Have you ever noticed how the things we smell have an effect on our emotions? Imagine cutting a lemon in half. Is your mouth watering right now? Can you smell the clean fresh citrusy scent in your mind? I recently learned that smell is the only fully developed sense a fetus has in the womb. It’s the one that is the most developed sense in a child until around the age of ten when the sense of sight takes over. Childhood tends to be the period in which we create the basis for the smells we like and dislike for the rest of our lives.

The olfactory receptors in our nose have strong input in the emotional center of our brain, the amygdala. In addition to forming and triggering memories, scent regulates how we feel about these memories. Scent becomes a powerful tool for mental health, even if its effects are temporary.

Many scents have documented positive effects on our mental state. Some of this is supported by research, some comes from personal experimentation. Today, the aroma of a home or office is big business. Scent branding is popular across a vast range of industries, including hotels and stores that often pump their signature scents into rooms and lobbies according to a Harvard Business Review article.

People do tend to lose their sense of smell as they age. The sense of smell is like a muscle in the body that can be strengthened by giving it a daily workout with sniffs. When you are walking down the street, consciously think about what you are smelling . . . the more you use your nose, the stronger your sense of smell becomes.

Like a compilation of favorite songs, smells can become part of our toolkit for correcting, boosting, and changing the way we feel. The good news is, they are all around us with essential oils, scented lotions and body washes, and natural materials readily at our disposal. It’s as easy as lighting a candle or slicing a lemon in half.

I’ve always loved things that smell good! One of the first things I do each morning is turn on my candle warmer with my favorite candle of the current season, right now I’m enjoying the “Rachel Vosper - scent #36” candle I brought home from England. I only use non-toxic natural ingredient candles. I don’t ever burn them, I only use them with my candle warmer. My kids love their “Pura” plug-in scent diffusers, but I’m too lazy to add one more App to my phone that I have to babysit and figure out how to use. I like my simple candle warmer that I just have to flip the switch on and off. Here is a list of some of my favorites by season:

· “Saijo Persimmon” – Voluspa - Spring/Summer

· Mission Fig + Amber” – Pottery Barn – Fall

· “Frasier Fir” – Thymes - Winter

· “Balsam & Cedar” – Illume - Winter

· “Winter White” – Illume – Winter

I also love the smell of a soothing hand soap, body wash, lotion, or perfume. All these things bring joy into my day! And joy always brings LIGHT! Some of my favorite scents include, Lemon, Fig, Sage, Neroli, Patchouli, Santal, Vetiver, Bergamot, Oudh, Orange Blossom, and Fir. Anything with a clean fresh scent.

If you’re starting to feel the winter blues coming on with the changing of the seasons, treat yourself to a nice quality candle, a lovely scented body wash, or lotion. If you have a friend who’s feeling down, gift them a bottle of your favorite scented body wash or lotion. The gift of smell, is just one of the senses God has given us to encourage the enjoyment of the natural beauties He has provided on this earth! Be sure to fill your week with LIGHT, strengthen your olfactory receptors with some healthy sniffs of lovely scented things – even if you just cut up a lemon and squeeze it in your water for the day. You’ll breathe in its uplifting goodness as your hydrate and rejuvenate your body!

I hope you have a lovely scented week!

Love Ya, Les :)

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The Gift of Scent