Ana Requejo: “In Tisserand Institute, you are heard as an equal, not as just another student.”

by | Aromatherapy, General, Personal Profile

The Tisserand Institute is made up not just of our tutors and core team, but also an incredible body of passionate students who come from all over the world. We want to give them the floor to share their stories and their experience with us. 

Ana Requejo is a Spanish aromatherapist and aromatherapy educator. She has participated on all of our courses to date and has taken part in our inaugural Diploma program. She is always an amazing addition to the course, and a wonderful person to be around. She is the director of her own aromatherapy school, Escuela de Aromaterapia Ana Requejo and is dedicated to high standard of education. 

Rachel Andorfer conducted the interview below with Ana. You can watch the video (captions were generated automatically) or read the interview in English or Spanish below. A big thank you to Ana for providing the translation! 

Rachel Andorfer: Could you introduce yourself? Your name, what you do, and how you use essential oils and aromatherapy in your life?
Ana Requejo: My name is Ana Requejo. I am Spanish, born in the North of Spain, Asturias. I studied Naturopathy, chiromassage, lymphatic drainage and energy therapies, Bach Flowers, Reiki… For three years I have collaborated with a Spanish Supplementation and Aromatherapy Laboratory offering aromatherapy training to professionals and clients. And at one time, I run my own online Aromatherapy School as a teacher and director. I have written two books on Aromatherapy and Formulation with essential oils and I continue studying and recycling my knowledge about this whole aromatic world. I use essential oils at the precise and necessary moments in muy life and in the life of my family not only for physical issues but also emotional ones, combining treatments with other techniques such as Bach Flowers and acupressure and massage. All this is what I try to transmit to my students on a daily basis.

Mi nombre es Ana Requejo. Soy español, nacida en el norte de España, Asturias. Estudié Naturopatía, quiromasaje, drenaje linfático y terapias energéticas, como Flores de Bach, Reiki… Llevo tres años colaborando con un Laboratorio Español de Suplementación y Aromaterapia ofreciendo formación en aromaterapia a profesionales y clientes. Y en un momento, dirijo mi propia Escuela de Aromaterapia en línea como maestra y directora. He escrito dos libros sobre Aromaterapia y Formulación con aceites esenciales y sigo estudiando y reciclando mis conocimientos sobre todo este mundo aromático. 1 Uso los aceites esenciales en los momentos precisos ( a veces no es lo más adecuado ni seguro y recurro a otras disciplinas ) y necesarios de mi vida y de la vida de mi familia no solo por cuestiones físicas sino también emocionales, combinando tratamientos con otras técnicas como Flores de Bach, acupresión y masajes. Todo esto es lo que trato de transmitir a mis alumnos en el día a día.

RA: How did you get into essential oils and aromatherapy?
AR: When I was living, twenty years ago, in Barcelona. I started to study manual techniques, and discovered Aromatherapy through a short weekend workshop. A workshop took me to several more courses and 15 years later… here I am, mainly as an aromatherapy teacher, directing my own school and supporting myself in all the studies prior to my immersion in aromatherapy, which is the center of my teachings and also my passion.

Cuando vivía, hace veinte años, en Barcelona, empecé a estudiar técnicas manuales y descubrí la Aromaterapia a través de un pequeño taller de fin de semana. Un taller me llevó a varios cursos más y 15 años después… aquí estoy, principalmente como profesora de aromaterapia, dirigiendo mi propia escuela y apoyándome en todos los estudios previos a mi inmersión en la aromaterapia, que es el centro de mis enseñanzas y también mi pasión.

RA: What made you want to pursue education with Tisserand Institute?
AR: After having taken several courses in an Spanish Institute, I realized that I lacked information that was much more technical and also based on other disciplines such as anatomy and human biology. I met Robert Tisserand through the second book I bought 18 years ago, The Art of Aromatherapy and later, when I started teaching basic Aromatherapy classes at a Naturopathic school, I acquired his book written with Rodney Young, Essential oil Safety. I followed his blog and read everything he always wrote in collaboration with doctors, chemists and biologists… I discovered on his website the existence of his online Institute and I signed up for the first Course, Essential Formulation: Oil-Based Products and Aqueous Sprays in 2019. The joint work they do at the Tisserand Institute with other professional experts, is one of the points that I value the most. Continue since then taking all the courses that were coming out. Through them many concepts were clarified to me, I found many answers to my doubts and confirmations to my theories. This and the quality of the platform, very intuitive and accessible, as well as the academic material and professionals from different disciplines, is what attracted me and keeps me hooked.

Después de haber realizado varios cursos en un instituto español, me di cuenta de que me faltaba información mucho más técnica y basada también en otras disciplinas como la anatomía y la biología humana. Conocí a Robert Tisserand a través del segundo libro que compré hace 18 años, “El arte de la aromaterapia” y más tarde, cuando comencé a dar clases básicas de aromaterapia en una escuela de naturopatía, adquirí su libro escrito con Rodney Young, “Essential oil Safety”. Seguí su blog y leí todo lo que siempre escribía en colaboración con médicos, químicos y biólogos… Descubrí en su web la existencia de su Instituto online y me apunté al primer Curso, Formulación Esencial: Productos con base de aceite y Sprays con base de agua en 2019. El trabajo conjunto que se hace en el Instituto Tisserand con otros expertos profesionales, es uno de los puntos que más valoro. Continúo desde entonces, cursando todos los cursos que van saliendo. A través de ellos se me aclararon muchos conceptos, encontré muchas respuestas a mis dudas y confirmaciones a mis teorías. Esto y la calidad de la plataforma, muy intuitiva y accesible, así como el material académico y de profesionales de diferentes disciplinas, es lo que me atrajo y me mantiene enganchada.

RA: What is the biggest difference you’ve seen in your life since taking our courses?
AR: I have managed to approach Aromatherapy and its applications from a much broader point of view, reasoned and applied with more precision and safety. If I ever have to rule out its use, I have arguments to explain why yes or not. It has meant completing a discipline that cannot be separated from the Human Being, from all its complicated points of view: physical, emotional and spiritual. Now I dare to question, always from logic and respect to the person in front of me, and give a reasoned answer to that why yes or why not. And furthermore, it has shown me how to research from the original sources without sinking into a sea of doubts.

He logrado acercarme a la Aromaterapia y sus aplicaciones desde un punto de vista mucho más amplio, razonado y aplicado con más precisión y seguridad. Si alguna vez tengo que descartar su uso, tengo argumentos para explicar por qué si y por qué no. Ha significado completar una disciplina que no se puede desligar del Ser Humano, desde todos sus puntos de vista: físico, emocional y espiritual. Ahora me atrevo a cuestionar, siempre desde la lógica y el respeto hacia la persona en frente de mi y dar una respuesta razonada a ese por qué sí o por qué no. Y además, me ha enseñado a investigar desde las fuentes originales sin hundirme en un mar de dudas.

RA: Is there anything you want to say to someone like you who’s considering Tisserand Institute education?
AR: Studying must be an activity that adds to your life, that does not overwhelm you, or make you feel small. At the Tisserand Institute one feels part of a large community that shares. Where the word “competence” is understood as competent, not as contrary. Here in Spain the colleagues don’t understand this. It’s difficult to extend your hand and share, give and receive. In Tisserand Institute, you are heard as an equal who can contribute with something new and useful, not as just another student. Having professional experts who correctly lay the foundations for everything offered in the Courses is, for me, the most important thing. And Being able to continue analyzing and getting answers in the Forums is another important and valuable point.

Estudiar debe ser una actividad que sume a tu vida, que no te agobie, ni te haga sentir pequeño. En el Instituto Tisserand uno se siente parte de una gran comunidad que comparte. Donde la palabra “competencia” se entiende como competente, no como contrario. Aquí en España los compañeros no lo entienden. Es difícil extender la mano y compartir, dar y recibir. En el Instituto Tisserand, eres escuchada como una igual que puede aportar algo nuevo y útil, no como una alumna más. Contar con expertos profesionales que sientan correctamente las bases de todo lo que se ofrece en los Cursos es, para mí, lo más importante. Y poder seguir analizando y obteniendo respuestas en los Foros es otro punto importante y valioso.

RA: What would you change about Tisserand Institute education if you could?
AR: Everything that I have experienced up to now in this Institute is of the highest quality for me. Everything can always be improved and I see that it is done. At the moment I am attending an extension of the Courses that I have already done. This is already a huge improvement. If I can ask for something, as a Spanish speaker, it is to one day have Courses in my own language. I know this is complicated but I myself have offered to help with something like this. Something that I do miss is being able to attend a meeting related to the aromatic plants themselves. In person or online. And as a somewhat more personal request. A Tisserand institute in my land…?

Todo lo que he vivido hasta ahora en este Instituto es para mí de altísima calidad. Siempre se puede mejorar todo y veo que se hace. Actualmente estoy asistiendo a una ampliación de los Cursos que ya he realizado. Esto ya es una gran mejora. Si algo puedo pedir, como hispanohablante, es algún día tener Cursos en mi propio idioma. Sé que esto es complicado, pero yo mismo me he ofrecido a ayudar con algo como esto, Algo que sí hecho de menos es poder asistir a un encuentro relacionado con las propias plantas aromáticas. Presencial o en línea. Y como petición algo más personal. ¿Un instituto Tisserand en mi tierra…? 

Author

  • Hana Tisserand

    Hana is the COO of the Tisserand Institute. She supervises our staff of seven, manages our teaching platform, organizes training courses, hosts webinars, commissions blog posts, oversees the creation of infographics and social media content, and writes our newsletters. Somehow, she also finds time to write her own blog posts and she is our go-to IT person. Being raised in a family of doctors and nurses has given her an underlying interest in the workings of the human body, which later manifested in her specialization in medical translation. Hana is a Czech citizen with 7 years of experience in translation and interpreting, her other languages being French and English. Working as an interpreter for politicians, authors, educators and medical professionals has given her a valuable perspective on how to effectively communicate information and avoid dispute. Hana has been working with Robert Tisserand since 2015, and has a unique perspective on how information about essential oils is sourced, processed and communicated.

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2 Comments

  1. Well Done Ana Requejo!! Muy bien,
    I am Asturiano myself, so very pleased to se this INTERVIEW. It would be amazing To see Tisserand school or workshops in gijon, and f2f would be a dream.
    Thanks Hana

    Reply
    • THANKS A LOT TO TISSERAND INSTITUTE POR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

      Hola Sabino

      MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TU COMENTARIO. OJALÁ ESTE SE DE ALGÚN DIA, EN TANTO, ME TIENES EN MUY CERCA CON MI PROPIA ESCUELA ON-LINE E INTENTANDO MARCAR UN NIVEL PROFESIONAL EN MI TRABAJO Y EN EL DE MIS ESTUDIANTES.

      UN GRAN ABRAZO¡¡

      Reply

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