essential oils and alchemy

Fall 2015 & Spring 2016

NYU Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY

TaraMarie created a sensory/alchemy experiment in the curriculum each semester as designed for her graduating class of yoga and mind/body practices students. Students were encouraged to log associations and memories linked to a series of unlabeled bottles of essential oils. Additionally, they were to categorize the scents into what was appealing and not to their sense of smell. Students then brewed individual water scents made up of a couple oils that appealed to them. Then students were given the key to all oils they smelled - properties, health support usages, and symbolism.  From the list they compiled in each session they were able to assemble a picture of their seasonal needs and notice how their Fall and Spring brews differed, thus demonstrating how their health needs had also shifted. Common themes for individuals and the shared group were also noted for discussion/reflection.