Smelling nature can be healing. Last month at my work we were invited to join an indigenous elder circle. The 3 indigenous elders from our community shared their ways of healing from grief through drumming, singing, sharing stories, encouraging us with words of wisdom, smudging, and gifting us with a sachet of medicinal herbs. It was truly a gift to us who were grieving the loss of our co-worker. The scents of cedar, sweet grass, sage, and tobacco remind me of how nature can heal. Whenever I smell this sachet, I’m transported back to memories of that day.
Today’s post is about mindful smelling. I love drinking tea and the process of preparing and drinking tea it is a natural way for me to mindfully use all my senses; especially the sense of smell. Drinking tea is something I associate with a sense of calm. It’s something I do to proactively fill my cup and recharge myself for the day. And it’s also something I do to soothe myself when feeling stressed. I’ve done this activity with young people and was surprised to see how much they loved drinking tea.
Mindful Smelling Activity: Savouring Tea
- Prepare different types of tea (e.g. black, green, chai, fruity, etc.) and lay them out on a table.
- Introduce that with teas there can be many different aromas including: floral, fruity, spicy, minty, smoky, nutty, etc.
- Smell each tea with curiosity. Notice and describe what it smells like as a whole. See if you can identify the individual ingredients.
- Brew the tea and now notice what new aromas are released.
- Mindfully savour the scents, flavours, and warmth of the tea.
We can practice savouring mindful moments each day. Russ Harris teaches in his book, ACT Made Simple, how to sprinkle and savour.
Throughout the day, look for opportunities to “sprinkle” those values into whatever you are saying and doing, so you give your behavior the flavor of your chosen values. And as you flavor it, savor it; notice the effects of living these values; appreciate the difference it makes.
Russ Harris 2019
How can you sprinkle and savour mindfulness into your daily routine each day?
