Tuning Into Our Senses

Today, let’s talk about how we can tune in with our senses and fully appreciate the world around us.

We are incredibly fortunate to be alive and to experience the world through our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These senses allow us to perceive and feel the world around us. Our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin are sensitive to different stimuli such as light, vibrations, touch, scents, and tastes. Then, our brains interpret these signals into fully formed perceptions.

It’s amazing that we can communicate so intimately and accurately with the world around us through our senses. However, we often take the information they provide for granted. Mindfulness helps us connect more directly with sense perceptions, bringing us fully into the present moment. By practicing mindfulness, we can slow down and focus on our breath instead of being dragged around by our thoughts.

Mindfulness also provides an opportunity to pay extraordinary attention to ordinary sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and touches, many of which we normally overlook. Have you ever really listened to the sound of your refrigerator or noticed the bright red lipstick your coworker is wearing today? These small details can bring more color and vibrancy to our everyday lives.

In modern urban life, we suffer from both sensory deprivation and sensory overload. We often sit at a desk staring into a computer screen or ride the same bus or subway every day to work. We can become stressed and our perceptions can become dull. However, we can find space and aliveness within everyday activities by tuning in with our senses.

For example, our vision is our most dominant sense. A mindful approach to seeing involves being present and taking a fresh look at the world without judgment. Instead of making quick judgments, we can broaden our perception and notice small details. For one moment, it might be worth seeing the petals, feeling their softness, inhaling the scent, and experiencing the rose rather than simply labeling it.

To practice mindfulness with your vision, stand quietly with your eyes open and take notice of what’s in your visual field without focusing on any one thing. Slowly turn your whole body from left to right, then from right to left, noticing colors, shapes, movement, shadows, and light. Then, look slowly from top to bottom and bottom to top. What do you discover? How do you feel before, during, and after?

Hearing is such an incredible sense that adds depth to our experiences. It alerts us to potential danger and makes us excited for anticipated events. We use it to communicate with others and enjoy music. However, it can also be a source of irritation with noise pollution. Did you know that sound is created by compression waves that travel through a medium like solid, liquid, or gas? These waves are then picked up by the inner ear and converted into electrical signals that our brain interprets. It’s amazing how seamlessly this process happens, allowing us to see and hear almost simultaneously.

We react immediately to so many sounds in our lives, like the sound of toast popping or a text notification. However, there are also sounds that we may not even be aware of, like the sound of our own footsteps or the hum of a computer. It’s essential to pay attention to these sounds and learn to appreciate them. Taking a sound walk is a great way to start. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you mindfully. It can help you relax and connect with the world around you.

Now, let’s move on to taste. Our tongue can identify five basic taste groups: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory. But did you know that many flavors arise through a unique blend of smell and taste? This is known as chemosensation, where molecules released by various substances stimulate special nerve cells in the nose, mouth, or throat. These cells then transmit messages to our brain, allowing us to identify specific smells and tastes.

To better understand our sense of taste, try this exercise: Slowly eat four very different foods, such as a nut, a noodle, a piece of lettuce, and a spoonful of ice cream. Try to pay attention to the textures and tastes of each item. Can you separate the smell from the taste? Or do you have a unified experience of tasting something, combining these senses?

Our sense of touch is so important to us. It helps us feel and navigate the world around us. Our fingers, hands, toes, and feet are especially sensitive, but we can feel things all over our body. Can you imagine not being able to feel the water when you drink it or know when you’re holding a glass? It would be tough!

To explore our sense of touch, let’s try some exercises. Close your eyes and touch familiar everyday objects around you, like a book or a spoon. Notice how they feel and their texture. You can also explore different surfaces like rugs, tiles, and even grass outside!

Now, let’s talk about our sense of smell. Did you know that we can smell things from far away, like coffee brewing across the room or the smoke from a fire miles away? Our noses have 5 million receptor cells that help us detect different smells. Smells can warn us about dangers, like something burning or food going bad. But they can also bring us joy, like the scents of freshly cut grass or warm mulled wine.

Our sense of smell is also connected to our memories. It’s amazing how a certain scent can take us back to a specific moment in time.

To explore our sense of smell, let’s try a fun exercise. Put different types of loose teas, herbs, or spices in glasses or small bowls. Close your eyes and take a whiff of each sample. You can even try this with different types of food and drinks like wine or single malt scotch. What smells do you notice?

Try keeping a sense journal. It can be a great way to become more aware of our senses and their connection to our emotions. Make a daily entry of one experience of each of the five senses and note any emotions they evoke in you. It’s amazing how much we can learn about ourselves through our senses.

Remember, our senses can show us and support us in taking a more open and balanced approach to everyday life. These openings to the world are inexpensive and freely transmit the beauty, power, and richness of the world. So, take a moment to tune in with your senses and fully appreciate the world around you.