How the scent of chai can sharpen your mind...
When you first smell a new scent, you link it to an event, a person, a thing or even a moment. Your brain forges a link between the smell and a memory forever – the scent of chlorine takes you back to your swimming lessons as a child, the scent of freshly baked apple pie takes you back to your grandmother’s kitchen.
Smell is highly emotive……
In my case, the smell of chai takes me back to my childhood. The smell of brewing hot chai was mixed with the noise of chatting friends and family in my mother’s kitchen.
It always soothed away my cares and gave me a sense of relaxation, comfort, and nourishment.
To this day, I start every morning with a lovely cup of Original Masala Blend Chai Room tea, so it is no surprise that to me, this scent and the aromatic spice is my absolute ‘comfort in a cup’.
The smell of chai is subtle — it’s got cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, vanilla and cloves, and it’s rounded out with milk and honey or sugar. The distinct scent gives me a sense of total well-being. #Happydays
But apart from those fond memories, did you know that certain scents also do amazing things for the mind and body? From stress relief to headache relief, certain aromas present in chai have a way of making an extra positive impact!
Did you know, for example, that cinnamon sharpens your mind?
This sweet-smelling spice can boost your brain power and recent studies have found that people who took a whiff of cinnamon had improved cognitive functions, working memory and attention span.
And the smell of vanilla can elevate your mood…..
Researchers found that taking a whiff of vanilla bean elevated people’s feelings of joy and relaxation.
So next time you make yourself a pot of chai from The Chai Room, stop for a minute and soak up that divine spicy chai aroma, complete that cryptic crossword puzzle that’s been annoying you for 3 days, and feel happy about life.
Enjoy the amazing scents from your own ‘comfort in a cup’.