A Scented Space

Herbs nourish and sustain us. Even in their dried forms, their flavors remain in tact and can bring life and depth to a meal or turn water into a cup of tea. Herbs and spices were placed in the tombs of the pharaohs to accompany their souls on the journeys to and from the afterlife, providing sustenance for their soul. We are nourished by these plants - whether it's a soothing cup of tea that helps you find a moment of solace, or a flavorful meal that leaves you satisfied and able to carry on. Herbs remind us that we have the innate ability to sustain ourselves and be self-sufficient, even ~ and especially ~ in challenging times.

I have just repeated - yes repeated - my original Aromatic Chemistry course through the Tisserand Institute with the incredibly knowledgeable E. Joy Bowles (PhD, BSC Hons). We learned about essential oil molecules, chemical relationships and how these relationships bring changes through their metabolism in the body. This relationship between the human body and plant medicine leaves me in awe and perpetually intrigued with its complexities and potential for wellness. Though it was challenging, it strengthened my belief that the physical, emotional and mental changes we feel through the inhalation of a scent are very real and can facilitate healing change within us.

Nootka roses (sometimes called Wild, Common, or Bristly rose) are giving us their beautiful aromas now and will continue to do so until July. If you see them, take a moment to pause and breathe their scent in - it may help to calm your nervous system and remind you that you are loved.

In the A Scented Space program, we u se the scents from the essential oils of flowers such as geranium, rose, lavender, neroli, and ylang ylang to help soften the painful emotions we often feel when a loved one has died. Flowers can help remind us that the love we feel for others is still very much alive even after they have passed, and will remain with us forever.

Flowers can also help to remind us that in our grief we also deserve our love. Caring for one's self throughout the grieving process - especially in the early days - can often feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible on certain days. Smelling the scent of a flower that you love can help you to take a moment and pause...to remember that there are small things you can do for yourself that will bring you some comfort. These little moments will add up to some big love for yourself and may make all the difference in your journey with grief.

Our magnificent sense of smell can help to calm, relax, uplift and/or settle ourselves into a more peaceful and centered state of being. If you are experiencing a loss - whether through the death of a loved one, a divorce, the loss of income, the death of a beloved pet or any other loss that you may be impacted by - know that there is a way to help soften your grief through your sense of smell.

Little by little, as the emotions of grief come, we can use scents that are pleasing to us to help us cope with emotions that often feel overwhelming. Calming the emotions helps us to calm the body, as they are intimately connected.

If you are in need of some support for your grieving journey and are curious about how smell can very quickly and effectively offer you support whenever you need it, please get in touch with me.

If you're in need of some comfort, take some time to sit and have a cup of tea. Let Plant Medicine soothe you.

If you're grieving, or know of someone who is, I would recommend Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler's book, "On Grief and Grieving, Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss" as a wonderful resource.

Recently, I joined Teresa Ostman, who hosts the Wellness Wednesday show every Wednesday on the Nanaimo radio station, CHLY 101.7fm, for a conversation about how our sense of smell can help us through grief & loss. What a lovely conversation! You can find the podcast on the Wellness Hub's website here:

https://www.wellnesshubvancouverisland.ca/audio

If you, or someone you know, are grieving and feeling overwhelmed with emotions such as sadness, anger, shock, denial, numbness, guilt and fear, please know there is support for you. Your journey is unique to you and you will find your way, and there are things you can do right now to help yourself feel better. Please reach out if you need support while you're learning to adjust to a new reality - you don't have to walk with Grief alone.

The A Scented Space Facilitator team, Joan Harrison, Julie Zaat and I, would like to extend our warmest wishes of the season. May you be comforted, nourished and supported by the scents around you.

Are you being called to support others through their journey with grief & loss but not sure where to begin? Are you someone who notices and appreciates the scents that waft around you like coffee, lemons or flowers? Did you know that scents that smell good to us can help us to relax and feel safe and we can use that knowledge to help others feel that too?

The A Scented Space training brings together 3 different modalities into 1 cohesive model of care that provides an effective and supportive framework for those wanting to support others in their journey with grief. More information can be found on my website www.ascentedspace.com or I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Did you know grief is present in all kinds of losses?
The whole world is struggling right now trying to adjust in the midst of our global circumstances. This much sorrow can be hard to manage...if you are struggling right now - whether it's from your own loss or another's - let us show you how, through your sense of smell, you can manage your grief and loss.

I'm excited to be an exhibitor this year at the Wellness Expo. If you're out and about, come by and say hello. We'll have some exciting things for you to see and some giveaways.

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement this past year. I wish you all the best this holiday season.

I created this self-guided model of care that combines guided meditation with scent and comforting touch in the hopes that it will bring you solace and peace as your heart seeks to understand your loss.

The A Scented Space program helps you to create a safe and comforting environment that softens and soothes your pain.

Spices are the quintessential reflection of Self-reliance and Sustainability. Inhaling the vibrant scents of spices such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger and clove stimulates and expands our emotional outlook and our perspective of the world around us. Walking with the warmth of spices will reassure us and open us to new ideas and possibilities of support. We will be accompanied by the ancient wisdom spices hold as we make the journey through our grief.

Often when we are grieving, just a soft and gentle touch will remind us that we are still present and connected to the world around us.

Trees are considered to be the lungs of our planet that purify our air. In the A Scented Space program, we align with their attributes of Strength and Stability to stay grounded while adapting to new situations we may not be expecting.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross states it so eloquently in her quote....that when we understand that we may not be ready to explore all of the feelings of grief all at once, flowers can connect us to our Heart Centre and comfort us and remind us that it's ok just to take some time and just be.

Flowers give us the grace we need to be gentle and kind to ourselves in every moment.

Fun Fact: During a visualization meditation, your amygdala, a tiny part of the limbic system of the brain, cannot distinguish between something that is being imagined and something that is actually happening.
and loss