Sensory Elements
In a busy world we often that things for granted and being present and using our senses bring context. I will share a story with you about sensory experiences namely touch. We had a beautiful Labrador who we adored dearly. As life progressed his health deteriorated. I often run around with lots to do, in and out of the house, and would recognize his little face staring up at me asking for some affection. Each night when I eventually grew still, I would place my hand on his fur and draw on the sensation of touch.
In 2010, I experienced a sensory overload for the first time. “Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body’s senses experiences over-stimulation from the environment. There are many environmental elements that impact an individual. Examples of these elements are urbanisation, crowding, noise, mass media, technology, and the explosive growth of information.” Source: Wikipedia
After this experience and keen to learn more, I started to follow the work of Dr. Annemarie Lombard on Sensory Intelligence. For more information, visit her website.
Ralph Teller mentions “Our brainpower is enhanced when we become more aware of the things around us. Increasing our awareness and arousal is accomplished by increasing our sensitivity to our senses. Heightened sense sensitivity occurs with increased concentration on the senses while at the same time clearing the mind of distractions to enable a more sharpened focus.” Source – http://1vigor.com/
Thinking about our other senses, have you noticed that announcements are no longer made in two of our largest airports in South Africa as an attempt to reduce noise pollution. I did some research and came across this interesting article on the noisiest cities in the world and the impact on our health.
Take some time to engage with your senses while outdoors. Experience the sights of beautiful walks in nature, the fresh smell of the air in the morning after a night of rain, the feel of raindrops upon your face, the sounds of nature whilst enjoying some of nature’s freshest fruits along the path. Savor your 5 senses!
Nature has a way of restoring all the good.