Stop and smell the roses is a clichéd phrase so commonly suggested to people who need to slow down that I’m not sure any of us notice the second verb in the sentence: smell. How often do we pause to indulge our sense of smell specifically? How common is it to seek out a scent because it will shift our mood, the way we would listen to music, receive a massage, gaze at art, or taste a meal? People generally will sniff a bouquet of flowers, but sadly flowers, even roses, are grown more for their visual appeal than aromatic appeal. Do we ever intentionally smell our plate of food before we take a bite, or pull over on the side of the road and treat our noses to a field of grass being cut? We indulge our other senses in these ways all the time.
The irony of this is that we can’t not smell. To breathe is to smell. But to intentionally smell, to breathe because each breath contains a wonderful aroma, is something altogether different. As a species, we have a long relationship with our sense of smell. It’s thought to be our oldest sense. Scent is what helped our ancestors determine which foods would be nourishing and which would be poisonous. Smell helped us find one another and keep our families together.

Our human bodies developed so that smell would come easily and maintain potency throughout our lives. The olfactory nerve cells in the nose are replaced every 30-60 days, whereas the neurons that help us see or hear are never replaced when they’re damaged. Smell also has direct access to what is considered the oldest portion of the brain: the limbic system. The limbic brain contains the mysterious realms of emotion, instinctive behavior, memory and learning. Scent, unlike other sensory perceptions, travels directly to the brain without needing to be sorted by the usual “relay stations” like the thalamus. In her enchanting book A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman explains that “unlike the other senses, smell needs no interpreter. The effect is immediate and undiluted by language, thought or translation. A smell can be overwhelmingly nostalgic because it triggers powerful images and emotions before we have time to edit them.”

Our reactions to aromas become as immediate and honest as a child’s. If the scent of fresh cut grass reminds us of playing in a cool, refreshing sprinkler with our pals in the summer, we will be instantly transported to the feelings of those times on each and every occasion that we smell fresh cut grass until another memory overrides or replaces it. This means that you can be in the sourest of moods, catch a fleeting whiff of fresh cut grass as you drive past a soccer field, and suddenly you are eight years old again, unabashedly squealing and soaking wet in your front yard. The feeling will stay with you as though you were truly transported through time. Try it. Smell the needles of a spruce tree in the summer, and you may be transported to the dark, cozy evenings of winter and holiday. When you smell the perfume of an old friend, do you feel as though you were just in their presence? This is the distinct magic of scent. It shifts us, evokes feelings and memories so effortlessly that we must consider it medicinal.

To smell, then, is simply a function of being human. To consciously smell—to choose pure, unadulterated aromas because of the effect they will have on us—is olfactory aromatherapy. The term “aromatherapy” is pretty common these days. We see it on everything from synthetic air fresheners to modalities offered in alternative health care. Jade Shutes, a contemporary aromatherapy pioneer and co-author of Aromatherapy for Bodyworkers, defines aromatherapy as “the holistic therapeutic application of genuine essential oils for enhancing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of the individual.” Olfactory aromatherapy is experiencing essential oils via the pathways of our noses only. Inhaling the aroma of lavender essential oil can be as therapeutic as applying it to the skin in massage oils or soaps. Benefits of olfactory aromatherapy can include pain relief, stress and anxiety reduction, an increase in alertness and performance, balancing sleep patterns, improvement to emotional well-being, and alleviating nausea. No swallowing or rubbing into the skin is required. Just inhaling and smelling.

So, “stop and smell the roses” can perhaps be abbreviated to just “stop and smell.” Stop. Breathe. Let an aroma catch your attention and shift you. Do it again if you have time, and you may find that your chaotic mood gets less chaotic, or that your insurmountable schedule seems more manageable.

Sources: A Natural History of the Sensesby Diane Ackerman; Aroma 101 Foundations-An Aromatic Path Course Bookby Jade Shutes; www.Theida.com

Stop and Smell the Roses Spritzer

This is a simple recipe to help you shift into a peaceful, refreshed state whenever you’re feeling otherwise.
Be sure to also use this spritzer when you’re already relaxed to train your brain to respond appropriately.

Ingredients:
4 oz colored glass bottle with a spray top
10 drops lemon (Citrus limon) essential oil (EO)
2 drops clary sage (Salvia sclarea) essential oil (EO)
Rose (Rosa damascena) hydrosol or rose water

Instructions:
Add lemon EO and clary sage EO to your glass bottle and roll around to blend. Fill the remainder of the bottle with rose hydrosol and shake. With each application, shake the bottle and then spray over your face, hair and neck. Store the spritzer in a cool, dark place, and it should last about a month.

Katie Keyes is a licensed massage therapist and a certified aromatherapist. She maintains a practice offering massage, aromatherapy and holistic spa treatments in Marshall and is currently a lead instructor at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga and an instructor with the East West School of Herbal and Aromatic Studies. She will be hosting a six-week aromatherapy salon beginning September 3 and teaching a 40 hour CEU (category A) Foundations in Aromatherapy course beginning mid-September for more information, visit her website or call 828-649-9548.

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