Last week I met a man who smelled like my childhood.
When I was a girl it wasn’t uncommon for me to get up in the morning, pack a lunch for me and the dog, head out into our 33.3 heavily forested acres that was bordered by a bajillion Weyerhaeuser acres, and spend the entire day in the woods. We spent the days in another world. With nobody, literally no one, around us but the trees and underbrush, we went on quests, built forts out of tree limbs and moss, and had amazing adventures.
One place in all the acreage was my favorite – an old cedar stump that had been hollowed out by years of Western Washington weather. I’m sure if I saw it today it would be much smaller, but to a girl of 8 it seemed like the stump was 15 feet high and about 10 feet across. It had a live giant that had split out of the bottom, so the union between the live cedar and the stump made a nice “V” to help me climb up and then down into the stump. Years of rain and dampness had not only hollowed out the middle, but washed out a spot near the bottom that was just big enough for an 8 year old girl or her 10 year old brother to belly-scoot out.
When I slid down the inside it was just me and the tree. I used to think the cedar tree did that just for me. ½ of it was taken by loggers, and the other ½ grew so I could use it as my favorite spot. I was safe and protected from all the wild animals and nothing could get me – except maybe a little rain.
That’s what he smelled like. He smelled like clean earth, warm cedar, and fresh, round air.
That’s a Trillium at the bottom of a gigantic red cedar. They were all over in the forest where I grew up.
Everyone who knows me knows I’m a hugger, so when we hugged our hellos I almost held onto him for a moment too long (Don’t worry, it was a very appropriate and “chaste” hug). I don’t know what kind of soap/cologne/whatever he was wearing, but I was instantly taken back to that memory of the center of the cedar tree. It caught me by surprise and I wanted to remember it more. (It’s not weird to smell someone you just met, is it?) The smell of the cedar, the feeling of “ok-ness”, and the reminder to breathe deeply. And so this week’s blog post was inspired by a smell and a childhood memory.
We’ve already talked about the Intoxication of Scent (check it out here if you missed it!), and it’s no secret that smells can affect mood or even work performance. Smells can also bring back a long forgotten memory. Science tells us that the part of the brain that processes smells (olfactory bulb) is so closely associated with the system that processes memories and feelings that it’s sometimes referred to as the “emotional brain.” That system wouldn’t work unless we had already associated a memory with a smell, which we typically do the first time we smell a new smell – and also why a lot of smells remind us of childhood.
My reminder this week was to breathe, so I thought I’d share some ways to help de-stress:
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- Breathe. That’s right. I’m starting with this one because that’s what my lesson was this week. Any yogi will tell you that breath (pranayama) is the life force of a person, and Western medicine doesn’t disagree. Deep breaths release tension, reduce blood pressure, and make your body feel like it does when it’s already relaxed.
- Visualize. A quick visualization is an easy way to help you get centered. Do you have a favorite place (like the bottom of a hollowed out cedar tree) that makes you happy? Somewhere you discovered on vacation? A sunny beach? Take a few minutes and picture yourself there and feel your body instantly relax.
- Practice yoga. I’m not saying to break out into a sun salute sequence when you’re stressed out, but certain poses are designed to help alleviate stress. Take Eagle Pose, for example: just the arm positioning is great for relieving neck and shoulder tightness. (Learn to do it here) Definitely a plus for someone like me who sits at a computer all day and holds stress in her shoulders. Try it out!
- Turn off your phone. Especially if it’s a smart phone. Put your phone down and don’t look at social media, don’t text, unplug from the world and all outside stresses. Try it for 10 minutes (she says to her daughter with a wink) and see if you can work up to 30.
- Kiss your lover. Science shows that kissing releases endorphins, and endorphins make us feel good. Feeling good helps us feel less stress. Besides, it’s kissing… take a moment and give a little love to your lover and make them feel good too!
After meeting my new friend, visiting for a bit, then hugging our good-byes, I drove out to Lake Wenatchee where my family was camping. His smell lingered on my scarf, and as I drove through the amazing fall colors of the Chumstick, my mind was still back in my hometown – at my childhood home, out in the woods, at the bottom of a cedar tree. The smell is long-gone, but that memory is still in the front of my brain, and it’s an important reminder.
This week, my reader, I challenge you to breathe. Take 10 minutes and re-center and de-stress. Find your “happy place” and visit it for a few minutes, kiss your sweetheart, breathe deeply, know that everything is “ok” and will work out.
I’d love to hear about any favorite childhood memories that are associated with a certain smell. Grandma’s “old rose” perfume that was always in her sewing room, mom’s cooking, what sparks your memories?
My thoughts are my own, but my pictures are generally found on Pinterest (you can find anything there!). If you like what I write, please share with your friends or someone you think would like it! I’d love it if you follow me on Facebook (Melissa Gale), Instagram (write2unpack), or Twitter (@write2unpack). If you have any topics you think I should talk about, reach out to me at write2unpack@gmail.com. Oh, hey, and if you sign up here to follow me you’ll never miss a post!