Day 167/366 days Towards Self-Mastery
Hay fields that make me sneeze. Strong citrus essences that give me asthma. Such are my memories of scents around our home.
The idea of a scented home is lovely. It's romantic. Something you would read about in a Victorian novel written by the lady of the house, charmed by the many fragrances from her perfectly manicured garden.
For me it's never been so gratifying.
Sarah's article today considers the many ways you can scent your home.
As a simple abundance pleasure, if you are allergy free, it's the perfect way to indulge for little expense, and maximum delight.
Invite visitors with the delightful smells that welcome and nurture.
Many of Sarah's suggestions sound fabulous so I'll try to mention some here that are doable for someone like me who lives with allergy free purchases most of the time.
Rubbing scented oils into the inside of cabinets. I like this idea. Currently I stash any scented soaps I receive as gifts into cupboards to freshen them up. Scented soy candles, but don't mix the fragrances otherwise you might find that the mix less than desirable.
Oil the rim of lightbulbs (when they are cold) so that when you turn them on they deliver a delicious scent. Throw open the windows in all seasons to bring fresh air into your home. Burn oils. Make chai. That's a mix that is perfectly heavenly as it simmers on the stove top.
Use scented oils to polish furniture. Personally I love the natural fragrance of beeswax.
My cleaning products are an exotic spicy aromatherapy mix designed to keep mould at bay and they smell absolutely divine. So far I don't have an allergic reaction to them.
The smell of food cooking especially breads and baking fills me up with homecoming goodness. Not to mention the smell and sound of crackling honeyed bacon for pancake Sundays that invite slow risers to get them feet on the floor.
Our sense of smell tells us when something is off. It's our first danger warning sense when food is contaminated or the air is polluted with a toxin. Pet smells in the home may be overpowering for visitors. We get used to pet odours so we need to remember that visitors will not have the same immunity. It pays to give some attention to their habits in your home, and maybe use a product that eliminates or at east reduces pet odours when you are expecting visitors.
The natural scents from my garden are a treat I enjoy most mornings as I do my early rounds. Touching and gently squeezing the leaves as I wander coats my hands with the fragrance of basil, sage, mint, lime, rosemary and others.
A visit in a natural environment amongst pine trees and wild grasses is calming and connecting.
This timeless pleasure can effortlessly become part of your simple abundance self-mastery practices.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
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