Article in Happiful- Mindfulness & Aromatherapy to feel calm

calm - breath meditation

How scents can help root us to the present moment and help us feel calm

I am interviewed about how I blend Aromatherapy and Mindfulness together to help me feel calm.

Here is the article – A short-cut to mindfulness

Meditation is the usual go-to mindfulness technique, and is highly recommended, but it can also be helpful to find quick ways to anchor yourself throughout the day for those moments when you can’t really drift off into a meditative state.

A tool that’s been helping me recently is so simple, I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it sooner – scent.

Why does scent help us feel calm?

The reason aromatherapy can be so powerful in helping us feel calm is because it triggers our limbic system, the part of the brain linked to emotions and memories. Speaking to Cosy Owl following their survey results, clinical aromatherapist Geraldine McCullagh expands on this.

“When we breathe in a scent such as an aromatherapy oil it triggers a reaction in the part of our brain  and sets off a reaction in our bodies such as feeling calm or energised.

“The limbic system also associates smells with emotion and memories. For example,  the smell of Lavender can trigger a memory of a summer holiday in France and associate that memory with feeling relaxed.”

Geraldine goes on to say that because of this link between scent and memory we can effectively train ourselves to associate a certain scent with feeling calm.

“The next time we are starting to feel anxious, we can smell the essential oil and our minds will associate the smell with feeling calm. It means that we can stop the anxiety from escalating.”

So, next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with worry, find a scent you adore and breathe it in for a few long, slow breaths. Focus on the scent and being exactly where you are.

You can read the full article here – 3rd March 2020 happiful.com/using-scent in Mindfulness/

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