The scent of plants on a wet early spring morning; the smell of newly
mown grass; the first roses of summer; the hot, dry, arid herbs on a
scorched mountain — these are just a few of the many sweet smells of
nature.
Smell is one of the most evocative memory joggers. Not only does it
stop you at the time, helping you to extend and savor all that is present, but
it also has a beautiful way of reviving memories to sweeten the present.
When we remember someone, we very often remember their scent.
We smell their individual pheromones (from the Greek pherein meaning “to
carry,” and hormon meaning “to excite”). Pleasant odors make us feel happy,
while noxious ones can irritate or depress. So whether you like the smell of
tar, bergamot essential oil, or the latest chemical perfume is for you to decide,
but the sensation will change your own body chemistry. It does this
through a portion of the brain that controls emotional well-being, which is
originally triggered by the nerves of the olfactory organ — the nose.
Essential oils come from all parts of plants and trees: bark, berries,
seeds, leaves, and fl owers. They all basically work to balance our
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, relaxing and bringing
harmony and equilibrium, clarity and awareness. This is why they were,
and still are, burned in so many temples around the world in the form of
incense: myrrh and frankincense from Africa and western Asia, sage from the Western Hemisphere, and lavender from south Europe.