How to Absorb Life through the Senses

We move so fast through life. We are either working on achieving our ambtions or going quickly from place to place. We seem to be thinking about places other than where we are. When we stop to engage our senses, we can then truly experience and absorb the life around us.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The choice to slow down and engage the senses where we are.
• Beautiful places and wonderful people.

1. 

   Wherever you find yourself, stop and engage your senses. If you are walking on the beach, take off your shoes to feel the sand on your feet. Roll your toes into the sand and feel its cool dampness. Look out over the ocean and watch the birds glide, dive and land on the waves. Listen to the crashing of the waves and the sounds of the shore.

2. 

   Observe with wonder. We see things every day, but do we really see? The sunrise is a common occurrence, but it is never mediocre. When the sun rises, watch not only the change in the sky but watch life as it awakens around you. Writers are wonderful observers; they have to be to tell a good story. Pretend to be a writer and observe, but do it with a sense of wonder.

3. 

   Listen. A good way to get a preschooler to learn about sounds is to take them outside to listen to the myriad of sounds that are alive in nature. We should follow suit as adults. Close your eyes and listen to what is around you. The birds are singing in the early morning, the waves are crashing on the shore, the wind is whistling softly through the trees, and wildlife is calling. Inside, you can hear the instruments of a classical music piece, the clattering of dishes and the happy chattering of your family making a meal in the kitchen, or the low murmurs of an intimate conversation. Choose the sounds you want to hear by choosing the setting. In a cafe, you will hear different sounds than on a seashore. It is all experiencing life through the sense of hearing.

4. 

   Smell. The sense of smell is one of the greatest memory retainers. If you smell something that was part of your childhood, you will instantaneously be transported back through time to the association of that scent. Smell is powerful; it creates deep connections. There are so many interesting scents in life. If you come in from a morning walk, you may be enveloped by smells of coffee and sausage or fesh baked bread from the kitchen, or when passing the beauty counter at the department store, you will be assailed by dozens of different perfumes and skin products. The heady odor of a favorite perfume, the smell of rain on an autumn morning as you walked to school, the freshly scrubbed scent of that cute boy who sat in front of you in tenth grade, or the sweet fragrance of your first bouquet of roses can bring you back quicker than any word or picture.

5. 

   Taste. Take this one slowly. We tend to get attached to things we taste. Take chocolate for instance, or curry chicken or Thai peanut sauce. Mmmmm. Taste is fun to explore, but extreme attachment is a possible consequence! Several years ago, I decided I would really savor some of my meals, especially ones that I ate only on rare occasions. If you have the good fortune to be served really awesome Tiramisu, for instance, close your eyes and savor the nuances of each ingredient: deep dark chocolate, thick smooth cream, intense rich coffee and soft spongy lady fingers. I told my kids that sometimes sugar is good for us because it makes us so happy. However, an avacodo and smoked turkey sandwich on thick slices of whole grain bread can make your mouth water just as much as a creamy, chocolaty dessert. Savor the good things and keep it in balance.

6. 

   Touch. We cannot live without touch. Babies will tragically die if not touched. Human beings begin to wither emotionally and intellectually without touch. The power of touch is healing and awakening. Science has recently discovered the power of the hands to heal through massage and other body work. Touch is a loving sense, and not just between human beings. When we pet a dog, brush a soft petal, plant a seed in the rich soil or grab the rough bark of a tree as we climb its branches, there is a wonderful opportunity to experience the sense of touch. Working with the earth is supposed to be great therapy. "Have you hugged your kid today" was a popular bumper sticker twenty years ago. Be aware of how things that touch you make you feel and be aware of how your touch can be healing to others. Also, through our sense of touch we are able to tell the difference between natural and synthetic fibers and prefer the natural. What wonderful things are all around us.

Tips & Warnings

• SEE MY BLOG AT http://wisdomsquest.blogspot.com
• Dads should hug their sons. Sometimes we forget that men and boys need touch just as much as us women, especially from their dads (but not to exclude moms who seem naturally prone to hugging anyway!). You'll find that children are healthier when hugged and not just patted.

[starrwd]

on 6/24/2009 This is a nice reminder that we should seize the moment.

[TaoistHealer]

on 4/17/2009 You are right we do move through life in a head long rush.Im going to stop and experience life with the kids a little more often. Nice article thanks.