The Power of Scent

Living Green Magazine –

By Sachinda Jayatilleke

There is a lot to be said for the healing power of flowers. Not only do they activate those feel good endorphins around your body but they also can lift you in other ways you may never have thought about.

Did you know flowers can help you with your work out as well as your down time? We burn them, drop them onto our soft furnishings and skin, spray them, and infuse them.

Scent is a powerful healer and there are any number of holistic treatments out there to lift a dark mood, relieve anxiety and heal tension in the body. 

For years scent has been viewed as a great healer. We change our scents to suit our moods or life changing events – a death, break up divorce or life event. Scent is something that we think we choose – that is where we are wrong.

A smell can evoke so many memories that what we choose is dictated by memories and situations that are locked deep within our psyche. We subliminally choose these scents to remind us of occasions and to fend of bad memories. We choose to brighten our homes with powerful scents that remind us of a time gone by that trigger a good feeling within us.

Flowers to energise

To help you work out there are a number of scents that can assist.  For cardio there are a number of scents to help you feel energised. Citrus scents are very good at waking up the body and mind; Strength training again citrus scents can once again be used here and peppermint is a great refresher and reviver when feeling as though we can’t quite get that last squat.

For a less strenuous work out why not try a more relaxing scent to help you get into your downward dog with ease. Vanilla, lavender, sandalwood, sage and juniper are all great at helping to soothe the mind and ease the tensions that may be holding you back from a successful workout.

Flowers to relax

To relax your mind and body there are a number of flowers that can do everything from helping to ease away the stress of a long day in the office to helping you drift off to a soothing night’s sleep. Lavender has long been associated with calm and relaxation and many swear by it for restful sleep. Another way to relax is just by bringing a mood altering fragrance into the home. A scent that makes you feel happy for whatever reason is enough to put you in a more tranquil frame of mind which will ultimately make you respond to relaxation.

Flowers you should always have in your home

How many times have you walked past a particular flower or plant only to have the slightest waft of scent evoke a happy memory of a place, person or an occasion from time gone by? There is a tangible link between perfume and happiness and this has been proved through many studies over the years. The same can be said for colour, striking bold colours invited in to the home help cast our minds back to summer months and freedom of the outdoors.  Flowers not only look pretty; brighten up a room and the scent has therapeutic properties so what should your home never be without?

Always use fresh flower in your home to keep the positive energy flowing – dried flowers symbolise dead energy. Lotus, Orchid, Cherry Blossom are all great home healers and are used in Feng Shui for the various energies they represent.  A bouquet of your favourite flowers is always a welcoming sight to have in your home, whether it is for yourself when you return from a day at work or if friends come around. Flowers placed in a vase in an area where they can be seen such as a hallway, dining table or living space.

Scent is a powerful healer, not just for ourselves but for others too. A great way of helping a friend or loved one through a hard time could be to send them a bouquet of flowers. We always do this when we want to express ourselves such as saying thank you, get well soon or with sympathy. We forget about the little things when we are away from a loved one.

Things like thinking of you miss you or because you want to make someone smile. These little situations are where scent and memory recall can be at their most powerful; thus proving that the power of scent can never be underestimated.

Sachinda Jayatilleke is a freelance writer based in London, who is a Buddhist and follows a spiritual and healthy life besides writing about it.

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