Grounding Scents?

[RasAlgethi]

Looking for a recommendation!

Winter is a rough season for me, especially with all the snow this year. ❄️❄️❄️ It keeps me from going outside and soaking up the sun on my face and feeling the soil under my feet.

This often leaves me feeling anxious and my thoughts go spinning, sometimes into panic. What I find works best is grounding exercises. Becoming focused on the physical world, here and now.

What scents are best for grounding? It's doen't necessarily have to be a deep soil smell, just something that brings you "back to your body."

Thank you all💜

Edited March 6, 2015 by RasAlgethi

[ziggystardust13]

I would suggest The Coiled Serpent. I find that it has a sort of grounding effect for me. Another one that I love is Carnal. Not sure why, it would seem with the mandarin it would be more of an uplifting, energizing scent. But it's very comforting to me and always soothes my nerves. Good luck in your search!

[jazzvampire]

I'm probably the only person who finds Placophobia comforting in this way! But it truly helps. I also like blends with the "dry/dead leaves" note. Sonnet d'Automne in particular lately.

[annemathematics]

picture books in winter and who in the world am I are comforting and grounding scents to me.

also the phoenix, having burst her shell and relics of herself.

 

warm scents with a lot of resins tend to be grounding for me. bright florals and sugary scents, not so grounding for me. too exciting haha.

[neptuneanblues]

I was also going to suggest The Coiled Serpent.

[gentle-twig]

the grave pig!

[stellamaris]

ugh I feel the same way, it's hard for me to get out of bed lately. I feel like a hibernating bear, not getting anything done.

 

Personally, I really like fresh fruity things right now, that remind me of nicer weather. The Fruit of Paradise, any of the Peach Pits, Red Moon, Adoration of the Mi Goh, and I am loving the vetiver things from the Lupers which remind me of dirt, vetiver always smells like dirt to me, like Mars Alator, and The Commentary, with fig and apricot respectively.

Fruit is better for me right now than flowers.

 

I might also recommend some TALs, I like Perpetuum Bonum, which is very cherry heavy, there is also Radiance of Ra or even Energy, which you might need right now.

[Balame]

Waters of the Well of Wisdom - Cool, dark water steeped with mugwort, mayweed, and thyme.

I know you said you weren't looking for literally "earthy" smells, but I love this one. It smells exactly like the description: pure water with a deep, soothing herbal background. The most grounding blend to me.

 

Lacus Solitudinis - Meditative white sandalwood with rosewood, Roman chamomile, white lavender, marjoram, Himalayan cedar, and oudh.

Another one true to its description; beautiful sandalwood and sweet herbs, very calming and quieting.

 

I like some of Anne's recs too. The Phoenix, Having Burst Her Shell and Relics of Herself are both kind of solemn but comforting. I know how you feel about winter. Personally, when the sun isn't out but I need some pepping up I like wearing beachy scents to remind me of "better times."

 

My favorite ocean blend is Y'ha-nthlei (A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris). It's just fantastic. It's a bright, foamy, sweet and fizzy mix of warm sand, ocean waves and... bubbles? Haha, it's hard to describe but pretty great if you like aquatics. It's got the citrus and marine thing going on but with the bonus of ambergris' warmth and depth.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Balame

[rawgirl75]

I use the TAL oil Crucible of Courage to calm my anxiety. Maybe it might work for you too?

[sqwook]

I really like Tushnamatay for calming me, it is a blend that reminds me to get out of my head (if I have spinning anxious thoughts). It reminds me that things can be okay.

 

I also like to wear scents that I wear when it *is* summer or outdoors-season, to remind me of what those times felt like. For me, that is Yggdrasil, which I have worn a lot on hikes and outdoors when I am feeling grounded; it's a foresty golden warm scent for me. So, beyond recommending that scent in particular, I also recommend thinking if there is a scent that *you* feel exemplifies you as you wish to feel, and/or that you wore on a day that was just really great.

[BetteNoire]

Brisingamen brings me back to earth. The amber is very skinlike, but something in it is bright and sunshiney and warm.

[rachelos]

Seconding Tushnamatay. I had such a visceral reaction to this scent, kind of cut off my senses and paused my head. Bought a bottle just because the feeling was so intense!

[sprout]

TAL Middle Pillar is designed specifically to help with grounding and I find it very effective.

 

I also like BPAL Coiled Serpent and Wolf's Heart for this.

 

For Winter blues, I highly recommend TAL Anthelios.

 

For racing thoughts when I'm trying to quiet my mind and sleep, I like using Somnus or TAL Ebon Night.

[Minh Scent]

When I need grounding, I have to go for the big gun- pure sandalwood EO. Australian Sandalwood SN could help.

[lookingglass]

Patchouli does this for me: Goblin, Snake Oil, Feed Me and Fill Me with Pleasure...