If you happened to be in London on Sunday 29th Feb at Wolf&Badger store in the groovy Coal Drops Yard, Islington, our aroma wellness author and founder Jo Glanville-Blackburn gave an interactive workshop to explore how natural aromas can positively enhance your mood in your home, and teach the instinctive art of Candle Gazing.

“Passionate about natural aromas, and obsessive about inventing ‘ways with wellness’ in the home - the initial reason for creating my purer than pure luxury, scented botanical candles - I’m all about the harmony of scent and the natural home. Indoor pollution is something we can all improve fast - less synthetic scents and room sprays, no paraffin candles - we simply connect better as humans with plants grown in nature than in a lab. I think if we all just pause and breathe deeply for a brief moment, we appreciate how our home environment matters and can be improved with a little extra consideration in our choices.

“Don’t buy more…buy better”

My interactive workshop is designed to help you explore how natural aromas can positively enhance your memory and your life… starting in the home. Scent and memory are interlinked: I call it Scent Therapy as the power of natural essential oils to pick us up when we’re feeling down, stimulate our most powerful of the five senses (remember 80% of taste is due to our sense of smell) and help boost our olfactive memory has been linked to brain disorders such as Alzheimers, dementia and my own MS. Stimulate it through nature’s own beautiful aromas such as rosemary (great for focus, destress and boosting the immune system),

I blindfolded my guests and asked them to name the 10 aromas we placed under their noses. From Lemongrass (clean and fresh, helps reduce anxiety and depression) and Cedar (to relax and clarify the mind), to lavender (one of the world’s best anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial essences - great as an alternative to hand sanitisers right now) and rosemary (helps us to focus, boosts memory and reduces stress). They’re all in our JOGB candle compositions MOJO, GOJO and SLOJO - no other candle smells like ours, or uses such a high percentage of complex, pure essential oil blends.

Candle Gazing, or Mental Beaming, is a great little technique any time you need a moment for yourself. And even better with a beautifully scented natural candle!

Candlelight is soothing, warming, and inspiring. Historically, the ancient yogis understood the power of candlelight and incorporated it into the art of trataka: Sanskrit for ‘look or gaze, or fixing the eyes on one specific object’: a tantric method of meditation, concentration and purification. 

Why a candle? Well, you can practice trataka by staring at any small object, ideally a single spot or a small dot, but a candle flame is preferred, not only for its natural simplicity and symbolism but also because it leaves a clear reflective ‘after-image’ on the retina of the eye. This is said to bring energy to the third eye and promote peace and relaxation. Performed first with eyes open, then with eyes closed, Trataka trains you to focus your attention on the object, and maintain that image when your eyes are closed.  The bright flame from a candle leaves a clear, longer-lasting after-image which makes it easier to exercise your ability to concentrate at will.

Candle Meditation, or Candle Gazing as I like to call it, genuinely calms the mind, uplifts the spirit, and creates a soulful sense of your space and surroundings.  It takes just one candle - but please make it naturally scented AND above all paraffin-free. 

Here’s how to candle gaze mindfully for better harmony

1. In a neat, clear space, free from distraction, safely place a lit candle in front of you at eye level and arm’s distance away. 

2. Sitting comfortably, allow your eyelids to be half-closed, and rest your gaze at the top of the actual wick, near the base of the flame.

3. Focus your candle gaze and try NOT TO BLINK. Your eyes will undoubtedly sting a little and fill with tears, and it may take practice (I have a staring game with my son so we’re pretty good at this now) but focus. If you must blink, do so, but try to limit it as it dilutes the effect.

4. Keep gazing for between 3-5 minutes, the longer you can. Finally, close your eyes and visualize the image of the candle flame for several minutes at the third eye (the area at the centre of your forehead, between and above the brows.

5. If you find it difficult to focus initially, relax. Don’t stress yourself out (that is NOT the intention here), reduce your expectations, and simply enjoy the moment. But do practice it - especially if you currently find it hard to meditate.

Especially helpful for those who have trouble with traditional ‘sitting’ meditation, Trataka cultivates many aspects of classical yoga:  pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses and cut out all distractions other than the focal object); dharana (intense concentration); and dhyana (stillness of thought meditation).  In addition, candle gazing is said to train the eye and even improve vision, relieve restlessness, fatigue and apathy. Some even say it increases our psychic powers by developing your third eye ….

We’d love to hear about your experience, so please write and share in the comments section below.

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