Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So, hello everybody,
I'm your host, the Gentle Yoga
Warrior, and this is AwakenedConscious Conversations podcast,
and we are a couple of weeksaway from being five years old,
and that is quite an achievementin itself, because I've read
that 90% of podcasters do notpublish more than three episodes
(00:21):
.
So to be in the top one percentof podcasts globally, one would
have needed to publish 21episodes, and since we are on
hundreds, uh, that is quite anachievement.
Um, I think, maybe becausepeople might think they might
want a podcast and then, whenthey get to do it, they realize
there's actually more workinvolved in it.
(00:43):
However, technology is makingit a lot easier, but I think
it's always important to dosomething from your heart, and
maybe those people it wasn'tmeant to be podcast presenters,
you know, and that that'sabsolutely fine.
I think it's, it's good to knowthat's what you want to do,
because if they'd wanted to,they would definitely have
continued up more than threeepisodes, I would have guessed,
(01:05):
and um, so podcasts, I feel, area great way to kind of reach
people, and from all differentcountries, who probably found
this by chance, because I don'treally advertise it, I just like
use word of mouth.
Um, I don't know why.
It's just I kind of do it forjoy and then it just kind of
(01:25):
built up momentum from there.
So, um, if you want to become afriend of the show, if you go
to my podcast website, there isa way to become a friend of the
show there, but that is optional.
Anyway, I digress a bit.
Um, today is a very warm andsunny day as we come to the end
of one of the loveliest monthsof the year in my opinion may
(01:48):
and it's that lovelytransitional month between
spring and summer, so it canhave summer and spring all
together.
But what I love it most aboutis, around this time, all the
flowers start to come out,obviously not the summer flowers
, but there's so many flowersand the trees are in life and
there's so much life and beautyand joy and kind of change.
(02:11):
And, um, yeah, I find it reallymoving, or I find it a time of
hope and joy and to plant seedsand to let things spring up and
be.
And today I thought we'd talkall about the beautiful ways in
(02:35):
which we can connect, heal andnurture ourselves.
And of course, I've done manyshows in the past on this
subject, but I felt particularlytoday that we overlook the
sense of smell.
So like we can look at thingswe like, we can listen to things
we like, we might even likenice textures in a house, but
(02:56):
there's an overlooked sense ofsmell and smells.
The part of the brain thatstores the sense of smell is
linked with memory.
So hence why certain smells canreally evoke different things,
and one person may love, say,the smell of pine needles, where
(03:16):
someone else may associate itwith something else.
So it's quite simple actuallyis to go out and about during
this next week and discover withwonderment what smells that you
like and how they make you feellike.
I find the smell of lemon andlime like really cleaning, but
(03:37):
not that artificial thing.
But, my friend, we were tryingto sell a house and my friend I
remember she's saying that tosquirt some lime juice.
Well, she said lemon, but Ionly had limes with a little bit
of hot water in the bottom ofthe sink and it just smelled so
wonderful and I don't know if itwas by chance, but the people
then did put an offer in, um.
(03:59):
So thank you, dear friend um,but I actually do that myself
now.
I love the smell of it and it'sjust such a simple thing.
It just makes everything feelso clean and wonderful.
And then I do like the smell offresh bread.
I try to avoid bread these days.
It's not particularly the bestthing for my system.
(04:23):
However, I've learned to justhave it in moderation.
But I don't like that breadthat you get in the packet, it's
more that fresh bread, and Iquite like sourdough or
something made with rye, andthere's lots of places now
artisan bakeries that you can dolike.
I wouldn't get a bread machinebecause a I think it's a really
good way to save money.
(04:43):
But if I had a bread machineI'd just make bread all the time
and I'd just be eating itbecause I just it's one of those
things I find the smell like.
It's just so kind of it comfortand it makes me feel like very
homely in a positive way.
Um, I wonder what smells youlike?
Some people say like coffee.
I'm not really a coffeedrinkerally, I'll have a decaf
(05:07):
with oat when I'm out, but Iknow for some people coffee is a
really kind of centering kindof thing and then this kind of
smells to make you feel like abit more able to concentrate and
alive.
So I like the smell of apeppermint or minty, it helps me
(05:27):
concentrate.
Or like things like eucalyptus.
Like I've got a eucalyptus treeand when the leaves get dry and
stuff, I kind of rub thembetween my hands and the smell
is really really beautiful and,um, I find that really kind of
nurturing or uplifting, so likezesty, um, as uplifting scents
(05:49):
and things.
And um, and why am I talkingabout scents, you're probably
thinking, is because if you'retrying to create something and
you feel not quite in the mood,like sometimes, um, the house
can feel a bit kind of if it'sbeen empty all day or if it had
been in it all day, it can feela bit stagnant.
(06:09):
Not that particularly smells,but it just feels a bit kind of
like kind of monotone or kind ofpassion or smell that is
uplifting.
So I will like kind of incenseand things like that and then I
have certain ones that will helpme, um, get in the mood to do
what I'm doing.
So if I want to kind of relaxI'm not going to put like a
(06:30):
zesty, uplifting thing at nightbecause that's going to kind of
make me feel like I want to wakeup and stuff I might just put
something calming, like I amlike some kind of sandalwood
kind of scent, um, and then thescents that can some people
really like, like I like.
Some people love lemongrass.
(06:51):
I'm kind of fairly neutral onit.
I know some people dislike it.
For some people they find itreally soothing, and so if
you've got some projects to door even if you want to put some
time aside to do some self-care,where you're reading self-help
books, you're meditating, yoga,all things like that, and you
(07:14):
want to kind of take it a bitdeeper, if you find a scent that
you like and then do that.
I'm not so much a fan of theseartificial like plug-in things,
but each to their own.
But I've heard that they're notso good for our health or the
environment.
Um, that's more like what I'vebeen told.
(07:36):
I could have done a bit morefurther study into why, but, um,
maybe if you have one, have alook and do a bit of research
for yourself.
But I think more natural scentsand smells, um, with less
artificial stuff and, um, ofcourse, if you've been, things
like incense and things likethat as well in a in a
(07:59):
well-ventilated room, becauseI've also heard that burning
them too much can becarcinogenic as well for the
system.
So it's all about balance.
But like you wouldn't putincense on all day, would you
just have them on for a bit?
And I'll give you a tip to makethem last longer.
I like them for a bit kind ofum, swoosh it around the room,
um, and if it's just a littlebit of a lift, then I then kind
(08:22):
of wet the end of the incense um, put it like in this jar and
then I reuse it, whereas I wantlike something more heavy duty.
I really want to cleanse thewhole house.
Then I will burn one for theduration, but I always put it on
a, on a, on a incense stickholder.
And then there's the naturalsmells that you can find outside
(08:43):
.
That's one of the ways in whichnature can really calm us.
Like I love the smell of awoodland.
I just find it so soothing andcalming.
I also like, sometimes, thesmell of the beach, like the
taste of this, the salty air andthings like that.
Um, sometimes I don't like thesmell of the beach, but
(09:03):
generally I do.
And then there's like thingsthat you can put in your garden.
So even if you haven't got agarden and you've got like some
kind of outside space, you canhave something like salvia,
which is very, has a beautifularoma, and, um, there's certain
plants that have lovely,beautiful smells and I think by
(09:25):
doing that we learn to kind oflike, nurture and really step
into that sense of smell, sothat when we read a book and we
sit near a plant that we likeand we can smell it, it can have
a soothing, calming, nurturingbeing.
So that's why I share tips likethis as well, because it's
about bringing everyday thingsthat can, so that can help you,
(09:48):
and it might still sound quitesubtle or strong depending on
what scent you like, but theselittle things, these little
tweaks that we can do, um to ourlife to bring joy and
well-being.
Well, I don't think this shouldbe underestimated.
And then things like beautiful,nice teas you can get so many
(10:14):
lovely loose teas, so if you'rein a day where you can't go out
or you don't really have anyscents and things to burn, then
maybe make yourself a nice,beautiful herbal tea.
Like the smell of pepperminttea is just like oh so soothing
and refreshing, and things likethat can have like a lovely
(10:35):
effect of honors and kind ofsoothe our being.
So for today's meditation.
Oh, this is a section of thepodcast where we do a meditation
.
I always say this, but, likewith all forms of meditation,
obviously do it somewhere whereyou're sitting, peaceful, so
(10:57):
obviously not when you're in themiddle of doing operating
machinery or driving.
Just pause it and just waittill you get home.
We are going to use ourimaginary scent to help evoke
things that we want in our life.
Let's begin so, as you closeyour eyes, just imagine you're
(11:19):
sitting on this reallycomfortable seat and beneath you
is this beautiful clear waterand in your imagination you are
supported on this wonderful seat.
The clear head is generally thewater's line, apart from when
it kind of comes to the horizon.
(11:42):
As you sit and you breathe andyou just feel nice and calm and
it all feels well.
But you feel where you are islacking in a bit of inspiration.
So, gingerly, you step down fromthis imaginary seat and you
(12:06):
paddle in this really shallowbut soothing water and you get
to the edge of the water andthen you find this wonderful
table and on this table is aselection of dried herbs and
scents, things like dried orangepeel, cranberry, jasmine,
(12:35):
lavender, eucalyptus whateverherbs you wish or dried things
you wish to find there and youjust breathe calmly in your
imagination, in front of thisabundant table with beautiful
scents.
You open up jars and you get therich aromas and you ask your
(13:01):
higher self, as you sit calmly,peacefully, being forever in
this moment.
You ask your higher self, withlove, compassion and healing,
what is the sense that I couldbring into my world that would
(13:25):
help me with my quest in life?
So what is the scent that I canbring into my world that can
help you with my quest?
What can help, soothe, motivate,whatever it is, and then just
stand over this imaginary table,just taking in some calming,
(13:47):
deep breaths in and out throughyour nostrils.
And then you use your intuitionas you gently reach onto the
table and, with calmness, youpick up whatever that scent is
and you imagine that you'resmelling that scent.
You're blessing that scent andyou're bringing it into your
(14:08):
everyday world, be it an incensethat smells like it, a herbal
tea, some dried petals or orangepeel, whatever it is.
And then you just find thatscent, knowing that it can evoke
whatever it is that you need todo.
(14:28):
So, as you come back into themoment, come back into the room,
just make a note of whateverthat scent came up in in your
imagination in your meditationand see if you can kind of bring
it into your world in a waythat's nice not overdone, but in
a way that's nice um, maybeit's in room therapy or anything
(14:52):
like this and use it inmoderation, in a way that feels
good.