The Power of Scent: When the Body Remembers

A year ago, as eclipse season loomed, I sent out a recipe I called “Recipe for Disaster.”

The title was meant playfully—because who doesn’t love a good laugh when the cosmos feels intense?

Ironically, that recipe—an aromatic, musky oil for self-massage—arrived just before a very real disaster: a hurricane that tore through my community.

In hindsight, I can’t help but smile at the timing. That daily oiling ritual, practiced faithfully for a week before the storm, turned out to be an incredible anchor. The plant ally featured in that blend became a true friend—its grounding, protective quality held me steady through the literal and emotional uprooting that followed.

One year later, as the anniversary of that storm approached, something curious happened. Many of us in the community began to feel hyper-alert. Sleep was lighter, overwhelm ran higher, and we all carried that subtle, wild-eyed vigilance—like rabbits in an open field, doing our best to “carry on” while sensing danger at every sound.

The truth was simple: our bodies remembered.
Even though we had processed much of the grief and loss—through tears, ritual, and months of healing—the nervous system still held the imprint. The body, as the saying goes, kept the score.

I noticed this in myself too. Between teaching, running The Wild Temple School, and managing the endless behind-the-scenes details—admin systems, tech changes, new team dynamics—I realized one morning at my altar that I was… frozen.

So I turned to what I know best. To the practices that work.

The ones rooted in thousands of years of experiential wisdom, and now, illuminated by modern science that can finally explain why.

I used breath in asana—prāṇāyāma—to gently unlock the freeze and awaken the vagus nerve. But as a seasoned Tantra Yoga Therapist, I also called upon Tanmātra Chikitsā—the healing science of the senses.

This time, I chose to work with scent.

Through scent, I felt the support of the subtle intelligence that brought be back to feeling whole, grounded and safe in my environment.

And this is exactly what we explore in our newest episode of The Wild Temple Podcast:
🎧 The Power of Scent — featuring Kaitlin Rose Procknow, Sage Apprentice Tantra Yoga Therapist, Perfumist, and Ayurvedic herbal clinician.

Together, we dive into how Tantra, Yoga, and Ayurveda use scent to regulate the nervous system, restore trust in the body, and even help us align with Dharma—that inner law that sustains life and reveals our truest nature.

I’d love for you to listen and share your reflections.Your feedback helps the teachings ripple outward—simply by rating the episode, following the show, or sharing it with a friend who might need this medicine.

With so much love (and a breath of aromatic gratitude),
Brooke
The Wild Temple School
🌿 Tantra | Yoga | Ayurveda | Plant Wisdom

_________________________________________________________________________________________

🌿 Ready to begin your own Sage journey?
Our next Sage Apprenticeship begins the third week of October, where we open with Bhūmi Sādhana—the autumn practices of empowerment through body wisdom, sensory awareness, and deep earth connection.
💫 Learn more or register here.

Keep an eye out for upcoming reflections on Bhūmi Sādhana, Dharma, and Kundalini awakening through the power of Sage Medicine—each one an invitation to root, rise, and remember who you are.