That Smell

You know what stinks? When your dog gets sprayed by a skunk in your own fenced in yard at 6 am on Thursday morning as you are about to get into the shower.

One of the bizarre things known about the Covid virus is that people report losing their sense of smell, which leads to a decreased sense of taste. When you chew food, molecules move up through the rim of your nose to reach the olfactory receptors at the top of the nose. So when you drink coffee or eat a piece of dark chocolate they do not have any "taste" exactly -- it's really their smell that you are savoring. Many people think they are experiencing a loss of taste, but actually, the loss is due to decreased flavor sensation from their sense of smell being affected.

You now what else stinks?

Losing your job. Racial injustices. Internships canceled. Canceled graduation ceremonies. Canceling your vacation. Small businesses struggling. Not seeing your friends and your family. Taking a pay cut. The daily death toll. No last day of school. Opening day at Wrigley Field with an empty stadium. The behavior of Republican Senator Ted Yoho of Florida. Maskholes. Filing for unemployment as an independent contractor. Teachers feeling pressured to return to schools. Living with a chronic disease. No first day of kindergarten pictures. Postponing a wedding. 8 hours of Zoom meetings. Hand sanitizer. Not being able to hold your new grandchild. Paying out of state college tuition for online classes. Small businesses closing. Not being able to host a funeral. Trump.

Throughout the years I have spent studying yoga, there are two ways I have come to understand the yogic concept of Pratyahara. In full disclosure I am not sure either of them are 100% accurate, but these ideas have helped me over the course of my own practice. The direct translation of Pratyahara would be a "withdrawal of the senses". Which sounds terrible, but I hold that to mean not as if you can longer see, hear or smell anymore, but instead you are making a choice to not attach your attention to it. Rather it is a form of concentration to the task at hand. Basically keeping your eye on the ball. The other translation that was offered to me is more of a union of all the senses. That instead of thinking of it as an diversion, it is an example of abundance. That there is so much to see, hear, smell, touch and feel. To allow it all to overwhelm you and remind you of the richness and vibrancy of this life. A practice of gratitude.

I think both approaches can be helpful. At the farmers market I tend to choose the latter. Be overwhelmed and grateful at all the choices, the colors, and bounty that we are fortunate enough to receive.

For some of the random list above, we can choose to place the power we have right now on the things we can do something about, and for this moment in time, we may have some more time available to concentrate those energies. Sign the petition, make the calls, wash your hands, do the research, go to the march, have the conversations, reach out to your family and friends, apply for the loan, think outside the box, wear a mask.

But for some of the unfortunate things that just stink in our lives right now, taking the first approach might serve us. Refraining from the urge to immediately react in a world around us that is dealing one shitty hand after another. Doing this, we can acknowledge its presence (yep this does indeed totally stink) and hold it there....not allowing it to permeate our entire existence. We can let the pain/disappointment slowly dissipate. Like the smell in my backyard, after some time it won't sting so bad and make your eyes water.

Here's to the scent of late summer blooms and Summer breezes.