Google Scholar

Ryman, D. (2002). Aromatherapy Bible. Judy Piatkus (publishers) Ltd.

 Google Scholar

Tucker, L. (2015). An introductory guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). EMS Publishers.

 Google Scholar

Filiptsova, O. V., Gazzavi-Rogozina, L. V., Timoshyna, I. A., Naboka, O. I., Dyomina, Y. V., & Ochkur, A. V. (2017). The essential oil of rosemary and its effect on the human image and numerical short-term memory. Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 4(2), 107–111. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1016j.ejbas.2017.04.002.

 Google Scholar

Rahimi, H., Nakhaei, M., Mehrpooya, N., Hatami, S. M., & Vagharseyyedin, S. A. (2019). The effect of inhaling the aroma of rosemary essential oil on the pre-hospital emergency personnel stress and anxiety: A quasi-experimental study. Modern Care Journal, 16(3), https://doi.org/10.5812/modernc.95082

 Google Scholar

Lopresti, A. L. (2017). Salvia (Sage): A review of its potential cognitive-enhancing and protective effects. Drugs in R&D, 17(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40268-016-0157-5

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Ali, B., Al-Wabel, N. A., Shams, S., Ahamad, A., Khan, S. A., & Anwar, F. (2015). Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(8), 601–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007

 Google Scholar

Hongratanaworakit, T., & Buchbauer, G. (2004). Evaluation of the harmonising effect of Ylang-ylang oil on humans after inhalation. Planta Medica, 70(07), 632–636. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2004-827186

 PubMedGoogle Scholar

Warm, J. S., Dember, W. N., & Parasuraman, R. (1991). Effects of olfactory stimulation on performance and stress. The Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 42, 199–210.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Sakamoto, R., Minoura, K., Usui, A., Ishizuka, Y., & Kanba, S. (2005). Effectiveness of aroma on work efficiency: Lavender aroma during recesses prevents deterioration of work performance. Chemical Senses, 30(8), 683–691. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bji061

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Okano, S., Honda, Y., Kodama, T., & Kimura, M. (2019). The effects of frankincense essential oil on stress in rats. Journal of Oleo Science, 68(10), 1003–1009. https://doi.org/10.5650/jos.ess19114

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar