Meditative Practices Using Botanical Scent

I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
- T.S. Eliot

What is Meditation? Space, Time & Tools.

“ What is meditation? Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. Meditation is not a part of any religion; it is a science, which means that the process of meditation follows a particular order, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified.

In meditation, the mind is clear, relaxed, and inwardly focused. When you meditate, you are fully awake and alert, but your mind is not focused on the external world or on the events taking place around you. Meditation requires an inner state that is still and one-pointed so that the mind becomes silent. When the mind is silent and no longer distracts you, meditation deepens.” - Yoga International.

Why meditation and botanical scent? Both the meditative process and natural aromatic blends are widely used to get an inner peace of mind, enrich our spiritual experience as human beings. They help us focus on the essential moments, both intentionally and unintentionally.

Natural perfumes do not have to offer aromatherapeutic qualities to be considered for meditative practices, although there has been a debate over the possibility of some aromatic extractions such as absolutes and CO2 extracts to be as potent as essential oils. The question is whether meditation is in fact connected with aromatherapy. On the one hand, yes, it is a well-known fact that essential oils do help us to focus and relax our mind due to their complex beneficial properties. On the other hand, meditation is very individual and needs a special approach, since the fragile threshold when one can pass to get freedom from our daily restless life is sometimes even hard to get close to. In any case, composite botanical fragrances can be an alternative and an escape from regular aromatherapy as their multidimensional structure is what may help your meditative practice achieve another level.

There is no need to be an expert on meditation to say that the practice needs a few key elements to be realised: silence, solitude, focus, very often, tools, etc. While using simple conventional essential oils to help you relax is a good idea to start with, you may also want to experiment and discover new opportunities in using your favourite scent.

Meditation starts from creating a physical atmosphere, a comfortable place, position, clothes, temperature, etc. You might also think of the level of noise, part of the day (morning or time before bed), your overall physical condition (when you really need it and are able to do it).

Choosing the right tools is essential if it is a bit difficult for you to focus and relax: cushions, plaids, clothing, hair accessories, sound/no sound, etc. For some it is important to let their senses wander free and be stimulated, for some - it is really necessary to stay away from any disturbances. It is up to you to create an ambiance in which you feel totally comfortable and relaxed.

If you feel your olfactory preferences may help you, go for natural scents. The more complex they are, the deeper you may meditate. As the notes change with time, you will uncover the layers of the botanical fragrance and will stay more concentrated on the practice. The scent you have chosen must be not only pleasing to your nose but to your mind too. You can also add some unexpected tools to your meditative practice such as reading poetry or journaling. Even reading one phrase or making short notes on cards to reflect upon can completely change the process.

RedBird, an Evolving Ambiance Perfume.

RedBird is a botanical ambiance fragrance which was especially designed to help you meditate and/or contemplate. Instead of using the same aromatherapy blends, you will use a scent which changes softly and smoothly with time, not only in its notes but also from batch to batch, so the difference can be compared to water flowing through a forest, mountains, then turning into rain and falling upon the waves, floating with lost driftwood and landing on the rocks to become wind rustling through the stems of wild flowers, oak trees and feathers of the leaving geese in the sky…Combine RedBird with intentional writing, even for short periods but exactly when you need it most, for instance, to start or finish your day, to raise awareness of the moment, to reflect on the past and ruminate on the future.

Choose the right tools for RedBird, such as perfume blotters (you can also use any thick paper you have, repurposed cards, etc.), fabric (your own clothes, bed linen, cushions, curtains, etc.). Apply the scent a couple of minutes before you start the practice to let the aroma spread across the space and become soft. Do not use the scent too close to your nose but rather around you. You can choose a subject for your reflections or let your mind roam, memorise and repeat a mantra (it can be a short sentence, a written combination of words on a card, an extract from prose or poetry which is the closest to your spiritual state of mind, etc.) or focus on your breathing and inhaling the ambiance scent.

Mediation does not have to be standard, you do not need expensive tools, accessories, special books. Only you can choose and will know what you need. Make it simple and use what you love most, start with short practices but regular ones. No need to follow rules to know if you are indeed meditating. Meditation can take different levels but, if you think, the process you use helps you then you are on the right path. You can also simply stay alone in a quiet space, take a book of poetry, your journal or simply a piece of paper and a pen and let your mind focus on something, it is about the focus or, as some may call it, distraction or even a slow activity which completely differs in its rhythm and performance which switches off your mind, that switch can be one thing or a combination of a few as described above. Botanical scent is only one of them but if you feel that your love for natural fragrances can be incorporated in meditative experience, then, why not? However contradictory the notion of focus vs distraction may sound but both work to make your mind shift away from everyday concerns, bad thoughts and anxiety. Adding manual work such as slow contemplative writing (not typing!), reading (a paper edition of a book, not an e-book) and ambiance scent application add to the whole experience and create your own unique rituals. As you repeat the actions every time you meditate, your mind gets more accustomed to the process and can relax faster.

RedBird focuses on nature elements and blends such themes as the sea, woods, ponds, meadows, etc. all found in Mary Oliver’s verse. It also encourages us to pay more attention to simple everyday things which are otherwise ignored due to our hectic life. By using simple ceremonies such as observation, journalling, meditation, reading, botanical fragrances can help unify them into one picture: seeing the world and reflecting on it, since scent creates one of the most long lasting memories, the quality which can be successfully used for your next meditative practice, as your mind will reminisce on the past sessions, it will easily transition into a deeper phase of meditation.