Journey of Hearts

Smell memories (or the olfactory sense) may be some of the strongest memory cues known. I know that certain smell will remind me of my grandmother's kitchen, great aunt's perfume, my anatomy cadaver laboratory, Christmas' pine trees, or that burning leaves always take me back to the Fall we spent in England when I was a child. The medical profession is just starting to look at the field of aromatherapy. Recent findings from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago report that the scent of green apples may help relieve migraines.

There are also certain experiences that can evoke a smile. A ride in an amusement park, playing with a family pet, watching the setting sun, walking on the beach and feeling the sand between your toes, smelling a pine forest after a winter rain...many of these experiences can be had for nothing, just remembering to notice, to enjoy, or "take time to smell the roses."

We have tried to compile a variety of smells and experiences in the hopes that reading about them will trigger good memories and help shift you into a more positive mood.

Smells to Savor

The smell after the rain

Fresh cut oranges/lemons/limes/grapefruit

Lemon oil helps with alertness

Orange oil helps combat depression

Parsley, Dill, Sage

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves - spices

Freshly cut hay (field)

Grinding/Brewing Coffee beans

Lavender - soaps, perfume, sprigs

Cedar wooden boxes

Smell of Christmas Cookies

Walking in Pine Forests

Pine Christmas tree

Newly mowed grass (lawn)

Rosemary or basil (supposed to help with alertness)

Cut lumber (lumber yard) 

Burning scented candles

New Rubber tires (A "guy" thing)

New leather/suede/car

Fresh flowers - different flowers will have it's own memory and meaning

Freesias

Scented roses

Lilac

Gardenias

Geraniums

Crunching ice on puddles.

Watching your breath cloud up in front of you.

Hearing the running water after a rain shower.

Feeling the chill of winter on your cheeks.

Making snow Angels.

Walking on the beach (or shore) and feeling the sand in your toes, the waves on your feet.

Tumbling down a snowy, or grassy hillside. 

Curling up in front of a fire place.

Climbing up to the top of a hill and feeling the wind on your face.

Standing under a waterfall and feeling cold water run over you.

Discovering a rainbow emerging from the clouds in the stormy sky.

Sitting by a stream, breathing in clean air, listening to the steady water flow, dangling your toes in the water, and watching the waterfalls create white foam.

If you have any suggestions for other smells or experiences that we can add to the list,  please e-mail them to: