“Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived.” Helen Keller

Scent is the most powerful of all your senses. A smell can transport you through time and space. Whenever I smell Drakkar-Noir cologne, it brings me right back to the limo for my 10th Grade semi-formal. I must have bathed in the stuff because it triggers a vivid memory of my date who was from the Valley and her hair was puffed so high with product that you couldn’t see the blue background on her driver’s license image.   Yes Drakkar-Noir takes me there every time!!

Back then it was meaningful because I was still a virgin and the urban myth was that the right cologne, for lack of better words, would help you score. As cheesy as the word “drakkar” sounds and as bad as it looks in that unchanging, dark metallic Euro-cool bottle, nowadays Drakkar is literally a time machine. One spritz and I’m right back in the limo 18 years ago. I wish I had more memories as rich and vivid as this one. Such is the power of scent.

There’s a lesson here. When you experience life thru your senses, you etch a MOMENT into the deepest part of your being. And all we remember are MOMENTS. So treat your moments carefully. “I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour.” (Hazel Lee)

Following is a secret spiritual practice I highly recommend. This is not intended for small children or women between the ages of 18-22. Try it:

1. Light a candle.

2. Put on Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin”

3. Find yourself a bottle of Drakkar**

4. Spritz yourself with 5 sprays of Drakkar. One on the third eye. One on the solar plexus, one on the heart center, and one spray on each nipple.

5. Close your eyes, lie back, and watch where it takes you. If you see parachute pants and Lionel Richie appear in your imagination, you’ve successfully discovered the power of the senses to deliver you into a deeply present moment.

**Drakkar can be found for purchase at any Eckerd, Walgreens or in bulk at Costco.