JANUARY 16, 2025
Now that we are two weeks into the new year, have you started new rituals or kept up with your resolutions? While the world around us will continue to be disruptive, it’s important to find moments of meaning and personal connection in our everyday lives.
This week, we’re exploring how scent shapes our daily rituals and ceremonies - from ancient traditions to modern practices.
FUNCTION:
THE SCIENCE OF RITUALS
The power of ritual lies in its ability to shift our state of mind. In the groundbreaking book "Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art," authors Kathi Keville and Mindy Green explore how our olfactory system creates powerful connections between scent and emotional states. When we pair specific scents with intentional actions, we create stronger neural pathways for memory and emotion. Think of it as creating sensory bookmarks in your day—signals that tell your brain it's time to transition from one moment to the next.
Try This: Design Your Own Scent Ritual
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Morning Energy: Start with citrus notes to signal wake-up time
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Focus Time: Use rosemary or mint to mark the beginning of deep work
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Evening Unwind: Create a relaxation trigger with lavender or vanilla (pair with Still).
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Sleep Ready: Keep a special nighttime scent that's only for bedtime
TRANSPORT:
SACRED SMOKE
From Japanese kōdō ceremonies to Catholic church incense, the burning of aromatic materials has long been used to transform ordinary spaces into sacred ones. The practice of "smudging" or burning sacred herbs appears in traditions worldwide—sage in Native American ceremonies, palo santo in South American rituals, frankincense in Middle Eastern traditions. Each culture has its own aromatic language for communicating with the divine.