What Are Your Favorite Smells?!
Think for a second. What are your favorite smells?! Have you ever walked into a space and were instantly transported somewhere else? A time in your childhood? Something that made you smile? Or something that would tug at your heart-strings?
Scent Memory. It is real, and it is powerful. Quite often, it can elicit a physiological response in our body. So says the smell of a certain inexpensive liquor and a dorm room hangover circa 1999. Or the cologne (read: axe body spray) of that guy you thought was meant for you and were going to marry. Until 20 years later you realized you never actually knew his middle name? Or…….the smell of your newborns head in the hospital, The smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree at the start of the holiday season. One of my favorites, night-blooming jasmine just outside your bathroom window as summer approaches. We live on the coast, and the smell of the ocean, it owns a piece of my heart. And sometimes, it may be years and the smell of something so seemingly trivial will catapult you back in time, instantly.
People ask me all the time if these oils work? I mean, they are EVERYWHERE, you can find them anywhere (be warned, they are not created equal.…and we will get to that later) How can just the smell of something change your life? Well, there is science behind it. And science is cool.
When fragrance is inhaled, the odor molecules travel up your nose where they are trapped by olfactory membranes. When this happens, nerve cells trigger electrical impulses in the olfactory bulb of the brain. Huh? Yea, it gets better…this part of your brain (the limbic system) is what controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress level, hormone balance, essential oils can like I said, elicit psychological and physiological effects. Are you still with me? The sense of smell is the only one of all five senses that is linked to the limbic part of the brain. The emotional control center. Anxiety, fear, depression, anger and joy all eminent from this region of the brain. All others senses are routed through the thalamus.
Scent Memory. Its real, and so are oils and how they can help us. Each specific plant and its oil have a specific chemical makeup, they are called constituents. The makeup of each individual plant is unique and therefore can help with different emotional responses, when inhaled. I have a lot of favorites. But these are some that I do not leave home without.
*Lavender is known for calming everyday mental stress, and also creates a calming and comforting environment.
*Lemon increases mental clarity and focus
*Peppermint relieves occasional head pressure, opens respiratory channels, and soothes occasional stomach discomfort.
I use a diffuser at home (who are we kidding I have one in every quadrant of my house…..so many diffusers)
There are so many more than those above, and often times single oils are blended together to make an even more powerful synergy. So tell me, what are some of your favorite scent memories?
I am always happy to share more! You can always email me at
ja***@dr****************.com
or find out more about young living essential oils at myyl.com/jamieburkhalter
ja***@dr****************.com
or find out more about young living essential oils at myyl.com/jamieburkhalter
xoxo,
Jamie
2 Comments
Tamra Phelps
Honeysuckle always reminds of childhood because it covered the entire back fence in our backyard. Peppermint is the scent of Christmas to me.
Rosie
My favorite fragrance is the lady slipper. It immediately brings me back to being a child and going on adventures in the woods. I loved it when we’d come upon lady slippers in the forest, so pretty. The pungent scent of the ferns and their crunch when we’d step on them and the babbling brooks we happenstance on. We’d go quietly like the Indians who lived there before us in the old days, and follow the Indian trails.