Do you ever feel stuck in a state of stress, like your internal engine is always running a little too high? You can thank your nervous system for that. But there’s a powerful part of it that’s designed to be your built-in “calm-down” switch. It's called the vagus nerve.
Think of the vagus nerve as the controller of your calm. It’s the longest cranial nerve in your body, connecting your brain to your heart, lungs and gut. When it’s working well, it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the "rest-and-digest" state. Being in this state helps you slow your heart rate, deepen your breath and feel emotionally steady.
The problem is, modern life often keeps us in a "fight-or-flight" mode, leaving the vagus nerve underactive. This is where scent comes in.
Your sense of smell has a unique ability. It bypasses the thinking part of your brain and travels directly to the limbic system, which controls your emotions and autonomic functions including the vagus nerve. This means a single, intentional breath of the right aroma can send a powerful signal to your body: “You’re safe. You can relax.”
Two scents are particularly effective for this:
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Hinoki: A Japanese cypress that promotes deep calm and emotional clarity.
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Pause (Hinoki & Yuzu): A blend that pairs grounding hinoki with uplifting yuzu to reduce stress while keeping you alert.
By simply smelling these scents, you're giving your nervous system a direct, natural tool to find balance and calmness in the chaos of everyday life.
I like to keep it simple so I'll do the same 4-4-4-4 box breathing method while smelling either hinoki or Pause depending on what I'm going for. I also created a free calming web app that helps you through the breathing exercise with the sound of the forest. Grab your favorite calming scent and give it a shot!
