Come, Take A Whiff !

Aromatic

by Sakhi

We frequently hear phrases like “Stop and smell the roses”, “Wake up and smell the coffee”, “I smell something fishy” or “The smell of success”. Why is there so much emphasis on our smelling capability ? It is one of the five sensory stimulations, but probably the most remarkable one. It is often seen that a scent usually makes us nostalgic or disturbed, depressed or even lively at times. It is because the essence has Memory to it, that is why we often correlate a person to his/her brand of perfume. My father always used Brute or Jovan, I get so nostalgic for him when someone wears it. It is like he is present in the room.

Ever deeply inhaled a fresh, clean scent and felt re-energized? Or lit a candle in the evening to help relax and unwind from the day’s stress ? It’s no coincidence— thanks to the olfactory system’s intimate relationship with the brain, the certain scent might actually influence our mood. 

With every whiff you take as you walk by a bakery, a cloud of chemicals comes swirling up your nose. Identifying the smell as freshly baked bread is a complicated process. But, compared to the other senses, the sense of smell is often underappreciated. There are so many kinds of smells, pungent, spicy, sweet, savory, balmy, ambrosial, and many more I can’t even begin to think exist.

More often than not when you emanate powerful scent, people will think you are invincible and when you wear a sexy perfume you are admired and people fascinated you. Ever tried to smell a flower from your adolescence, you will feel you have left the present and have been transported back to that day when you made a memory with that flower. Whenever I go to my friend’s place there is incense burning in her small in-house temple, and I have acknowledged that smell with her, now whenever I smell incense I am reminded of her and have an urge to call her and have a long chat. I oftentimes used to ask her can she smell it too and she will say no. It happens that we are oblivious to smells coming off our own body and home.

Nowadays Aroma Therapy is so in trend. The say there are holistic characteristics in essential oils used in the therapy that helps in faster healing of skin diseases, blood circulation, aches and pains related problems as well as gives energy, in tunes hormones, helping in sleep, destroys bacteria and healing of blisters too. Not just that it also calms the mind, reduces anxiety, brings down nervousness and helps with memory.

People love all kinda smells, petrol, kerosene, new book, old book, shoe polish, leather, caustic soda and what not. Personally, I love Petrichor, the earthly scent that comes from Earth when the dry soil in soaked in rain. It is even used in perfumes. Perfumes to me are almost like the signature, very specific to that one person. My mother the loves the odor of her old trunk, when she opens it and an alcoholic smell mixed with naphthalene balls comes from her stuff. Even the smell of burnt wood or coal is the reason people love barbecue so much. Smoke is so attractive to smell that people love to eat smoked foods. Many alcohols smell so inviting.

For lovers, the smell of each other, when they are fresh from a bath or when they are sweaty or when their clothes are out of the dryer are so sexy and loving. A true loves kiss can leave their fragrance on your lips, your skin and your soul. Smell plays such a significant role in romance, it is often not Love at first Sight but Love at first Whiff.