Choosing Scents - A Matter of Taste

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Have you ever wondered why your are not attracted to everyone you meet? Ayurveda answers that every person has a unique essence - our ojas - that is secreted by glands and is indeed a product of body chemistry.

In this way our taste in mates or friends is not unlike our taste in perfumes.Just as each one of us prefers only a few fragrances out of hundreds on the market , we find ourselves drawn to the essence of certain people and repelled by others. Which ones soothe us and which ones do not depends to a large degree upon our own essential nature , i.e. the characteristic mixture of elements that form us.

The smell of something originates from its taste. According to Ayurveda , there are 6 basic tastes or rasas and six basic smells. Each one has the properties of the elements that make it up.

RASA COMPOSITION PROPERTIES

Sweet Earth + Water Cold , Oily, Heavy
Sour Earth + Fire Hot, Heavy , Oily
Salty Water + Fire Hot,Oily , Heavy
Pungent Fire + Air Hot, Light ,Dry
Bitter Air + Space Cold,Light,Dry
Astringent Air + Earth Cold, Medium

A Taste and its aroma , like water and steam are just the same matter in different form , so they affect your constitution in similar ways. The fire in the food increases Pitta , whether you eat it or smell it , but the food must be digested and absorbed when you eat it , where as the odor molecules reach one's blood stream directly via the air sacs or the blood capillaries or via the olfactory nerves where they stimulate the endocrine system and the hormone production. Aroma therapy is great at such times to ease these temporary short lived feelings. It is quick acting and easy and a perfect adjunct to a daily skin routine.

Here are a few properties that complement a skin type and constitution.

For Dry Skin(Vata) : Sweet , Warm , Calming, Hydrating
For Sensitive Skin(Pitta) : Sweet , Cooling, soothing, Hydrating
For Oily Skin (Kapha) : Pungent, Warming , Stimulating , Hydrating

In total, there about 150 essential oils used in aroma therapy . Here is a list of a few.

They can be used as scents, perfumes, mood oils, aphrodisiac oils or body mists.

Some Sample Recipes for Mood Oils

Calming and Warming 3Drops each neroli and lemon Oil + 2 drops each jasmine
& sandalwood + 1 drop vanilla + 1 oz pure jojoba oil base (Relieves anxiety ; balances Vata)


Calming & Cooling 5 drops each sandalwood & vetiver + 1 drop Jasmine + 1oz
pure jojoba oil base.( Relieves anger ; Balances Pitta)

Stimulating 4 drops bergamot + 3 drops each lavender & basil + 1oz
pure jojoba/almond oil base.(Relieves depression; balances Kapha)

Sedating 6 drops rose + 2 drops each jasmine & Chamomile + 1oz
pure jojoba/almond oil base.(relieves Insomnia ;balances Vata & Pitta)

Grounding and Strengthening 4 drops patchouli + 2 drops each sandalwood & cardamom
+ 1oz pure jojoba/almond oil base (Relieves fear ;balances Vata)

This Post was written by Dee

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