PERFUMED PATHS

TO PRESENCE

THE 5 SEASONS

In the verdant hills surrounding Grasse, each season carries its own rhythm and teaching. Guided by the Five Elements — Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal — we explore how nature’s cycles mirror our own: resting, rising, opening, balancing, and releasing.

Spring brings renewal and movement — the upward energy of new life and clear direction. In the hills of Grasse, soft air and light awaken everything to growth.

WOOD

SPRING

SUMMER

Summer opens the heart – a time of connection, creativity, and radiant energy. Warmth and fragrance fill the air, and life moves freely in all directions.

FIRE

LATE SUMMER

Late Summer is the season of harvest and balance – a moment of gratitude and gathering before the year begins to turn inward again.

EARTH

AUTUMN

Autumn teaches refinement and release — the grace of letting go. As light softens over the terracotta roofs of Grasse, we learn the beauty of returning to simplicity.

METAL

WINTER

Winter invites us to rest deeply; to return to stillness and be held by quietness itself. It’s the pause where everything beneath the surface gathers strength for what’s next.

WATER

ZEN YOGA

Zen Yoga is a mindful, embodied practice that unites movement, breath, and awareness. Gentle and adaptable, it invites you to inhabit your body fully and move with curiosity rather than striving.

Each morning of the retreat begins here. A grounding ritual to arrive, breathe and reconnect with ourselves and the present moment – before the sensory world of perfumery unfolds.

  • Zen offers a direct path to presence — a way of returning to what is real, here and now. Rooted in the Buddha’s teaching of Dhyāna (meditation and deep awareness), it evolved through Chan in China and Zen in Japan. Less about belief and more about experience, Zen is the practice of being fully present and learning to inhabit each moment exactly as it is.

    Through stillness and movement, we meet life directly: the warmth of sunlight, the fragrance in bloom, the quiet pulse of the world around us. As we slow down and sense fully, the world becomes vivid. What once passed us by begins to reveal its quiet beauty.

    Zen Yoga rests on three pillars: alignment of the body, balance of energy, and mindfulness in every moment. Movement and stillness merge into a single rhythm – a return to natural ease and flow.

  • • Grounding and centring for the day ahead
    • Increased vitality and flexibility
    • Nervous-system regulation and hormonal balance
    • Calm, clarity, and emotional steadiness
    • Heightened sensory awareness – especially the subtle sense of smell

MEDITATION

Meditation is a way of returning home – awakening awareness, calming the body, and opening the senses to the beauty of the present moment, and to the living fragrance of Grasse itself.

  • The retreat offers a series of guided meditations, also inspired by the Five Elements, and invites:

    • Stillness and trust (Winter; Water)

    • Renewal and direction (Spring; Wood)

    • Openness and connection (Summer; Fire)

    • Balance and nourishment (Late Summer; Earth)

    • Release and clarity (Autumn; Metal)

    Each practice reflects the changing light, air, and scent of the season. Attention moves inward to breath and body, while remaining attuned to the world beyond. Stillness deepens, perception sharpens, and the senses awaken. Participants receive a recording of a seasonal meditation to continue their practice after the retreat – a quiet reminder of presence, wherever they are.

  • Meditation quietens the mind and steadies the nervous system. Even a short daily practice can:

    • Ease stress and support emotional balance

    • Improve focus, clarity, and creativity

    • Strengthen the connection between body, breath, and mind

    • Deepen sensory awareness

    • Cultivate presence, allowing each moment to be experienced more vividly

Reiki is a gentle Japanese healing art that restores balance through touch, presence, and subtle energy.

It is offered as an optional one-to-one experience - a gentle complement to the retreat’s daily yoga and meditation. This quiet practice encourages the body to unwind, the mind settle, and your whole being return to quiet equilibrium.

  • SPRING

    Renewal · Hope · Direction

    Soft air on green slopes,
    New leaves whisper to the sun –
    Everything begins.

  • SUMMER

    Joy · Connection · Expression

    Fragrant air and light,
    The day unfolds in full bloom –
    Joy moving through all.

  • LATE SUMMER

    Contentment · Gratitude · Nourishment

    Pale blossoms unfolding,
    Soft light held in open palms –
    The heart whispers: enough.

  • AUTUMN

    Clarity · Release · Appreciation

    Night petals unfold,
    Luminous against the cool —
    The season exhales.

  • WINTER

    Stillness · Reflection · Trust

    Quiet earth beneath,
    Breath deep where the roots still dream –
    Everything held still.

INCLUSIVE FOR ALL

Everyone is welcome at The Scented Circle.

We honour all backgrounds, beliefs, and ways of being – cultivating a space of openness, respect, and shared curiosity. Our approach is contemplative and grounded in longstanding traditions, while also offering each person the freedom to explore presence in their own way. Every practice is adaptable to your needs; move, rest, or simply be. Whether you arrive with experience or simply a wish to pause and reconnect, this is a place to belong, exactly as you are.

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JOIN THE CIRCLE.