01
Select Your Scent: Rest & Relax
Choose one consistent scent anchor, such as Rest & Relax or a personal preference. Use the same scent every time you run the protocol.
ANR: Aromatic Neural Repatterning
Better Sleep • Better Stress Response • Better Soldiers
ANR: Aromatic Neural Repatterning™
LAARNG Rest & Relax Mission Experience
The Power of ANR
Rapid State-Shift
ANR is the foundation of TARR's rapid state-shift capability. This proprietary protocol created by MilSpec Formulas co-founder and master-formulator, Adora Winquist Soule, combines three specific elements– one scent, one breath pattern, one tactile point– to create a neurological "lock-and-key" mechanism.
Think of it as building a reliable circuit breaker for your stress response. Through repeated pairing of these sensory cues during calm states, your nervous system learns to associate this specific combination with safety and regulation.
Applied Neuro-Regulation (ANR) & TARR™ System
The result: With practice, engaging your ANR protocol can shift your state in under 30 seconds, whether you need calm focus for mission execution or deeper relaxation for sleep onset.
Clinical foundation: ANR leverages classical conditioning principles, polyvagal theory, and olfactory-limbic neuroanatomy to create durable behavioral change without requiring extensive training or ongoing clinical support.
How to Run Your ANR Pattern
Use the same three sensory anchors every time: scent, breath, and touch. Consistency is what teaches your nervous system to respond on cue.
02
Lock Your Breath
Pair the scent with a specific breath pattern: 4-count inhale, 6-count exhale. Repeating the same pattern builds a strong association in your nervous system.
03
Add Tactile Anchor
Include one repeatable touch point, such as Shen Men on the ear or Heart 7 on the wrist pressure points. This completes the sensory triad of scent, breath, and touch.
04
Strengthen the Pattern
Practice twice daily during deployment preparation and while on your tour of duty. Over time, your nervous system will recognize the sequence and respond faster.
Engineered for Real Military Environments
Developed by Adora Winquist Soule, expert aromatherapist to the DoD sanctioned Healing Hut, and created in collaboration with Maj. John G. Soule, BSN, RN, these protocols were designed for real-world stress, not ideal lab conditions.
Launched for Wounded Warriors, Invictus and Warrior Games athletes, and veteran communities across 23 nations, TARR™ is built to function in the field, at base, or at home, with or without additional clinical support.
How It Works
Our sense of smell has a direct pathway to the brain, especially the amygdala and limbic structures that govern emotional processing and memory. This is why inhaling a targeted essential oil blend can quickly calm the nervous system.
Through the brain’s ability to form new pathways, often called neuroplasticity, ANR may help support healing in people with traumatic brain injuries by reinforcing regulated states and downshifting threat responses over time.
The Mind-Body Connection
Essential oils can help bridge the conscious and subconscious mind, where emotional memories from past trauma are stored. Through consistent use of energy-based ANR practices, people can create new positive associations and gradually change how their body responds to subconscious stress triggers.
Benefits & Applications
These protocols are designed to complement mental health care and support healing from trauma while improving overall wellbeing:
- Physical vitality
- Mental agility
- Emotional resilience
- Spiritual connection
The Science Behind ANR
Olfactory Processing and the Brain
When an individual inhales an essential oil, aromatic molecules travel via the olfactory bulb directly to the brain, targeting the limbic system and amygdala. These regions regulate mood, memory, and emotion, which allows aromas to produce rapid emotional and physiological shifts.
Neuroplasticity and Emotional Repatterning
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. By consistently pairing specific aromas with calming intentions, breath patterns, or affirmations, new pathways can form that gradually reshape emotional responses to stressors.
Immediate Effects of Essential Oil Inhalation
1. Autonomic nervous system regulation
Research shows that essential oils can influence the autonomic nervous system and shift physiological markers such as blood pressure, pulse rate, muscle tone, skin temperature, and brain activity. These changes can improve physical, mental, and emotional state within minutes of inhalation.
2. Rapid onset of action
The olfactory system provides one of the fastest routes for essential oils to affect the body. Inhaled volatile compounds can trigger immediate responses in the central nervous system, including the limbic system and hypothalamus, which in turn shape human behavior and body function.
3. Heart rate variability shifts
Studies on fir essential oil inhalation have demonstrated significant increases in high-frequency heart rate variability, a marker of parasympathetic activity and a relaxed state, within just a few minutes of exposure.
BALANCE • RESTORE • OPTIMIZE
Our Commitment to Excellence
Why Choose Mil-Spec Formulas?
- Created for Warriors: Every formula is developed with deep understanding of military life's unique demands
- Proven Effectiveness: Our protocols are built on solid research and real-world testing
- Uncompromising Quality: Only the highest-grade ingredients meet our standards
- Complete Support: Each product addresses physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing
Expert Formulation
Our Master Formulator, Adora Winquist Soule, has 30 years of extensive experience in both traditional wisdom and modern techniques to create solutions that truly serve our military, family, and caregiver community.