Olive oil: the first medicine of Greece

Greek healers anointed the body before exercise, after illness, and at every threshold of life. Oil was carried into the gymnasium, the temple and the birthing room — one substance for the whole arc of being human.

A carrier of plants

Its true genius is as a carrier. Warmed gently, olive oil draws out the resins and aromatics of laurel, rosemary, sage and thyme, holding them close enough to the skin to be absorbed slowly rather than evaporate.

That is why our herbal oil therapy uses infusions rather than perfumes: the plant stays in the oil for weeks, and the oil stays on the skin for hours.

Practising it at home

Warm a small amount between the palms. Work from the feet upward with long, slow strokes, giving each area a full minute. It is not technique that heals here so much as attention — the oldest medicine of all.