The Scent of Peace

Our sense of smell instantly transports us into specific memories and states of mind: happy, sad, excited, melancholy. A wonderful tool, smell lets us quickly tune in and respond to our environment. Smells often operate below our consciousness, influencing our hormones, reactions and thoughts. For example, the smell of baking helps sell a house, making it feel personable, warm and inviting. For the holidays especially, a basic understanding of aromatherapy helps you invite peace and calm into your inner and outer life.

Our bodies respond best to natural smells. After we inhale, scent molecules key into special nasal receptors, telling our bodies the difference between more complex natural scents and sharper petrochemical compounds. Artificial scents trigger immune responses such as irritability, itchy eyes or asthma whereas pure essential oils cause much fewer allergic reactions. I suggest using pure essential oils and natural plants for the healthiest and most effective aromatherapy. Many candle and air freshener companies blend essential and synthetic oils to cut costs, so look for pure, unblended oils at your local health food store.

For a peacefully scented holiday, start with a clean palette. Take an hour or two and air our your home with fresh air. This helps release any dustiness, mustiness and unpleasant odors which you may not notice. Fresh air brings a sense of clarity and possibility to a space.

For clean, new thoughts, especially for unpleasant holiday memories, place cedar chips in your drawers and/or cedar boughs around the house. Many tribal cultures burned cedar as a sacred incense to call in soft, fresh energy. It may simply remind you of nature's quiet and healing presence.

For a more sacred or reverent atmosphere, I suggest using frankincense oil or resin. Use the oil in a diffuser or burn the resin by placing it on burning wood or an incense charcoal. Many cultures use this spicy scent in spiritual ceremonies, evoking quiet and respect.

To promote calm and improve digestion, use ginger, peppermint and clove scents. You can bake gingerbread, make peppermint tea or candies, or use the oils in a diffuser. Ginger and peppermint relieve all sorts of nausea when you feel ill or overfed; why restaurants commonly offer mints at the end of a meal.

For a generally peaceful holiday, I like citrus scents like orange, lemons or lemongrass. As a centerpiece, you can stack up oranges, lemons and limes in a bowl, put cloves in an orange and hang it as decoration, simmer orange or lemon peel in cider or warm water or add the essential oils to a diffuser. Citrus adds an unexpected and fresh scent, reminding us that life is sweet and tomorrow is another day.