Exploring Embodied Experiences: Journeying Through Scent
Two weeks ago, I had a profoundly enriching experience at "The Rhythm of Three: Guided Somatic Scent Immersion" workshop at the The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles, CA, that delved into exploring the sense of smell in an embodied way.
As I engaged with various scents derived from earth and nature – oils, incense, resin, and tea – I found myself transported to a vastly rich realm woven from the imaginal and sensorial landscapes. The scents seemed to awaken dormant experiences within my body, igniting sensations almost unfamiliar or perhaps just long forgotten.
It was as though my entire being was enlivened through this rich interoceptive experience, filled with a newfound sense of vitality and enjoyment.
The workshop presented a unique opportunity to explore the intricate relationship between scent and somatic experience. Kendra Adler guided an exquisite somatic journey akin to a meditative feast for the senses. Each aroma, meticulously crafted by Persephenie Studio using earth based elements, interacted with my olfactory system and taste buds, inviting to fully immerse myself in the present moment.
I became acutely aware of how the olfactory sense deepened my embodied experience, engaging not only my mind but also my body in a profound manner. As I surrendered to the scents, I found myself utterly captivated by the intricate dance unfolding within me.
The fragrances seamlessly intertwined with my body's receptors, setting off a symphony of chemical reactions that reverberated deep within my being. This profound experience served as a reminder of the immense impact even the most subtle interactions can wield upon our inner world.
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In the days following this workshop, I found myself immersed in lingering echoes of the experience, which sparked deep contemplation. I began daydreaming about the notion of becoming a sweet scent that binds to the receptors of others, initiating a cascade of chemical reactions, generating an enchanting experience while preserving my own essence unchanged.
I gleaned insights that hold deep relevance to my everyday life, particularly the environments where I spend most of my time through my work. It brought into focus the psychiatric hospitals and mental health treatment centers I move through each day, and just how difficult it truly is to preserve my essence within them. I began to recognize how deeply those spaces imprint on me.
In the mornings, I arrive with a lighthearted cheer, which is a cultivated state I reach when I’ve cleared out everything that isn’t mine and am in resonance with my core essence. As the day unfolds, my work brings me face-to-face with patients in emotional and psychological distress. In my role as a somatic integration specialist, I tune in with empathy, meeting their pain with a caring presence and providing individualized, evidence-based interventions tailored to the state they are in. By day’s end, I often feel drained from being so present, attuned, and invested in others’ processes while setting my own discomfort aside.
Part of my job is to be non-judgmental and compassionate, to hold back my own emotional reactions. When I sense a patient’s distress, my first priority is to model regulation for them. Often, it feels like I have to push aside how I truly feel in order to stay composed and professional, focusing entirely on the patient’s needs. That’s the work I’m paid for.
In my personal life, I am deeply committed to maintaining my own health and well-being. Ideally, I would spend my time exclusively in environments that support and enhance this cultivated state. I don’t seek out difficult settings by choice or attraction. It’s simply the nature of my work. Just as a banker, scientist, or construction worker faces unique challenges in their professions, every job carries its own hazards and demands.
What many don’t realize, and what I didn’t fully grasp before entering this field, is just how uniquely draining this particular line of work is. It requires one to remain emotionally available for deep attunement and co-regulation every day while supporting people in their most vulnerable and intense emotional states.
Unlike jobs with physical hazards or routine tasks, somatic psychotherapy demands continuous emotional presence and sensitivity. The whole body becomes a sensory instrument, detecting, attuning, regulating, and responding with deliberate mindfulness. Few clinical roles require this level of emotional and sensory engagement, unlike surgeons, doctors, or technicians who can often maintain emotional distance while focusing on procedures or diagnostics.
Over the years, I’ve tried different ways to stay balanced for the sake of my own well-being. It’s a constant, delicate dance. Making time for self-care, recovery, and inspiration after work is the bare minimum, and even that can be hard to achieve. Sometimes, the only way I can truly reset and reconnect with myself and my creativity is by completely disconnecting from my work environment.
I’ll admit, this is my ongoing struggle in the work I do to earn a living. Ideally, I’d stay in a creative, expressive state, allowing that expression to leave a positive impact on the world, rather than constantly attuning to others’ pain and bracing for its aftershocks, because on some level, I am inevitably altered by the energy I interact with.
Because of my role and the environment, I am acutely aware how time spent in these heavy environments changes me. I’m aware of how the distress of others seeps into my inner world and begins to shape how I carry myself. Out of self-preservation, I become more closed off, rigid, less open, not quite myself. I am noticing how these experiences potentially leave a lasting mark on my nervous system, if I don’t keep reconnecting with who I really am over and over again. I’m always exploring better ways to do my job well without sacrificing my own well-being. It’s an ongoing process.
This is why the fantasy of becoming a sweet scent that has the capacity to alter its environment while remaining untouched felt so appealing. It’s a comforting daydream. The truth is, we’re constantly exchanging energy and emotion. What makes us human is noticing how these interactions shape us, and learning how to work with those experiences, so we can grow.
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While I appreciate edible delicacies, "The Rhythm of Three" workshop facilitated an even more exquisite sensory delight than a four-course dinner at a high-end restaurant. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who would like to awaken their dormant sensory capacities and experience profoundly personal insights.
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Photo credit: Kendra Adler and Persephenie Studio from the workshop "The Rhythm of Three" March 23rd, 2024
