Ears don’t get a lot of props. Eyes, either, come to think of it. Nose? Nope. Skin? Not so much.
But yoga philosophy powerhouse Patanjaliencourages us to give our senses some love and attention. When we do, they give it right back. Because when we bring our full attention and intention to what we hear, or see, or smell, or feel, one at a time, and then all together, we can get out of our mind-mania, racing thoughts and all. Patanjali: “The mind can be made steady by bringing it into contact with sense experience.” Me: We sink into the senses, and tap into our true Self: the calm, happy, peaceful core of us. We might call it meditation. I like to call it simple.
Take-Away Tip and Stress Buster: One of the ways I’ve found to stay on the level during a busy workweek is to stay focused. I take the idea of bringing my attention to one sense perception and change it up to bringing my attention to the task I’m doing at that moment. When the other (seemingly endless) items on my to-do list pop into my head, I acknowledge the thought, and consciously set it aside. Okay, I admit it, sometimes the thought is like, on steroids, and muscles its way into my full attention, seriously disturbing the peace…but on days I manage to whip it into shape? Ahhhhh, those are the days.
