Susan Oubari, an American in Paris, loves fragrances — all fragrances, whether perfumes, body lotions, essential oils, scented candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, you name it.
Scents have helped her deal with the city’s lockdowns. And with catching Covid-19.
“Essential oils were incredibly helpful to me during Covid,” she said. “I was feeling so sick, and I needed my energy to do my work.” Ms. Oubari runs Breathe in Paris, a business that she describes as teaching breath work, mindfulness and Reiki, along with spiritual coaching. And when Covid struck she was in the midst of co-writing a book, “Breathwork.”
“Essential oils come from a plant,” Ms. Oubari said. “I put some drops on my palms and rub them together and bring them to my nose, inhaling deeply. It clears your head; it helps you to become more alert to sensations, to let go.”
The power of scent is not hocus-pocus — numerous studies have shown the…
