The lights are dimmed, sheets are fresh and clean, soft music is filling the room, and the essential oil diffuser is on—it’s time to call it a day. Next, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Take in those rich, floral fragrances, or those crisp notes of citrus wafting through the air. Fall into the image that’s beginning to form as you allow these relaxing scents to flow into your space. And then, let it all out.
It is natural to connect certain aromas to memories and emotions, similar to how we think of calm mornings when we smell coffee and bread, or how the fresh, earthy scent of the rain makes us want to lie down on our bed. (1)
In fact, in the February 27, 2020 Harvard Gazette article, “What the Nose Knows,” Colleen Wash writes:
“This should not be surprising, as neuroscience makes clear. Smell and memory seem to be so closely linked because of the brain’s anatomy, said Harvard’s Venkatesh Murthy, Raymond Leo Erikson Life Sciences Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology…”
Smells are handled by the olfactory bulb, the structure in the front of the brain that sends information to the other areas of the body’s central command for further processing. Odors take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory. The olfactory signals very quickly get to the limbic system,” Murthy said.” (2)
Given how scents connect with the regions related to emotion and memory, it is not surprising that many use pleasing aromas to elicit a state of calm and choose to indulge in scented holistic experience to find an escape, a sanctuary—peace in the midst of all the chaos in our world. With the help of calming essential oils, aromatherapy can bring about happy memories and scenarios, which may alter your mood, cognition and social behavior according to Kandhasemy Sowndharajan and Songmum Kim 2016 article, Influence of Fragrances on Human Psychophysiological Activity: With Special Reference to Human Electroencephalographic Response published in the Scientia Pharmaceutica journal. (3)
The journey we take with aromas from essential oils would differ, but here are some common ones that may help create a peaceful home atmosphere.
1. Lavender
Being generally linked to wellbeing, lavender is one of the most popular scents used in aromatherapy.(4) Lavender is a kind of scent that reminds you of the serene moments spent on your own. It is a scent that lets you embrace and love yourself.
As the gentle fragrance envelops your house, all those times you treated yourself to a break — may it be the meaningful weeks of soul searching or simply those days to let you breathe — they will all come back. Lavender is a favorable choice for creating a calming atmosphere.
2. Ylang-Ylang
An exotic floral scent that is for the heart is Ylang-Ylang.(5) This is a scent that could bring back the giddiness you felt in those memories with your special someone, and spread a gentle warmth smell all over your space. Your joyous firsts and adventures together would flash back in your mind that you wouldn’t even notice the fond smile painted on your lips. Try diffusing Ylang-Ylang essential oil in your space to create a soothing ambiance.(6)
3. Lemon
It was a long, stressful day, so all you want to do is sink in your soft, comfortable sheets and never leave again. You pour a few drops of your lemon essential oil into your electric diffuser and within seconds it’s citrus pleasing scent diffuses into your space. Its clean, tangy fragrance invigorates the passion nestled deep within you.(7) Its joyful scent back up the spark in your life, reminding you of what keeps you going in the first place. Embracing the rejuvenating atmosphere it fills your home will help you start the next day with a brighter outlook in life. (8)
4. Frankincense
With the constant noise around us, it is easy to feel disconnected to our soul. The woody and musky scent of Frankincense oil spreading in the room might help create a grounding home atmosphere that elicits in you a sense of peace. (9) This will connect you to a vision of the sky painted with a blush of pink, the sun about to set peeking from a billow of clouds. Soon, you may feel your spirit lighter than ever.
Creating a peaceful home in this time when everything moves fast is a feat in itself. It is completely acceptable and important to take time to step back and breathe in pleasing aroma scents.
Discover our collection of peaceful essential oils here at Essence et Sérénité.
No information provided in this article is to treat, cure or prevent any kinds of illnesses.
Please read our full DISCLAIMER.
References:
Posted January 25, 2022, in ESSENTIAL OILS by Essence et Sérénité