May 16, 2025
Welcome to THE BIOLOGIST: notes on fragrance, culture and the senses.
Flow State
This month, we’re honoring Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage – a celebration of legacy, creativity, and quiet strength. But more than anything, it’s a reminder of how culture moves: from generation to generation, across oceans and dinner tables, in music, scent, language, and care.
We’ve been thinking about flow – not just as a scent, but as a way of being. How thoughts move, how time bends, how identity is always in motion.
Psychologists define flow state as that immersive sweet spot where action and awareness merge: no overthinking, no second-guessing, just pure, focused presence. Time blurs. Self-consciousness fades. You’re locked in.
Coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow isn’t about doing less — it’s about doing with full presence. Studies show that when you're in flow:
- The prefrontal cortex (your inner critic) goes quiet
- Dopamine and norepinephrine levels rise, improving focus
- You become up to 5x more productive, and often more creative
Sounds great, right? Here's how to find it:
1. Do one thing. Just one.
Multitasking is the enemy of flow. Set a timer. Silence your phone. Whether you're painting, planning, writing, or gardening, give it your full attention.
2. Choose a challenge that meets your skill.
Flow happens when you're pushed just beyond your comfort zone. Not so easy it's boring. Not so hard it's panic-inducing. Just enough to keep you engaged.
3. Drop into ritual.
A clear entry point helps. Light a candle. Start the playlist. Make tea. These small cues signal to your brain: It’s time to begin.
4. Stay in it.
Research suggests it takes about 15 minutes to enter flow — and a single notification can snap you out of it. Protect your time like it matters (because it does).
Flow isn’t just something you chase — it’s something you can invite in. With the right space, the right rhythm… or the right scent.
Enter: FLOW, our most grounding blend. It smells like calm in motion with warm vanilla, soft amber, patchouli and cedarwood all working together to say: you’re safe here. Wear it while journaling. Dab it before you go into “focus mode.” Roll it on before therapy, before meditation, before you do nothing at all.
Whether you’re headed to Jeju, the farmer’s market, or just from your inbox to your Notes app, FLOW is a scent that helps you stay with yourself, wherever you’re going.
Last weekend, we had the joy of connecting with our community IRL at the 2nd Annual AANHPI Designer Pop-Up hosted by Velvet.Co and ÁWET New York. It was a weekend of creativity and cultural pride – and we were honored to be alongside an incredible lineup of indie AAPI-owned brands pushing boundaries in beauty, fashion, and wellness.
A portion of proceeds from the weekend went to Make Us Visible, an org advocating for inclusive education and combating anti-Asian violence through curriculum reform. We’re proud to have played even a small part in that larger mission.
Events like these are a reminder that identity doesn’t just live in stories or scent — it lives in presence. In showing up, sharing space, and supporting one another.
Until next week…let it flow.
