How Fragrances Enhance My Creativity On and Off the Mat
A dear friend of mine, Céline, is a perfumer. She goes through life following her nose, so to speak; apprehending her environment with her sense of smell.
A dear friend of mine, Céline, is a perfumer. She goes through life following her nose, so to speak; apprehending her environment with her sense of smell.
She has never been to Hong Kong and recently asked me to describe the city from an olfactive point of view.
I started by telling her that:
HK is a city where people’s senses are constantly stimulated.The sense of smell is probably the one that people notice the less.Let’s start by the obvious, the malls.
Each has a signature smell, as do hotels and most modern buildings.
IFC used to smell like green tea when I moved here, and now their fragrance is a clean cologne (very close to CK One).
The Ritz Carlton is a traditional gentleman, with its woody fougere smell. K11 has a gourmand scent like sweet caramel and vanilla.
![[VMorel] Street Meditation IMG_5454 - 2017-05-14 at 09-33-56.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54e9744ee4b02e8e02363a87/1494726134236-OAPG0JVSIXJFNZ9BGLL6/%5BVMorel%5D+Street+Meditation+IMG_5454+-+2017-05-14+at+09-33-56.jpg)
What struck me most from our conversation was that in describing to her the smells, I was intently focusing on my sense of smell and I was more present.
Hong Kong gets more interesting if you start walking on the streets.
In Sai Yin Pun, Queen’s Road West smells like dried fish and Chinese herbs.
The harbour on Tsim Sha Tsui side smells like tepid water, a very humid and penetrating smell.
The part of Tsim Sha Tsui where I live has many smells of food and people mixing all the time depending on which street corner: the clean smell of household products coming out of the supermarket, cold smoke and ashes on Prat Avenue, coconut waffles on Carnarvon Road, a potpourri of fragrances coming out of Sasa, the incense burning in a temple on Haiphong Road …
What struck me most from our conversation was that in describing to her the smells, I was intently focusing on my sense of smell and I was more present. It is very easy to go on autopilot mode when living in a city like Hong Kong for a while. Our senses get stimulated, overly and non-stop in this steroid-driven city.
I like to remind myself and my students how essential it is to be present in the here and now, present whatever we are doing. Our senses are a way to anchor our awareness in the present moment. We can repeat a mantra, light an incense, play a Tibetan bowl, choose a method that resonate with you.
To ensure that I am being present, I have created some ritual to help me reset and connect with my centre. For instance, after being out and about in the city, I go to my sanctuary corner , unroll my yoga mat, light a candle and then choose an incense to burn or a fragrance for my diffuser. I then sit down for a few moments with my eyes closed and senses inwards. I listen to my breath to help me tune in.
The simple act of sitting on my cushions starts the relaxation. The silence and fragrance help mereach a deeper level of awareness. As I sense further inwards, I become more present and eventually, the smell, noise and thoughts fade away. Then I meet myself in that sweet silent place.
Smelling the city for Céline reminded me once more how living with intent and awareness is crucial in our modern world. The fragrance you decide to smell, the food you choose to eat, the silence you surround yourself with. Everything counts. It also made me realise that my sense of smell is one of the most potent ones to enhance my creativity.
After this experience Céline and I decided to combine our passion for yoga and fragrances and offer a workshop at Luxe Nova; a nice afternoon (re)treat and rejuvenate yourselfwith yoga, fragrances and creativity. I will lead you through a yoga practice and guided meditations, and the tailor-made fragrances will activate your senses and intuition.
This unique combination of yoga and fragrances will help you become more connected with your inner self and gain clarity on your personal intention.
Join me and let your inspiration and your creativity flow.
Author: Virginie Morel
![[VMorel] Flower IMG_7241 - 2017-03-19 at 07-09-16.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54e9744ee4b02e8e02363a87/1494726664812-GHYQ0R5YJBQLN4GM4MQD/%5BVMorel%5D+Flower+IMG_7241+-+2017-03-19+at+07-09-16.jpg)
Cultivate Your Creativity
with Fragrances & Yoga - a journey of self-discovery with Virginie Morel
Sat, 3 June 2017, 14:30 - 17:30
Virginie Morel will be hosting an afternoon workshop - Cultivate Your Creativity with Fragrances & Yoga.
Mindful Eating - eating in a scientific and yet holistic way
“Did you know that lifestyle generated diseases outnumbers accidental injuries?”
Ayurveda Concept of Food & Diet
We have just wrapped up the Ayurveda Week with Barberyn Ayurveda Resorts. Aside experiencing what it would be like getting the consultation and treatment at the resorts, it was an incredible journey to attend the introductory workshops on Ayurveda.
One of our intentions was to introduce people in Hong Kong the Ayurveda philosophies and principles by the leading experts in the field. That way, instead of blindingly following the trends, we can make a more informed and intelligent decision when it comes to our health, eating habit and general wellbeing.
In one of the modules – Food and Diet, Dr. Damayanthi opened the workshop with a strikingly strong message:
“Did you know that lifestyle generated diseases outnumbers accidental injuries?”
By lifestyle generated diseases, it includes Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, atherosclerosis, asthma, some kinds of cancer, chronic liver disease, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, chronic renal failure etc.
When we started looking into the Ayurveda concept of food and diet, it starts to make so much sense and guess what, it all boils down to two words: Mindful Eating.
What is Mindful Eating?
According to the science of Ayurveda, our body is made of different types of energies – Kapha, Pitta and Vatta. Agni (i.e. digestive fire) is responsible for our ability to process all aspects of life (e.g. food, memories and sensory impressions).
In terms of the food, it is responsible for absorbing the nutrients and essential elements that our body needs and at the same time, burning off waste products. When our Agni is strong, we are able to digest food efficiently and easily assimilate our daily experiences. However, when our Agni is weak, our body would digest poorly and create toxic residue that stay in our cells. Over the time, as the toxin starts to lodge deep in our body, the body starts to deteriorate, resulting in the dysfunctional immune system and diseases.
As food is the largest element from external environment that we put through our mouth and into our body, it is important to be aware of key factors like:
How to eat? Our food should be warm and slightly with oil.
When to eat? We eat only when we are hungry (i.e. when previous meal is digested at the proper time). The ancient science suggests that the first meal should be after sun-rise, second meal around mid-day and third meal around 48 minutes before sun-set.
Where to eat? We should eat in a desired place, in the company of desired people, having required instruments and with attentive mind.
What to eat? We look into characteristics that are in the food. By characteristic, we mean taste, property, potency, post digestive effect and unpredictable specific action. For instance, the food has to taste good. If not, the body does not like it. As for the properties of the food, there are many factors to take into account, including where is the food grown, under what condition and in which geographical area.
How the food is prepared? The best instrument to use for preparing food should be made of gold, silver or iron. When none of these are available (especially gold and silver), instruments made of stainless steel and clay pots are also good.
Eat according to your dosha
As our body types (i.e. dosha combination) are all different, we have to consider how we can incorporate these principles into our lifestyle in order to maintain good health and wellbeing.
For instance, my body type is Pitta-Kapha. What does that mean for me then? According to the recommendation from Dr. Damayanthi:
Lunch is the most important meal of the day for me.
In the morning (i.e. from sunrise to around 10:00am, the Kapha-hour of the day), I should have something warm and light.
For dinner, I can have a light one, like steam vegetables, fish, warm soup etc.
Juice detox is not good for me because of the Kapha-dosha. However, because of being Pitta-dominant, I can have some raw salad and juice during lunch time as it is the “Pitta-hour” of the day.
Red chilli is a big “no no” for Pitta-type as it can escalate hydrochloric acid in my body and overtime with persistent consumption, it could lead to hormonal imbalance and/or increase of free radicals in my body. Having said that, the Kapha side of me likes spicy food, so green chilli is ok!
When reflecting on these useful tips from Dr. Damayanthi, it has become clear to me that my body does know what it needs and likes. When I did the juice detox, I really did not like it at all. It was more of a battle of two evils as I was trying to convince myself that it was good because my body would get cleansed.
What I love most about the workshop is that Dr. Damayanthi and her team were able to deliver the science of life in an informative and pragmatic way - easy for lay-man like me to grasp as well as incorporating these into my daily routine. With these practical tips based on Ayurveda principles, I now have a clearer idea and correct attitude towards my own personal choice of diet and eating habit.
One thing that I am certainly pleased to say is “bye-bye raw food and juice detox…we are just not meant to be!” And simply, I should listen to my body more!
Contributor: Stephanie Luo
Portraits of a Soul
...a harmonious marriage between portrait photography and face reading poem.
“A harmonious marriage between portrait photography and face reading poem.”
I first read about Eric Standop as face reader from Shakti Healing Circle’s newsletter in early 2012. I was intrigued and curious by the whole package – a German guy, an ex-corporate senior executive and a face reader! My curiosity got the better of me and I went for my first face reading in my life.
I had no reference point to compare this face reading session against other “face readers” in the market. However, it was an open and candid dialogue – in a way, a dialogue with myself through Eric’s face reading skills. I got know myself better and started to recognize, acknowledge and accept certain aspects of me.
Towards the end of our meeting, Eric showed me the first photobook of “Portraits of a Soul”. I was instantaneously captured and amazed by the depth of each image shown in this book and the person behind the camera, Richard Pilnick.
These images were (and still are) like some kind of magnet – the uniqueness, beauty, richness and simplicity just keeps drawing my eyes to them. As my eyes started to move between the images and the poems, I was connecting with them at a deeper level.
As a photographer, I have often looked at some of the famous fine art photographs and questioned the values and essence behind the work. These were the moments when I just could not 'get it' and even have said to myself quietly 'I can take the photo that is just as good and if not, better'. There were also numerous moments when I was wowed by the photographs – or more precisely, the moments captured. Seeing Richard's work was definitely one of those "wow" moments with many exclamation marks.
The uniqueness of the “Portraits of a Soul” hits me instantly. I love it because in any situation, to get a good portrait, it requires the photographer to be so present in the moment. It is partly a skill to be mastered over the time and experience. In the present digital era, it is easier as we can take multiple frames of images and hope that one of the frames has captured that single special moment.
Whereas with “Portraits of a Soul”, it takes a gifted portrait photographer to get a portrait that is so candid and rich with stories and characters captured by an analogue camera that is so simple and mechanical. The impact of these portraits is amplified by a creative face reader, translating and articulating the richness through poems.
Although I work mostly with my digital cameras and even my iPhone, I still love the images captured by the analogue cameras as well as the beauty of a hand-printed image. The authenticity of that instant chemistry reactions captured in the given moment remains untouchable and beyond manipulation by Photoshop and its extended relatives.
I was so "wow" by the uniqueness of Richard's portrait photography that I even foresaw it being exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London. And it did happen – Richard did get his work selected and exhibited at the annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize in 2013/2014. (The photo of a couple above was selected as the cover image for all promotional materials of this exhibition.)
