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A few days ago, Meredith, our registered clinical therapist and certified herbalist, was in her lab working on some new blends and had us gals sniffing samples and ranking our favorites.
When she waved one under my nose, that sparkle of excitement in her eyes dimmed as I made a face and turned my head away.
“What’s wrong?! This one is my favorite!”
“Oy, it smells like cat tinkle to me,” I had responded meekly. I felt bad for bursting her bubble, but she looked more curious than upset.
“Really? Huh.” then she smelled it again, quirked her lips in confusion and shrugged. “I don’t smell that at all. I love this one. It just goes to show how important smell is in individual care when using aromatherapy.”
It left me wondering, how can something smell so different from one person to the other? After all, chocolate just smells like chocolate to me. Roses… well they smell like roses! But what if the way my brain interrupted smells wasn’t the same for everyone?
Your nose has a direct link to the brain through your olfactory receptor. So when you take in a deep breath of freshly baked bread, and suddenly you are transported to your 10 year old self kneading bread with your belated grandmother, and your chest tightens and your eyes prick with tears - that’s because neurons are triggering memories and emotions in your brain.
So what might make your stomach growl and your mouth water, may affect someone completely differently depending on how the smell travels to different parts of their brain.
While on my search to understand the science of smell a bit better, I stumbled across this gem. Check it out to better understand the power of scent, then comment below what smells usually smell different to you than others, or trigger powerful memories - good or bad.
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Author: Melissa Sanchez Marketing Coordinator |
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Juniper and juniper berries were one of the first plants I ever worked with as an herbalist. Juniper essential oil is also a great part of the plant to work with, and I’ve used it in many of my blends.
A lot of people may think of gin when they think of juniper, but the berries from this tree also has a deep-rooted history as far back as the Roman Empire (and probably even further back than that). They are also used in cooking, medicine, and in some cases, flavoring.
This is a very difficult and personal recipe and rambling for me today. If you have been following the series, you may have seen that I am divorced after 14 years of marriage. When I found this quote, though I love it, it made me wonder if I had a right to use it, given the state of my dissolved marriage.
However, I am adding it to the series because over these adversaries {link previous blog}, I have learned a lot of great things. Now that I am dating someone new, I am consciously unmaking previous mistakes in this new relationship.
Marshmallow is an extremely common herb you will find in almost every herbalist pharmacy. The roots, leaves, and flowers of this plant are all used in herbal medicine, and its use goes back for centuries.
At times, it has been used for medicinal purposes, like a stomachache, but has also used for enjoyment in sweet wine and even those fluffy marshmallows we enjoy today – though it is no longer used in your everyday grocery marshmallow. Usually, though, you will find this herb in a tincture or tea for gastritis, digestive disorders, or used as a mild laxative.