Winding Down, Part 1
Seeing Clearly through the Senses
As we wind down this year of seeing clearly, I thought you might like to see the whiteboard in my office, which outlines all of the posts from this year. I’ve been looking at it as a whole to see what patterns emerge and, so far, have come up with these three categories - the senses, the mind, and relationships. For the next three weeks, I’ll be reflecting on what I’ve learned and hope you will do the same.
First up is the role of the senses in seeing clearly. Our experiences in the world begin with the senses, the five physical senses, as well as the internal senses of intuition, proprioception, and emotions. I’ve learned through years of practice that when I bring more conscious awareness to my senses, I see more. Our bodies provide important information for seeing clearly, even wisdom!
“It is only through the senses that we experience what it means to be fully human. It is only through the engaged senses that we are able to feel desire and intimacy, the great longing to be fully, wholly, and utterly in the world. But it is only through the honest and engaged senses that we will come to appreciate the living world as it truly is, both wildly beautiful and endangered.” ~ Laura Sewall, Sight and Sensibility
The Physical Senses
For me, becoming more aware of my physical senses helps me to savour life more fully - the sights and smells and sounds, the tastes and textures, are a feast of presence and a way to connect with the world.
The physical senses of touch, taste, and smell are more intimate senses, closely tied to memory. So, understanding how our experience of these senses is associated with memories is an important part of seeing clearly.
In the very first newsletter of 2021, on listening, I wrote that David Abram described vision and hearing as our ‘distance senses.’ They enable us to make contact with things at a distance, with vision exploring the outer surface of things and hearing making contact with something inside. I wrote this and still stand by it.
“I’ve come to believe that learning to listen well may be the most important ingredient to seeing clearly, which is why it comes first.”
Yes, taking the time to pause, slow down, be still, and listen is key to seeing clearly. I’ll be taking this practice into our work around place next year.
The Internal Senses
We also practiced seeing movement (proprioception) and gestures as silent forms of communication. Acknowledging and naming emotions and noticing when I feel resonance or intuition have also been important practices for me. I can get stuck in my mind much of the time and lose track of what my internal body is telling me.
Emotions move and flow as the body’s regulator. They assist thought by providing important messages. Recently, I’ve noticed that my anxiety level has increased more than normal. It comes and goes in waves so I try to notice and let it flow. Deep breathing and meditation help, as well as walks in the woods. Checking news or Facebook doesn’t, for me at least.
Intuition is trickier. While it’s often called the body’s wisdom, it’s not always right. Our bodies hold and recognize patterns based on the past, which are important to be aware of but may or may not apply to the current situation. It’s important to check your intuition with reason and understand the source.
Recap - Exercises for Opening your Senses
There are many ways to practice opening your senses. When you’re out walking or photographing (or anywhere for that matter), pick two senses to focus on. For example, when I’m walking, I’ll pay attention to the sounds around me and the feel of my feet touching the ground. By doing this, I’m able to see more and experience what I’m seeing at a deeper level.
Here are some more practices.
Write about what you see through your senses. Read: Writing about Photographs through the Senses.
Here’s an exercise for a walk, adapted from Meg Salter’s book, Mind Your Life, which can help open the senses. As an alternative, do this exercise as a sitting/meditation practice before photographing. Times for each step are not set in stone. Adapt according to the time you have.
Read: Letting the Body Lead, an exercise from Zen master John Daido Loori, that has to do with resonance.
Get to know your emotions, or at least these eight. The Eight Core Emotions via Positive Psychology
Your Turn
How has awareness of your senses affected your ability to see clearly? How do you listen to your body? Please share in the comments (open to everyone) or on Instagram (add the hashtag #seeingclearly2021).