Aliveness in transition
A sensory conversation series with women navigating change — on the body, the senses, and the rituals that hold us.
Anne, founder of Sansely. Sharing how scent, touch & presence became her language of return after burnout and what it means to honour the body as a wise teacher in this new season of life.
What does aliveness mean to you in this season of life?
It feels more gentle now. More self-caring. Aliveness is when I feel present, clear, and a little more like myself (and I’ve had enough sleep). It often comes in the quiet — when I’m creating, connecting, or noticing the small things, especially in nature.
I know I’ve lost it when I feel numb or everything feels like too much.
In this season, with my girls growing older and life shifting around me, aliveness feels less like a spark and more like a glow I tend to, daily.
How has your relationship with your senses evolved?
It began with a quiet need for softness. For space. For something slower. I used to override my body. I burned out — and finally listened.
Now, scent, texture, and light are how I find my way back to myself. Tuning in to the senses isn’t a luxury — it’s how I return to presence. It’s also how I’ve sat with grief, honour joy, and feel what’s here. The senses don’t bypass. They invite you in.
What sensory practices or rituals support you through change?
In what I call my golden era — where change feels raw and real, energy and capacity are more precious, and grief sometimes lingers just beneath the surface — I stay close to the basics.
• Deep, slow breathing — especially in the mornings or before sleep.
• Pranayama practices — gentle breathwork to shift my energy.
• Oils on my skin — grounding or uplifting, depending on what I need.
• My own scent blends — a way to tune into mood, memory, and presence.
• Bare feet. Sea swims when I can.
• Morning playlists, incense, and moments of quiet in between.
• The small rituals — soft fabrics, my green bowl, candlelight, my plants.
These are small but strong anchors. They remind me that I don’t need to push — I can soften and still move forward. They help me rebuild strength, from the inside out. A daily practice…
How has your connection to your body shifted?
My body used to be something I pushed through. Now, my body is my teacher — wise, cyclical, and honest. It won’t let me override anymore, learning to trust it.
I now honour my body´s pace. Still learning to accept how much it has changed and continues to change.. Regulation for me starts here — with listening rather than pushing through. This is the heart of Sansely — building capacity to meet life with presence, not force.
What golden practises ground you?
• Lighting incense in the early morning — lately, Maho’s Gypsy Wood (I’m obsessed)
• Oils on my pulse points — my own blends or Bymne’s botanicals
• Scent layering — warm, woody, earthy notes
• Collecting wild herbs and flowers on Bornholm
• The sea — always the sea
• Creating with my hands — blending, curating scent stories
• Placing seasonal objects around my house
These aren’t just rituals — they’re a way of remembering. They root me in what’s real, even in the midst of change. They remind me life is the ritual. And it keeps getting more precious with time…
More sensory conversations are unfolding…share what sensory rituals ground you. Follow along @sansely__
