Essential oils, candles, incense – if you’ve ever noticed that your yoga studio always has a little something extra in the air, it’s not just to make it smell nice. Smell can actually have a big impact on the way you feel, both physically and emotionally – which in turn can help enhance your yoga practice.
When you breathe in, the aromas around you flow into the limbic system of your brain, which controls feelings, moods, emotion and memory. Ever wonder why one whiff of something familiar can instantly bring you back to your childhood or help you remember someone with crystal clarity? It’s because they have that big of an influence on your mind and perception.
For centuries, yogis have mixed the effects of scents with their physical yoga exercise to create an all-encompassing practice that influences your body as well as your mind and spirit. Breathing in these scents help deepen your practice and create long-lasting, positive memories of this exercise.
But you don’t have to be in a studio to experience the benefits of these scents. Placing candles, incense sticks or an essential oil diffuser near your mat can instantly transport you to the most luxurious studio you could imagine – without having to leave your home.
Here are a few great options:
Lavender
A yoga go-to, lavender is one of the best smells to slow the heart rate and quell the nervous system. It helps alleviate feelings of sadness, tension and anxiety, and it brings on a sense of calm. Rub a drop of lavender essential oil into the soles of your feet right before shavasana for a deeper meditation.
Orange
This scent has been found to increase positivity and calm, encourage relaxation and even reduce aggression. If you don’t have orange essential oils on hand, you can express natural oils by twisting an orange peel and rubbing the outside on your wrists or bottoms of your feet.
Cinnamon
This baking favorite is just as beneficial as it is delicious. When smelled, it can make you less drowsy and irritable, help you concentrate better and even help alleviate physical ailments like headaches and other pain.
Jasmine
Sweet and floral, jasmine helps uplift your mood in just about every way – from decreasing feelings of depression to making you feel more alert. Even just a few sniffs are enough to make you more positive and energetic.
Peppermint
With its mental clarifying effects, peppermint promotes focus and concentration, almost like the jolt you get by breathing in some cold, fresh air. It’s been found to improve accuracy and alertness as well as combat depression and sadness. Smell peppermint directly, place a few drops of peppermint oil on your temples or even chew a piece of peppermint gum to feel these effects.
While these are just a few, there are so, so many more options that can help enhance your practice as well as your day-to-day life. Next time you’re in a health-foods store, check out the essential oil section. Every one of them comes with its own influences and benefits, meaning there’s a perfect scent for you at every stage of your life. Whenever possible, do your best to buy natural or organic options. More commercial brands – like those you’d find in target – are often mixed with harsh chemicals, meaning you won’t get all of the benefits from the diluted bottle as you would from a natural brand.
What’s your favorite yoga scent? Let us know - @OffYoga