As I was taking a walk the other day, I stopped in my tracks when an all too familiar smell wafted through my olfactory senses. It was the perfume of these flowers (and I have absolutely no idea what they are even called. UPDATE: apparently, it's honeysuckle!) They are everywhere in my neighborhood—around my house, lining the main road, part of the side landscapes.
Every single time I pass them, I stop and become mesmerized. I can be in a complete daze, in the bitchiest most depressed mood or tired. It doesn’t matter. Whatever I was feeling is suspended and I am locked in that moment.
And it got me to thinking—this is quite possibly my most favorite scent in the world.
We all have a favorite for each of our senses that captivates us. Now, I’m not talking about just some of the things you love. Like the smell your mom’s home cooking, a catchy song on the radio or even an orgasm—all of those are definitely sensually wonderful.
I’m talking about the stop-in-your-tracks, undeniable magnetism that heightens a certain sense. A DEEP IN YOUR SOUL type thing. Not even associated with a memory—just the pureness of it is enough to impact you as an individual. And obviously, it’s not the same for everyone. It got me to thinking—what are those things for me?
Turns out, all I had to do was close my eyes and think of sensory stimulators that give me the good shivers every single time I encounter them.
But I'm not talking instant gratification or indulgent senses. I'm talking soul-level responses.
I already told you about the smell. These flowers have a perfume like no other. I can smell them a mile away and as I pass, I can’t help but to smile and inhale deeply. Their sweetness enraptures me.
As for sight—there is an exact location that shoots pure joy through me. When I drive down a certain side road to get to the Pacific Coast Highway, before I come to the end of the road, my view is lit up with this absolutely sparkling blue canvas of the ocean where the light glistens and there is no clear division between the water and sky. It screams, “Welcome home.” And peace washes over me instantly.
Taste—a fresh, juicy strawberry. Now that may surprise a hell of a lot of people considering my love of food and obsession with chocolate. Every time I bite into a ripe strawberry, it’s an incredible experience that blocks out the rest of the world. I can’t even tell anyone why—and that’s exactly the point. If this is a genuine sense-stirrer for you, you won’t be able to explain it. It just IS.
For sound, it is unquestionably the sound of my daughter singing. But not just any song in particular, or at any time. It’s not even when she performs. There is an angelic quality to her un-practiced voice first thing in the morning as I wake up and hear the sweetness emanate from the shower. It’s so beautiful and perfect and there is no other sound in this world that has ever touched me so deeply.
Which brings me to touch. For as long as I can remember, my most favorite sensation in the whole world is a fall night, when the temperature is this perfect end of day warmth meet evening crispness. That chill in the wind as it blows on my bare arm skin and lifts the hair off my neck is my happy place. Sometimes, I feel it in other seasons. But for whatever reason, the fall is when I look forward to sitting outside at night.
When you think about what feels the most sensual to your soul, what comes to mind? I would love to hear what it is that is magical to you for each of your senses.