Practices in Smelling: Finding Quiet Within

Drowning out the noise and just being.

Oct 25, 2024

This month we continue with the series, “Practices in Smelling,” which aims to inspire and animate you to engage with your sense of smell more.

I recently had a beautiful and empowering conversation on my podcast An Aromatic Life that really got me thinking about how to better navigate the anxious times we increasingly, dare I say perpetually, find ourselves in. The U.S. election, less than 2 weeks away, looms especially large.

The conversation with aromatherapist and menopause midwife Cathy Skipper is out now and you can find more details below. While it’s focused on a woman’s menopausal journey, what I learned from the conversation made me reflect on how all of us, who are able to smell, can harness scents for these anxious times, no matter the gender or journey we find ourselves on.

For me, it was specifically the discussion about the metaphorical transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly that created an ‘aha moment’. I was particularly intrigued by the phase when the caterpillar sheds its skin to form a chrysalis (pictured above), spending a period of time insulated that can last anywhere from a few weeks to two months.

Imagine having the luxury of such a span of time to retreat and be still. To cocoon yourself, drown out the noise, and simply be. Yes, of course, it seems absurd. How can we possibly avoid the news and ignore the atrocities taking place. We shouldn’t, but I feel moments of respite are essential.

So, the idea of the chrysalis inspired me greatly, and made me want to focus this month’s practice in smelling on helping you create your own “chrysalis” moments using your nose.

Here are a few olfactory exercises that I find helpful.

Exercise #1: Going Within

This exercise is perfect if you’ve got only 5-10 minutes a day to spare. I like to do this practice in the morning to prepare me for the day, but really it can be done whenever you have time. End of day is great too. The exercise is similar to a scent meditation of sorts.

What you’ll need: a scent such as an essential oil (I recommend a calming/grounding oil like a wood or root oil) or even an aromatic spice from your kitchen cabinet will do. If using an essential oil, you’ll want a medium to place the drop or two onto such as a scent strip or cotton pad. Never smell out of the bottle, please! It’s too concentrated for this exercise and will leave you with a headache.

How to do it: Begin by finding a quiet place to sit (a place that can act as a cocoon, if you will). Make sure your environment is peaceful, warm, and free of drafts. Importantly, you want to make sure the space is free from other smells that could distract the session (not the kitchen).

1. Begin sniffing

Place the strip to your nose and take a few sniffs. The nose adapts to odors very quickly, so it’s important to take sniffs quickly at first. The eyes should be closed to avoid visual distractions. The awareness should be directed to the odor. Simply sniff, it’s not necessary to inhale.

2. Concentrate on the impressions and on the “notes”

What you’ll notice is that the scent will change over time. Top notes start to evaporate, middle notes (the heart) become more pronounced. Eventually the base note of the scent will come through.

3. Ask yourself these questions to more deeply connect with the scent:

What type of person do you imagine the scent to be?
What color and sound is the scent?
Does the scent recall any memories?
What emotions do you feel?
How is your body responding to the scent?

The idea is to focus your attention on the smell. Make the connection and drown out everything else. Smelling is an excellent way of being in the present moment.

After you're done, take a few minutes to step outside, or open a window to get fresh air. That’s it!

When you start out, try doing it for 2-3 minutes and over time increase to 5 minutes, then 10 minutes. If you’re not familiar with scent meditation, I did a whole podcast episode about it that you can check out here.

Exercise #2: Ritual

This exercise, in a way, is the opposite of the previous one. Here you’re enveloping your space, your cocoon, with scent. I like to call this a practice in ritual because many cultures do this in the form of incense burning.

What you’ll need: If you have incense, then this is the perfect opportunity to use it. Otherwise, a diffuser is great too. In that case you’ll want to diffuse a blend of essential oils that, again, are grounding/calming like woody or root oils.

How to do it: Just like the previous exercise, hereto begin by finding a quiet place to sit (a place that will act as your cocoon, if you will). Make sure your environment is peaceful, warm, and free of drafts. Importantly, you want to make sure the space is free from other smells that could distract the session (not the kitchen).

1. Fill the space with scent

Begin by lighting the incense, or activating your diffuser, and allow the scent to gradually fill the space.

2. Sit and close your eyes

Once the room is scented, have a seat and close your eyes. Take normal breaths, relax your shoulders, and simply be.

3. Allow the scent to envelope you

As difficult as it may be, simply let the scent surround you and slowly, but normally, breathe in and out. Do this for 5-10 minutes, where you simply sit in stillness and allow yourself to respond to the scent.

Tip: If you find yourself mentally distracted and going through your to-do list (this will happen), try focusing on the scent, connecting with it from different corners of the room (turn your head in different directions).

Did you discover anything new? Did either of these exercises allow you to find a quiet moment within?

Let me know how it goes, and feel free to leave a comment. ⬇️ I’d love to hear.

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?