Discovering the Science of Tranquility

If you saw my last two posts about Recharge and Awareness, then you'll know one more word remains in my self care journey. The one that is the hardest for me to master.

Tranquility

I will be the first one to tell you that I have the number one seat on the hot mess express, sitting next to a squirrel, all while trying to keep every hat on my head: Wife, Mother, Friend, Boss, Coworker, Colleague, Niece, Sister plus others. 

Front seat, I promise.

I think of Tranquility and it’s not even something I can fathom.

But there it was - in front of me. Challenging me. 

What is tranquility to me? What does it feel like? What does it smell like.

When I went to the lab on this one, I thought about what makes me happy, tranquil, calm, in one place, off the express without the squirrels.

Salt water, Chinese food, candles, Rodney Strong Cabernet, books, colored pens, paper, fuzzy blankets and good sunglasses. This is what would need to be in my “tranquil room”.

So I went into the lab to think about how all of that played out. Obviously, I couldn't do that from a scent profile...so I had to do it from a feeling profile. What oils felt like that those items?

I took salt water first. Growing up in Amityville, Long Island….that’s all we knew. I could and sometimes would swim to my friends houses. We would ride bikes through the streets between canals. We would throw each other in. As I got older, salt water represented renewal, peace, forgiveness and simply tranquility.

Even though I haven't called that home in many years, I still need to go to regroup sometimes. Mojay states that Cedarwood represents strength, endurance and certainty. That is what salt water gives me, so off in the blend it went.

Chinese food. My best memories from childhood are with Chinese food. My favorite story of my Dad is when we were down to one car, he would walk to the Chinese Food place, and place an order for delivery. Then he would hop in the car with the driver and go wherever my Dad wanted to take him.

To me Chinese food represented fun and friendship and laughter and love- because that is what happens when you get around a group of people eating it.

My son and I bond with Chinese food now. And that's a lot of love there. Angelica root reminds me of Chinese food, so strange, but if you smell the oils...its grounding, it calms nervous exhaustion and it stabilizes mood, just like Chinese food does in my life.

Candles and wine, they go hand in hand. Warmth, tenderness, simplicity and calming. This is my ylang ylang, its slightly flowery and sweet scent smells is used highly in perfumery and is frequently chemically altered in a lab for synthetic fragrances. It’s scent oozes love and warmth that you would get from a really good glass of red wine.

My very first love affair and what will be my very last love affair is my love affair with books. I have them piled up in every corner, I have them hidden in places, I get them delivered every week. I go to the library every week….they are my escape from the everyday.

They are how I figure out my future, they are my gift to me. My Myrrh that was given to Jesus from the Magi, representing inner stillness, peace, closes wounds of hurt and gives the soothing power of solitude. Myrrh is my love affair with books.

The gorgeous floral oil Rhododendron wraps up my pens and paper in this category. This oil smells new, fresh a start to new beginnings, the same way I get when I get a new pack of pens and newspapers. To start again when you have been down, you need tranquility to find that and Rhododendron gives me that.

Ohh fuzzy blankets and good sunglasses. Give me a chilly day where you start in a fuzzy blanket and go outside to feel the cold but the sun is just blazing. Those days give me a different way to look at the world, to make it more…. Tranquil. 

This folks, is vanilla absolute...no questions asked. Warm and tranquil. Vanilla.

This blend reminds me of these things, and calms me down when that hot mess express is not stopping, When the brain keeps going and going and not stopping. It calms me down and chills me out and makes me realize these feelings of safety, serenity and calm.

Now if I could just remember to bring it with me… But if you'd like to get one for yourself, check it out here!

This blog will also be printed and handed to my teacher in March…

Oh Yoda, learned have I.