Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT) is a guided process of using essential oils to soothe the limbic system and release the negative charge of memories and emotions. Let's unpack that!
🧠The Limbic System: Your Brain's Emotional Garage
Your brain has a built-in storage system for emotions and memories. It’s called the limbic system, and it functions a lot like a garage.
Picture This…
In a well-organized garage, everything has a place. You can easily grab what you need and get to work.
That’s what a healthy limbic system feels like. Positive emotions are accessible. You can think clearly, take action confidently, and feel like yourself again.
That’s what a healthy limbic system feels like. Positive emotions are accessible. You can think clearly, take action confidently, and feel like yourself again.
But in a cluttered garage, it’s another story.
Boxes are stacked dangerously high. You avoid going in. You don’t even remember everything that’s in there—just that it’s overwhelming.
A stressed limbic system is the same way: it holds on to emotional clutter, stored pain, and fear that you may not even be aware of.
And it’s getting in your way.
What’s Going On in There?
At the center of your limbic system is the amygdala, a tiny almond-shaped structure that handles emotional responses like fear, stress, and anxiety.
When it’s overloaded—by trauma, chronic stress, or unprocessed emotion—it gets inflamed. That’s when your body starts living in survival mode:
When it’s overloaded—by trauma, chronic stress, or unprocessed emotion—it gets inflamed. That’s when your body starts living in survival mode:
- Fight, flight, or freeze kicks in too easily
- You feel stuck, reactive, or overwhelmed
- It’s hard to move forward even when you want to
The Good News?
God gave us tools to help calm the chaos—including the plants He created.
When paired with the right process, essential oils can reach the amygdala directly—helping release emotional clutter, rewire old thought patterns, and create new peace in your mind and body.
When paired with the right process, essential oils can reach the amygdala directly—helping release emotional clutter, rewire old thought patterns, and create new peace in your mind and body.
That’s exactly what we do in AFT.
🌿 Aromatherapy: The Shortcut to the Emotional Center
Of all five senses, smell is the only one that connects directly to the limbic system—the part of your brain where memories and emotions live. That’s why certain scents can instantly trigger a memory or shift your mood. Your nose is like a direct line to the emotional center of your brain.
Through the sense of smell, essential oils can reach the amygdala—a tiny structure that helps you process emotional responses. When this part of the brain is overwhelmed by chronic stress or unprocessed emotions, it can become overactive, making it harder to feel calm, think clearly, or move forward.
But here’s the good news: pure essential oils can help soothe and rebalance the amygdala. Studies show that scents like lavender and vanilla have a calming effect on the nervous system.
In AFT, we go even further. We don’t just diffuse oils—we pair them with intentional steps that help your brain gently release what’s been weighing you down and create space for peace, clarity, and joy.
đź’¬ AFT: What to Expect
An Aroma Freedom session is a gentle, guided process that helps you release emotional blocks using essential oils and focused thought.
During your session, you’ll recall thoughts, emotions, or memories while inhaling specific oils. As a certified AFT coach, I’ll be on Zoom with you, walking you through each step—but you won’t need to share personal details out loud. Your experience is private, safe, and fully in your control.
As the oils begin to calm the brain, the emotional intensity tied to those memories starts to fade. It's like tidying up your mental “garage”—putting the past in its proper place so it no longer stands between you and your goals. Those memories still exist, but they no longer carry the same weight or control your reactions.
By the end of a session, many people describe feeling lighter, more peaceful, and unburdened—like something finally let go. And when AFT becomes a regular part of your week, you’ll start to notice lasting change: more clarity, more confidence, and a renewed sense of momentum.
✨ Ready to Clear the Clutter?
Experience emotional clarity, freedom, and momentum—all from the comfort of your home.
The AFT Collective offers group sessions that provide affordable, flexible, and powerful support.
You’ll receive more help than a one-time session—without ever needing to share your story out loud. You deserve to feel free again.
You’ll receive more help than a one-time session—without ever needing to share your story out loud. You deserve to feel free again.
Access to The AFT Collective offers low-cost monthly memberships with the freedom to cancel anytime. Join any session that fits your schedule, and come as often as you’d like.
đź’› Affordable. Empowering. Transformative.
Steph Sweeney is a certified Aroma Freedom coach, Young Living Brand Partner, trauma overcomer, single homeschool mom, and heart-led entrepreneur. Her mission is to be the hands and feet of Jesus—helping women heal, grow, and thrive.
