The association of smell to memory, feelings, and moods has always been present. However, the connection of smell to mindfulness and meditation is probably the latest trend in the organic world. Aromatherapy can definitely assist you with focusing, stress management, and developing your meditation practice. It is a way to harness the natural oils and scents to produce naturally medicinal properties.

So let’s take a look at the ways scents can influence the mind. Also, how you can apply aromatherapy in your day to day world in order to help you practice mindfulness.

The Science of Smell and Feelings

Smell is a unique sense when compared to all the others. Since it drives entirely off the limbic system of our brain that regulates both emotion and memory. This might be why a simple scent can evoke vivid memories or emotional responses very quickly. It would be reasonable to think that if you combine a scent with mindfulness or meditation then you can stabilize your mood, ground your awareness, and create an atmosphere to support your inner peace.

How Aromatherapy Supports Mindfulness

Mindfulness is all about the focusing of awareness in the moment —- this can be done via breath, body or surroundings. Scent adds a different sensory layer to this experience that is able to:

• Help focus a distracted mind
• Deorbit stress from body
• Create a conditioned response to relaxation
• Allow for an more emotionally expressive meditation.

Certain essential oils have calming and uplifting properties allowing individuals to more easily shift their internal state to one that is more conducive to mindfulness and meditation.

Best Essential Oils for Meditation and Emotional Balance

Different essential oils will have different qualities based on their chemical composition and the way the body processes them. Below are a few of the common varieties and their potential benefits:

• Lavender an old remedy for decreasing anxiety and increasing sleep quality. It is great for evening meditations or unwinding after a long day.
• Frankincense has been used for millennia for spiritual experiences. Frankincense supports deep breaths and an awareness of being grounded, which is perfect for a longer or silent meditation practice.
• Peppermint can be both uplifting and invigorating and can assist in clearing the fog in your mind, which is valuable in morning mindfulness sessions.
• Sandalwood is grounding and is recognized as a fragrance for peace, clarity, and emotional stability. Good for helping to focus in spiritual or visualization meditations.
• Citrus essential oils (lemon, orange, bergamot) have uplifting scents that can help refresh your spirits against burnout; perfect for a good mid-day refresh.

Tips on How to Add Aromatherapy to Your Practice

Integrating aromatherapy does not have to be a complete overhaul of your practices. Here are a few simple options:

Diffusers: You can add a few drops of essential oil to an ultrasonic diffuser ahead of your session to create a calming experience for yourself and/or your client.

Rolls-ons: Roll-on oils that are pre-mixed can easily be applied to your wrists, neck, or temples for an easy way to practice mindfulness while on-the-go.

Inhale: You can inhale right from the bottle or if you need to ground yourself quickly, drop a little oil onto a tissue to inhale.

Candle or Incense: Candles and incense are much less potent than therapeutic essential oils, but they can help prepare the space and promote relaxation.

Be cautious about the quality – Get 100% pure, therapeutic-grade oils that are safe to use for you and your client.

Integrating Aromatherapy With Other Meditation Aids

Aromatherapy integrates nicely with other sensory or concentration-based meditation aids:

Sound: You may also want to experiment with the aroma combined with binaural beats, singing bowls, or ambient music for a more immersive experience.

Breath: In your pranayama (breath) exercises, you can include activating scents like eucalyptus oil that can help you center your focus.

Visualization: You can trigger aroma associations when you practice guided visualizations, which can assist you in embodying emotional intentions like feeling calm, present the joy of what you are doing, or feeling confident.

The Greater Benefits of Meditation (Then Enhanced by Aroma)

The benefits of meditation are generally more than felt when combined with fragrance. Meditation practitioners will notice enhanced relaxation, quicker mental calmness, and greater emotional release. As a practitioner over time your brain may develop a conditioned response where just the smell of lavender or sandalwood causes your body to immediately relax.

This conditioning can help assure you remain consistent, as it may become quicker and easier to get back into practice, especially for new meditators, or for those who have difficulty concentrating.

Final Thoughts

Mindfulness and meditation have a lot of power of their own – with the addition of aromatherapy the experience could be even more rich, enhanced and immersive. Whether you are trying to work to lower stress, improve focus, or simply deepen your practice, the incorporation of fragrance into your process is a relatively easy, yet impactful change.

Instead of reframing, begin with refraining: make a fragrance choice that holds meaning for you, take a deep breath, and see where the moment takes you.