Our Sense-a-licious World

We live in a world that is sense-a-licious! We can be transported to heavenly realms by the sweet smells of fruits and flowers. We can enjoy a tickle and feel happy. We can bite into a slice of heaven, and let it explode like a volcano oozing inside our mouths. We can feel utterly relaxed by listening to the soft sounds of a purring cat. And, we can view this sense-a-licious world thru the eyes of love.
Your senses are your doors and windows to the world. They are your way of experiencing the life around you. The more consciously aware you are of your senses the more fully engaged you can be in your life. Separation from our senses restricts us and keeps us from experiencing the present moment. It restrains our freedom to choose and distorts our view of the world. You can see it often in people. They choose to be numb. They are afraid to feel, even though there is a deep peace that comes when you perceive the world fully and completely moment by moment. It is a peace that comes from being completely present, not thinking about the past or worrying about the future; just experiencing the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes and the feelings of each moment. At any given moment, we are saturated in an ocean of sensory experiences.
There are many ways to heighten our senses. One is through what is called “centering”. I’ve found the most effective way to experience this is by neutralizing one sense in order to heighten the others. You can do this right now. Read the next paragraph, then close your eyes and enjoy the experience.
Take a deep breath and close your eyes. The sense of sight now neutralized and yet, you can look out into that darkness behind the eyes. Now feel your feet pressing against the floor, and your body sitting in your chair or whatever your resting on. Notice any tastes or smells you are experiencing right now. Be keenly aware of the sounds around you. Now expand your awareness of this moment even further by becoming aware of the space around your body (you might know this as your personal space)…now further outward to the boundaries of the room you are in…the walls, ceiling, floor…..
Notice the peace that belongs to THIS moment. No thoughts, no worries or judgements…just being. Then, open the eyes and keep reading....
(When I learn how to do a pod cast, I'll do a nice long centering for you :)
As your sense perceptions expand so does your connection to all of life…giving you the opportunity to experience your life full sensory.
Visualizations are another way to heighten your senses. Imagining pleasurable scenes from your own past is one way to use the tool of visualization. You can also use your senses to dream or imagine a place of relaxation and renewal. I will often have my students do this during the deep relaxation portion in my yoga classes. They usually report a very enjoyable and peaceful experience.
Recently there has been lots of talk in the media regarding using visualization techniques to create your future. During theses visualizations, it is vital to engage your senses. Feel yourself seated in the plush leather seats of your dream car. Smell the leather and that new car smell. Imagine opening the windows and feel the breeze on your skin…hear the sounds as you rev up the engine. Using your senses makes the visualization that much more real and acceptable to your mind. Once your mind accepts the vision as real, then it goes to work creating it for you.
Once you’ve learned to use your powerful senses, you’ll want to allow them some pleasure. Just as a plant that receives a perfect amount of sun, water, and nutrients will flourish, your very soul will thrive when your senses are fed. You can feed your senses by looking purposefully at beauty. This past week, I was in San Diego, CA and I fed my senses to the most dramatic sunset ever. I watched, felt, used all of my senses to experience this sunset. I watched until it slipped under the water and was gone. It was truly nourishment for my soul. You can pleasure your senses in a variety of ways: watch the steam from your morning tea or coffee form swirling mists in the cold morning air, look up at the clouds as they twist and turn, watch the stars pop out one by one as evening sets in. As you see the beauty and wonder in our world, you become beauty.
Delight your sense of hearing with beautiful melodies of soft music, jazz or whatever music touches you. Really hear the laughter of children and enjoy it. Listen to your lover breathing softly beside you….or find humor in the sounds of your lovers snoring. There are a multitude of sound sensations. We just need to be still to hear them.
Tantalize your sense of taste with sublime flavors. Make eating a full-sensory pleasurable experience and you will find that as you really taste, smell and experience the food, you’ll only eat until you are satisfied.
Ignite your sense of touch with wonderful fabrics. Luxuriate as you slip between the sheets of smooth cool cotton. Rest your head against a soft velvet pillow or wrap your neck in a delicate silk scarf. You could also enjoy a sensuous massage or indulge in warm bubbly bath.
Revel in your sense of smell by lighting aromatic candles. Spray your sheets with the relaxing scent of lavender. Citrus smells are especially enjoyable. Really smell the next orange you peel. Smell the air outside as you walk past some honey suckle in the spring.
Fine tuning your senses will help you to develop the ability to enjoy life without having to DO anything. There is value in being still. You will discover that there is so much beauty around you and more importantly inside you.
To delve into the secrets and mysteries that accompany full sensory living slow down. Slowing down the pace of our lives helps us experience the pulsating changing rhythm of life. In today’s world we eat, but don’t taste, we look but don’t see, listen but rarely hear, and we even touch without feeling. Be in the moment. Really BE. Taste, touch, smell hear and explore your universe. When you do, you will enjoy this sense-a-licious world we live in, more than ever before.