It was early 2004 when my boyfriend at the time (now hubby :)) and I were roaming the streets of Vancouver, Canada. We were on a working holiday visa and looking for work. At this point we realised we are probably not going to get the type of “career advancing” jobs we were hoping for, and were now looking for a job in retail or waitering. Things were not looking good for us. At this point we also made the agreement that we will “stick it out” until we get back home to South Africa where we will most certainly break up. I was feeling hopelessly depressed. Which was the very reason I put a pause on my studies at Vega – to take the Gap Year I never took after I finished matric – in the first place to go on this adventure.
So there I was, jobless, broke, cold, frustrated and homesick. I walked into a little store on the southern side of Kitsilano’s vibrant West 4th shopping district. It smelled heavenly, with shelves stacked full of little bottles of essential oils. I started opening bottle by bottle smelling each distinct aroma. Since that day I often returned to that little store, and eventually I had a few favourite aromas which I was drawn to.
Every time I walked out of the store, it felt like my mood was lifted, and I felt a sense of comfort and peace. I managed to save up some money and bought two oils, Ylang-Ylang and Neroli. These two precious oils came back to South Africa with me and I managed to stretch those bottles to last for a few years actually.
Since then I have learned that it was no coincidence that I felt happier and rejuvenated stepping out of that store after simply smelling some aromas.
Our sense of smell can actually have a profound effect on our emotions. By simply inhaling an aroma can elicit an emotional response. That’s because when you inhale essential oils, the molecules that are absorbed by your nose sends messages directly to the part of the brain that deals with memory and emotions – the limbic system.
“Our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other of our senses and recognition of smell is immediate. Other senses like touch and taste must travel through the body via neurons and the spinal cord before reaching the brain whereas the olfactory response is immediate, extending directly to the brain. This is the only place where our central nervous system is directly exposed to the environment.” (von Have, Serene Aromatherapy)
Interestingly, olfactory centers are also intricately linked with the part of the brain (the hypothalamus) that interacts directly with the pituitary gland, a small gland located in the brain. This is where hormones are formed. These chemicals control important bodily functions like water percentage in the body, your sleep cycles, body temperature, regulation of blood pressure, hunger and thirst signals, thyroid function, and production of sexual hormones, among other vital things.
So not only does inhaling essential oils have a powerful influence on our emotions, but aroma is also capable of influencing neurochemistry throughout the body, which can have powerful effects on our health.
So the next time you walk past a flower bed, herb garden, bakery, or a bottle of essential oils, don’t forget to stop and take a deep breath, knowing why that peaceful smile appears on your face.
References
- Dr. David K. Hill D.C., “The Power of Aroma”, https://www.doterra.com/US/en/the-power-of-aroma.
- Scentered, “How essential oils affect your Limbic System” https://scentered.com/blogs/news/how-essential-oils-affect-your-limbic-system
