Hello,
And welcome to the third day of Spring Break.
This is Aileen,
Your guide,
As you journey through your five senses,
Finding a deeper connection with your body and the earth,
Cultivating a sense of awe,
Of wonder,
Of belonging,
And of deep nourishing and well-deserved rest.
I invite you to get comfy.
You can sit on a chair or cushion with your back tall,
Or if you prefer,
You can lie down.
Take a moment to just arrive.
Bring a gentle awareness to your breath as it flows in and out of your body.
Allow it to be unhurried and natural.
I'm so glad you could join me.
Today,
Again,
I'm going to ask you to imagine yourself somewhere in nature.
It could be the same place you journeyed to yesterday or the day before,
Or it could be somewhere new if you like.
Wherever you are,
Imagine that it has just finished raining.
Take a moment to look around and notice the details,
And bring your awareness now to your faculty of smell.
The word for the smell of the earth after rain is petrichor,
And it is also the unmistakable smell of spring.
In this place you have imagined,
Can you smell the wet earth?
Explore this environment and see what else you can smell here.
And if you find your mind has wandered,
Bring your attention back to your imagined place and the delights of your nose.
Can you smell the grass crushed underfoot as you explore?
Did you stop and smell any flowers in your wanderings,
Inhaling their heady perfume?
Were there any animal scents,
Earthy and rich?
Keep wandering and smelling for a little while longer.
And now slowly bring yourself back to your body and the room,
Softening your attention.
Despite being hard to place,
There is a clear source for that unmistakable smell of spring.
It's called geosmin,
An organic compound commonly found in soil,
And is the same chemical that is released from dry earth after rain.
Scent is a powerful way to elicit memory and emotions.
It is unique among human senses,
As it sends signals directly to our limbic brain,
Which is the seat of emotion and memory.
Because of this direct connection,
Smells can quickly and easily alter our mood,
Promoting feelings of well-being and happiness.
While research into the positive effect of natural scents on our well-being is more limited than that surrounding sight and sound,
There is a growing body of evidence to support what many of us intrinsically know.
The smells of nature improve our sense of well-being and our mental health.
They promote joy,
Relaxation,
And feelings of healthfulness.
They help us to feel more present,
Grounded,
And connected to our bodies and the earth.
Especially if you live in a city,
Getting out into nature may feel almost like an absence of smell,
But I assure you the natural world is rich with olfactory stimuli.
Next time you head out of doors,
And I hope that will be today,
Explore the world a little more purposefully with your nose.
Crush a pine needle or a juniper berry and smell its bright,
Sharp odor.
If you live somewhere that the soil is not still under snow,
Gather a handful of earth and breathe its musky odor.
Or the soil of a houseplant will do in a pinch.
If you aren't able to get outside today,
Perhaps you can diffuse essential oils.
Might I suggest lavender or pine?
As you move through your day,
Notice the multitude of odors you encounter.
Pause in the noticing,
And rest in the calm and the memories that they elicit.
Thank you for joining me on this exploration of smells.
I look forward to journeying with you again tomorrow as we explore our sense of taste.
