It’s easy to get caught up in the space between over stimulation and routine, a weird middle ground found in daily life that does nothing to expand the senses. As we stretch ourselves to meet obligations, deadlines, and take care of personal needs, there’s little room left to focus on supporting our most human (and basic) creative tools we’re given at birth.
In a way, we can forget how to call on our basic senses to solve problems, fire up inspiration or create a new way of looking at life or the challenges we face to move past them. Why?
Time, pace of life and choice.
Being present with one or all of the senses takes awareness; a willingness to slow down, listen and make room to deeply focus on what we are receiving. It requires stepping away from a routine or pace we know well to try things differently, be with ourselves differently.
The practice of growing our personal identity through our unique senses is what helps us feel more at home and integrated into our true identity, and colors how we perceive the world.
Triggers, Curiosity and Building Awareness in a New Way
As the seasons change our senses can feel as if they come alive again too, stimulated by new smells, sounds and changes in nature. In so many ways it’s automatic, as the body reacts to the “newness” of the changing surroundings, awakening nature’s rhythms within us.
Over time, the senses we’ve developed naturally can lose their dexterity and strength. Our attention becomes focused on observing, connecting or blocking out marketing or news as we interact with a more techie side of life, or used to disengage from unhealthy situations and people. Priorities are focused on work, career or shaping our path forward towards what we see as “success”.
This shifts our senses in a new direction of acuity and development.
Some people do well here, using their senses and skills in ways that bring them joy and help them in pursuing work, building relationships or inspiring creative ideas. For others it can lead to over stimulation and overwhelm, feeling disconnected from the essence of who they are at their core. In the case of empaths who already identify with gathering input from all their senses in a very deep way, it can require a diligent management system to balance how to expand the senses for self-care without blocking out their natural gifts.
No matter what shade of gray we fall into between these extremes, the need to exercise and expand the senses hasn’t changed. Our ability to engage them in a way that kick-starts our inspiration and awe naturally is just a bit rusty.
Reconnect With and Exercise Senses to Use More of the Brain and Spark Creativity
We have a lot of room in the brain to expand our senses in a variety of directions and creative arcs.
“According to studies conducted years ago by the Menninger Foundation, the average person uses about 10% of their available brain cells. More recent studies suggest it’s now closer to 5%.” (source)
“A group of indigenous Australians used 60% of their available brain cells,” in comparison, relying much more on their senses and ability to be in a state of deep awareness as a way of life. (source)
For a more modern life example, “Einstein used 15% of his available brain cells” to do all of his great work. (source)
When you look at the reality of where we can go creatively in our lifetime combined with a positive use of technology, it’s now more important than ever to reconnect with simpler ways to stay grounded and exercise our senses in a way that’s natural for us as humans.
The practice of using our senses and expanding them by staying grounded in the present enables us to connect the dots more easily, feel happier and find creative solutions to problems in an inspired way that flows with more ease. It can also shed light on healthy, creative ways to leverage technology as a tool in a mindful, rather than all-consuming, way.
Simple Ways to Practice Connecting With the Senses
As an animal lover, I like to practice reconnecting with my senses through nature. I pay close attention to what I see, smell and sense when I go for a walk, taking my time and changing my pace throughout to take in a different point of view. I also note the animals I encounter and focus on how their unique strengths or “senses” come into play in their life.
For example, I’ve recently noticed more hawks and owls. These birds of prey have fantastic eyesight and perception, so I focus on this aspect of my own senses and how I can improve, open or rethink how I’m “seeing” something.
There are lots of little things you can do to help fire up the senses, including using essential oils, getting a massage, trying new, more flavorful foods, taking deep breaths with your eyes closed and more. Check out Savor the Moment to Enhance Creative Awareness for additional simple suggestions on how to use what we sense in the present to spark inspiration.
It’s also important to think about how our senses work together as a team, and try to find ways to build up those “muscles”. One example would be to describe what we smell out loud, or to sit quietly outdoors, eyes closed, and simply notice the sensations that come up as we relax into connecting with the world around us in new ways.
Being more mindful in how you expand the senses can spark new neural pathways, expand creativity, inspire new ideas and so much more. What are some ways you practice growing or enhancing the senses in day to day life?
Connect with me for an intuitive reading to fire up creativity or get more insight on tapping into your unique talents. To dig into more mindful habits or ways to tap into intuition on your own, check out my podcast, Flirting With Enlightenment.