Cha Roberts' compassionate energy moves Rasa Spa, as a business, towards our greatest energies. As the artisan who hand blends our Signature Rasa Oils, Cha exudes a centered wholeness and awakens us to conscious living. Get to know Cha Roberts and her aromatherapy work, generous spirit, and wellness tips.

How and when did you begin collaborating with Rasa Spa?

In the summer of 2009, Rachel and I met to discuss my colon hydro work. During that discussion, she mentioned that she was looking for someone in the aromatherapy world to create a signature blend. She had heard from close friends that my blends might be interesting.

How is your partnership with Rasa Spa expanding and what can we expect in the future from that partnership?

I initially thought I would create one blend and that would be it. Over the next year we talked about so many ideas, including creating creams and other products. I created three RASA blends that were initially based on the Doshas. The next year, I created a special blend to accompany the Thai Poultice massage, a featured Rasa treatment.

At Rasa, there's still room for growth: aromatherapy consultation, talks with the public, classes and workshops for the clients and the staff. In my role as the aromatherapist, I will offer training to make sure staff understand the rationale behind the choices of the signature blends, what they are therapeutically and how they can incorporate the blends into therapies and treatments.

We are working on making more healing oils available to the community and continuing to make Rasa an environment for education about natural and healthy healing.

How does aromatherapy support a healthy body, mind, and spirit?

Aromatherapy - and essential oils in particular - are used to elevate our health, to return our body to balance or homeostasis. For the body, the use of essential oils in massage or to an isolated area offers support or relief from pain. Aromatherapy assists our body's work to maintain a strong immune system, to decrease pain (especially muscular pain) reduce stress, encourage wound healing, and keep our terrain strong. Every system of the body can benefit from the use of aromatherapy - some more than others, such as the muscular system, the respiratory system and the integumentary system.

There is extensive research that substantiates the effectiveness of essential oils on the physical body, and the benefits are also true for the mental and emotional effects of essential oils.

Aromatherapy also cools and warms the body, which influences the mind. When we speak of the mind, essential oils bring about calm, lower anxiety, increase relaxation, uplift spirits, brighten, offer sedation, reduce stress and relieve pain.

Can you briefly explain how aromatherapy works?

When we inhale an essential oil, within 15-20 minutes it is circulating in our blood stream. If one is experiencing chronic pain that keeps them locked into a pattern of stress around that pain, just breathing in an aromatic formula may help to sedate enough for some pain relief to occur, or allow them to sleep and rest, which incourages healing.

On a higher level of vibration and energy, aromatherapy can affect us energetically. The oils can be used in a meditation practice, as they have a wonderful affinity to work with our charkas and to bring awareness into our energy fields.

How can a guest at Rasa Spa experience aromatherapy and deepen his/her own healthy habits with aromatherapy?

Massage is already a relaxing and stress reducing experience that can be further enhanced by the use of essential oils. In addition to their pain-relieving properties, essential oils have properties that are sedative and relaxing. Essential oils used in a massage session can deepen their spa experience leaving one feeling even more renewed.

How does aromatherapy work with other wellness modalities?

Aromatherapy is usually practiced as a complementary modality in the holistic and alternative community. It is a wonderful healing modality and is becoming popular in the main stream medical establishment. It can also be used clinically for wound healing, viral and bacterial infections and other systemic conditions.

What does it mean, to you, to practice whole health care? 

It is paramount to survival. I love the feeling that comes from eating a nutrient rich, plant based diet. The amount of energy I experience is amazing. My ability to bring exercise; meditation and spiritual pursuits into my life and sharing time with close family and friends comes directly from that base. It allows me to do what I love to do.

What healthy habits have you been pursuing for your own self care?

Juicing nutrient rich greens, blended green drinks with fruit and eating healthy salads and grains are important to me. I strive to eat as I described above and follow the same protocol. I am also striving to slow down and smell the roses - in this case, roses in the form of essential oils. In the past few years I changed my schedule to reflect this, and, to be honest, I am working to slow down even more...so that I may educate about aromatherapy

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