Scents and Sensibility

Walking home the other night, wafts of warm air suddenly caressed my skin. After months of cold weather, I wasn’t sure what they were at first. But as I moved through these little bliss pockets of warmth, I suddenly smelled the faint perfume of jasmine in the air, a sure sign that spring is on the way. And it got me thinking about how aromas can conjure up powerful emotions, awakening lost memories and transporting you to beautiful moments and places. 

Smell is probably one of our most underrated senses. We tend to rely more on sight, touch, taste and hearing, our most dominant ways of interacting with the world. Smell is slightly more subtle, especially in the city, where we’re forced to shut down our senses to some degree, as we’re faced with the onslaught of noise, chaos and sensory overload of the concrete jungle. Yet smell can be highly effective in arousing our spirit, helping us create a sacred space and giving us a deep sense of calm and stillness.

I often use aromas in my work – and when a client walks in and smells the rich, earthy, musty scent of vetiver, or the intoxicating heady fragrance of neroli, they know instantly that they’re somewhere they can connect with their senses, their spirit and their humanity.

Nature offers some amazing sacred spaces, whether they’re mountains, rainforests, gardens, waterfalls or beaches – and our sense of smell, when triggered, can take us back to the natural world, and back to our origins. Smells help us create a place of refuge and sanctuary, somewhere we can escape the pressures of the day and feel safe and comfortable. 

Where is your most sacred space? It could be a temple, a monument, a garden, or a cave. It could even be somewhere inside you, the quiet part of you that just ‘is’. How do you create sacred space in your own life? Think about using essential oils as a way of heightening your awareness and anchoring yourself in the present. Stimulate your senses and cultivate a sense of harmony and balance. Breathe deeply and feel your connection to your surroundings and your higher self.