Namaste 🙏🏻
It happened on that wonderfully rainy Sunday afternoon in Central London. The weather scared most tourists away from the Covent Garden Square, beautifully decorated and filled with festive scents, which only a moment ago was packed with sightseers. Some were cursing their partners for leaving umbrellas in the hotel room, while others, though soaked to the bone, seemed to bear no hard feelings towards Mother Nature. While forced to take a break, they sat in a cafe, enjoying the smell of hot chocolate watching the raindrops splash on the window and having a great time regardless. Back then chatting was still more popular than staring at smartphone screens.
Her mind was full of all possible and unimaginable events of the week that was gradually getting ready to depart. She was smelling the rain; 'there's always something purifying about it' - she thought. Not only does it unclog the dusty air of the city centre, but also gives fresh start, a new clear page to write a whole new story.
Engaged with her rainy thoughts, she hurried past her favourite COS, resisted another treat, and walked briskly to the yoga studio for the second time. She would do that exceptionally on the days when she had a bit more energy saved from having fewer lessons, more positive conversations and deeper sleep. Living with fibromyalgia taught her to create those 'energy reserve pots' throughout the week and nourish them before she started running on empty. That Sunday afternoon one of those conditions was met and she hit the yoga studio door twice.
Dirish's classes had always been nourishing, insightful and smile-provoking. He was the reason she first came to Kaş, the place she has now called home for over 2 years. The Mediterranean retreat for which she had signed up had a change of plans, and in the end, he couldn't join. Slightly upset at first, as we all are when our expectations aren't perfectly met (and why should they?), she still went and enjoyed it immensely. He, however, continued serving at the studio and that Sunday afternoon he hosted yet another wonderfully peaceful yin yoga session. That's when she discovered the magic of oils. It was like a drop of heaven in her palm and the smell of a lemon orchard in the studio.
At first they just smelled nice and she intuitively kept going back for more. Later she discovered that her intuition was supported by science and that the benefits from the oils were far beyond just a delightful aroma.
The sense of smell is claimed to be the most powerful of all senses and create the strongest memories. We all have our scent memories - whether it's perfumes that remind us of the ocean breeze, freshly baked chocolate cookies that make our mouths water or minty mojito drinks which have us reminiscing about fun old days of partying, they all stick with us. Once her friend told her that Nivea sunscreen was the smell of a holiday for her. Now every time she comes across that on the beach, her friend pops up in her head. When she goes on holiday, it's a slightly more peculiar association - the smell of a particular cleaning product, which gives that nice floral touch to the room. It takes her way back to her childhood and reminds her that travelling was a huge luxury for the post-Soviet families, but her mum still managed to take her and her sister on one.
Oils can recreate a lot of powerful smells - sweet and spicy blends of Christmas, freshness of a newly peeled citrus fruit, subtle richness of a rose garden. They also aid our longing to feel better in so many ways. When we encounter a scent that's so pleasantly familiar, it instantly puts us in a happy mood. And that is such an accessible and natural way of bringing our minds back to positive when caught up with some unhelpful thoughts and worries.
Another immense benefit of oils is aiding concentration while working. Just a few drops of rosemary or peppermint oil gently rubbed on your temples will bring your alertness back in no time. Other oils relieve pain (clove), nausea (ginger), inflammation (tea tree), congestion (eucalyptus). Without causing any side effects they can eventually substitute effective but unnatural and short-term solutions that are often prescribed to us.
She used to check her phone last thing at night and first thing in the morning, thinking that was the way to stay connected with the outside world. Depending on the content of the messages, she would either start worrying, planning, or getting anxious, which would consequently affect the quality of sleep and morning mood. Now, when she goes to bed, most of the time she turns on a 'sleep well' blend - mixing frankincense and lavender allows her to relax and unwind. As a result, she feels more connected to herself and to nature. By skipping gadget reminders in the morning and incorporating a few drops of bergamot oil to her routine, she is less likely to spread her morning grumpiness.
It took her a while to recognise the benefits of oils - building a new healthy habit is often approached with skepticism at first, but it's a process that pays off. Now, they are her regular companion whether she is in pain, fatigued, or simply wants to create the 'hygge' feel at home on a cooler day. They serve her as a guide between nature and our increasingly artificial modern world. Affordable and accessible everywhere, her yoga students also love them — a creative addition to her classes inspired by Dirish. Even as she now designs her own balancing sequences and guides her own students, the oils often evoke memories of rainy Sunday nights in London and serene yin classes filled with ease and contentment.
Have a healthy day
What's your favourite smell? Why?
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