I pick up a vial of eucalyptus.

I pick up a vial of eucalyptus.

Unscrew the cap and put it to my nose.

I close my eyes and breathe in.

A sharp minty scent hits me.

The smell winds its way to the very back of my nose. I've smelled eucalyptus hundreds of

times, but I've never taken the time to really just become entranced with it. Now I allow myself to

let the smell linger in my senses with nowhere to be and nothing to prove.

Fred Minnick was born with an unusual talent, a truly remarkable sense of smell.

He's become one of the preeminent noses in the world of bourbon, as a spirit's author,

historian and curator.

In today's story, Fred shares how his senses have served as a lifeline back to the present

moment and back to himself.

In this series, we combine immersive first-person stories, breathtaking music, and mindfulness

prompts, so that we may see our lives reflected back to us in other people's stories,

and that can lead to improvements in our own inner lives.

From Wait What, this is meditative story.

I'm Rohan, and I'll be your guide. The body relaxed, the body breathing.

Your senses open, your mind open, meeting the world.

The world. Mom stands at the kitchen sink looking out into our backyard.

Her arms are sunk deep up to her elbows and suds as she washes the dishes from lunchtime.

Her gaze is set on the chain-link metal fence, corraling our small brick homestead.

...