The nose knows

Smell is the only fully developed sense a fetus has in the womb, and is the most developed until age 10 when sight takes over. Because of the anatomy of the brain, olfactory signals reach the limbic system quickly and smell and emotion are stored as one memory.  This explains why we remember as much as 35% of what we smell vs only 5% of what we see.

Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it. Vladimir Nabokov

This is called a Proustian moment – a whiff of a scent bringing a torrent of long forgotten memories. Maybe it was your mother’s favorite scent or the spicy aroma of yogi tea when you enter the studio?

Odor-linked memories improve our health. Researchers found these memories are more positive than memories brought on by any other senses. They put us in good moods, reduce stress, boost self-esteem, improve social interactions, and instil a sense of optimism. They can inspire self-confidence, motivation, and even to help quit smoking.

The loss of smell affects over 50% of those between 65-80.  And now significantly more due to COVID. Did you know you can strengthen your sense of smell?  The first is to become consciously aware of scents in your daily life. Start sniffing.  The next is using a neti pot.  They look like a small watering can that you fill with lukewarm saline and pour into one nostril and out the other.  Doing so regularly removes mucus and allergens, helps prevent sinus infections, headaches and other allergy symptoms.  It is a great first line of defense especially for airborne diseases.

The allergy and flu season is upon us if you wish to learn more about a simple effective technique to cleanse your sinuses, improve your sense of smell and taste and lift your mood drop us a line. We have a few in the studio and I would be pleased to show you how to use them.

In the meantime go well, be well and get gonged

Reach Out

Recently I received an email. I recognised the name but honestly couldn't tell if it was spam or worse as my last contact with them was pre-internet! I took and chance to reconnect rekindling old memories. Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. A day to remember and to give thanks. I wish to thank all those individuals who have crossed my path over the years through thick and thin, good times and bad. I would not be who I am nor where I am without you. Thank you.

Moon cakes and moonbeams

Memories are like moonbeams, we do with them what we will. Bobby Darin

The full moon illuminates our personal journeys thus far - we pause, reflect and acknowledge the false starts, dead ends, detours and bumps in the road.  Also, the successes and progress towards living a purposeful life.  I invite you this weekend to pause, gaze, and express gratitude for your journey thus far, then turn towards the path illuminated before you.  Tread confidently.

Leavin' on a jet plane

Home is the story of who we are and a collection of all that we love. Anon It’s not a place but a feeling that serves to define who we are.

After 20+ hrs in the air and a 4 hr drive I will arrive literally on the far side of the world to a cabin with no hot water or internet. The trip will be a time of memories and closure, reconnecting with friends and family, rituals of summer and new of beginnings. Most definitely worth the effort to get there.

Iconic memories

Soon two of our iconic cultural landmarks will exist only in our memories. The Star Ferry long touted as the world’s best ferry ride and the infamous Jumbo restaurant, both victims of the times.

Joni Mitchell reminded us that ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’.   How true. Much of what we took for granted will exist only in our memories. Therefore, remember, The good old days are now. Tom Clancy  Embrace and enjoy.

The Day of the Dead

The boundaries between life and death are shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends and where the other begins? Edgar Allen Poe

The end of October is universally recognised as a time to remember the departed. The Celts called it Samhain.   Halfway between solstice and the equinox they welcomed the harvest and ushered in the dark half of the year. At this time they believed the barriers between the physical and spiritual worlds were open.  Fires warded off evil spirits and they served ‘dumb suppers’ inviting their ancestors to join the feast by leaving windows open. 

Honour me not by mourning my death but by celebrating my life. anon

In Mexico the Day of the Dead is a joyous festival featuring parades of skeletons, visits to cemeteries, making sugar skulls, building shrines and preparing feasts.  The dead are welcomed by hanging colourful marigolds representing rebirth.

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. Cicero

This weekend I invite you to keep alive the memories of your loved ones. For those that love with their heart and soul, there is no separation. Rumi

PS Did you know Mexico City only started the Day of the Dead parade after the filming of James Bond’s Spectre in 2015?

Memories

Memory is defined as the faculty of acquiring, storing, retaining and retrieving information and can be sensory, short or long term. 

Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume. Stanislas de Boufflers Sensory memory is transitory lasting seconds however it can trigger the memory of a moment.

Happiness is health and a short memory! Audrey Hepburn Freud referred to short term memory as the conscious mind paying attention to the here and now.

The life given us, by nature is short; but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal. Cicero. Long term memories lie outside of our awareness in the realm of the pre and unconscious, recalled when needed.

As we age selective memory loss may lead to dementia.  There is no coincidence that an accurate test for dementia is simply drawing a clock face. We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams. Jeremy Irons

The longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it. Stevie wonder

Let’s use music as our Tardis to remember  The Way We Were by Barbara Streisand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifWOSnoCS0M

Remember to Celebrate

Too often in the past 24 months festivals and celebrations were cancelled.  In HK we are spoiled for Chinese festivals with their colour, stories, special foods, lions and of course gongs.  They mark the passing of seasons, add richness to our lives and by acknowledging them we pass on traditions and customs while making memories for the next generation. I wonder if our collective memory will have the capacity to reboot these festivities that form our cultural quilts.  And if so when.

Holidays and traditions are rooted in history and tradition. Whitney Stewart
 
Today Canada celebrates its 154th birthday.  We’ll have burgers, strawberry shortcake and wave our flag. Join us by listening to Celebrate by Kool and the Gang
 
This week I invite you to take time to remember, embrace and honour the special days in your calendar lest we forget.

The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals. Siddarth Katragadda