*Disclaimer: Rage and anger here refer to emotional truth - never aggression or violence. This is not medical advice. Please seek professional support if you are facing mental health challenges*
Aromatherapy (AKA Functional Fragrance) is far more than a shortcut to calming us down, it is a nuanced, complementary practice that honours the full spectrum of human emotion. We want to challenge the reductive view that "wellness" means bypassing difficult feelings, and instead invite you to engage with one of the most misunderstood emotions: rage & anger. It can be intense, powerful & very, very necessary.
Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks in the "red Room"
Rage as a Signal
Anger is a healthy, intelligent signal - a messenger pointing toward injustice or danger. Suppressing it doesn't make it disappear, instead it can transform into resentment and manifest itself in destructive ways. We want to share how we move through these feelings and how we use scent to meet emotions where they are.
Energy to Action
Below are three pathways for channelling anger - with yourself, and together with others. Because right now, individually and as a collective we are p*ssed off.
1. Advocacy & Taking Action.
Anger without direction becomes despair. But anger with intention becomes energy. When we feel helpless, the antidote is often agency, even a small act can shift us from passive suffering to active participation. Let the anger ask a question. What is this anger pointing toward? What injustice or danger does it refuse to accept? Take one meaningful action today. Sign the petition, go to the protest, speak up for yourself, make the donation, show up for yourself or community. Anger is energy, spend it on something that matters to you. Even a tiny act of resistance is a refusal to be passive.
2. Conscious Conversations.
When we witness each other’s anger, without minimising, something great happens: the anger can turn into solidarity & action. When someone shares their anger with you (in a safe, healthy way), resist the urge to reassure or redirect. Create a safe space for them to share their experience, acknowledge their anger without taking it on as your own. Give anger a seat at the table. Talk about what’s happening and how/where you can take action together - no matter how big or small - to make a difference and be heard. Even just meeting up with others and having open, honest conversations is an act of defiance against the systems that want to keep us alone & helpless.
3. Creative Expression
Art, writing, and music are the oldest forms of expression for the human experience. They give form to what is formless. When words feel inadequate, creativity speaks a different language, one the body and soul understand.
Write without editing. let your anger pour onto the page. This is not for anyone else to read if you don't want to. Observe it, watch the words transform into something else. Tear it up, burn it or keep it. Remember to breathe while you write.
Make something with your hands. Clay, draw, paint - materials that respond to pressure. Let the anger inform the texture, colour & shapes. Put your ego aside & do not judge.
Use music & movement as a conduit. Move with sounds and frequency, jump around, shake your hands, bang on a drum, scream, practice lions breath (Simhasana) to release that tension you're holding onto.