Wanna "Be Present"? Come to your Senses
They’re calling you… Do you hear? Do you taste? Do you smell? Can you feel? Do you see? Your senses are calling. Mostly atrophied by underuse they still call out to you each and every day with the invitation to come alive -truly alive- right here right now.
Your senses are a pathway into this present moment. They’ll exquisitely anchor you in the here and now with such simplicity you’ll think it can’t possibly be true. But it is true. They are real. And so are you.
For the last several weeks I’ve been going to my Sit Spot in the early mornings. It’s a space under the big pecan tree in my backyard where I sit to practice open-eyed meditation. I was feeling like my summer was dulling me out. Too much time indoors. Too much time driving, watching videos, and keeping close to screens. I felt my vitality diminishing until I could barely listen when my children tried to talk with me. I had nothing much to say around the dinner table.
So, I went outside to make friends with my senses again.
SENSING
When one sits outside one can’t help but be aware of how the air feels. Humidity or coolness hits the moment the threshold is crossed from indoors to out. Dew on bare feet, grass under bent legs, even mosquito bites stinging on folded arms all remind one of their physicality.
Then there’s the birdsong. When one sits at dawn, one can’t push away the sound of the world awakening. Cardinals, robins, and all manner of other avians sing out with gusto that there’s another day, another chance to live into the fullness of life.
Is there taste first thing in the morning, one might ask? There is. It comes with scent of course. If one can be subtle enough one might taste the sweetness or bitterness of last night’s dreams. Or the freshness of peppers in the neighbor’s garden. Cut grass and all manner of growing things send scents into the quiet breeze.
And of course, there’s vision. Flowers stems grow to full height, put out blooms, die away in the span of a week. The vine that’s reaching ever up up up to find a branch to pull up on. The birds that flit through, deep in conversation that has nothing to do with small human concerns. Then the surprising moment when a squirrel falls from high in the tree, lands on the trampoline, bounces up, and grabs the safety net with her tiny claws.
If you’re wondering what happened: She looked around, climbed down and went on with her day. I would’ve missed it… and so many other things. I would’ve missed all of it had I not been outside. Had I not been paying attention, immersed in my senses.
YOGA & SENSES
In yoga philosophy there is a teaching where one is instructed to ‘withdrawal their senses’ as a pathway into meditation. A useful teaching for times when one is too caught in the sensory world, or maybe for those living very communal over-crowded lives. But it occurred to me lately that this teaching isn’t so useful for those who’re already far out of touch with the our senses. For those who don’t remember the last time they truly tasted their meal, or relished the smell of a blooming rose, or savored the texture of a soft blanket against their skin - returning to the senses is a pathway back to life.
There are other yoga philosophies beyond the very well known 8-limbed path that suggests sense withdrawal. Sometimes we forget that the yogic state, you know that place where you feel deeply aligned and all separation disappears and you’re one with the universe, has many entry points. There are many ways to get there (as if it were an actual place separate from wherever you are in this moment). One such way is through the senses. In the Radiance Sutras, translator Lorin Roche suggests entering yoga through the taste of dark chocolate. It may not be a pose, but awakening to the sacred creative power inherent in your senses is some powerful yoga.
SENSING NOW
Your senses are right here right now. Calling out, inviting you back. If you simply notice them, you come back to the present moment. The present moment is the only moment where yoga can happen. And if you only become present, and come a bit more alive you’ll be doing a lot.
But, go further if you can. Stop watching your senses with your overbuilt analytical brain. Soften and BECOME each sense. Dissolve all barriers, let separation disappear. Then. There. NOW in the present moment there’s a chance, a tremendous chance for true yoga to occur.
A PRACTICE
Try it for yourself - A practice for anywhere anytime
If it’s safe, close your eyes to help you notice your other senses.
Softly notice
What do you Smell?
What do you Taste?
What do you Hear?
What do you Feel?
crack your eyes, keep them soft
What do you see?
Practice anywhere, anytime allowing your senses to bring you into the NOW. Follow where they lead you.