How to Heighten your Senses in 2021...

 

Lots of these ideas are in our  handbook 'Μαθαίνω εύκολα'  2004

Leonardo da Vinci suggested heightening the senses to enhance your life experiences. With each suggestion try also sensing the experience in 360°  in a holistic way.                                                           For example: if I say listen to a close sound and one far away, listen to sounds all around you not just in front of you; though it is harder to listen those in your back!                                             Build a richer more rewarding life experience in 2021! 1 Close your eyes to enhance your hearing Focus solely on the listening – notice every sound, close, far, loud, quiet. Listen for rhythms, beats and repetitive noises. Pick out distinct sounds like individual birdsong. Notice also the sounds come from silence and return to silence. Be aware of the gaps as much as the sounds. Listen to music with your eyes closed. Try following two separate sounds individually. For the ultimate test try listening to two different recordings on headphones: one in each ear! See if you can follow and understand both recordings. This is called DICHOTIC listening and it is a very challenging activity for some people. 2 Focus totally on your breath Slow your breathing right down. Breath deeply, gently and fully and pay attention to the air passing in and out of your lungs – see how it slows or stops your thinking. As you do so try closing your eyes and also listen acutely. Sense the life in your body and feel air on your skin as you breath slowly. Feel the buzz of life within you and on the outer parts of your skin. If you can do this then you have reached deep relaxation levels/ 3 Pinpoint experiences such as eating; concentrate on taste Closing your eyes can help you detect and enhance specific experiences. If drawing be aware of holding the pencil, if drinking sense the holding of the cup. Notice complete body experience – sense with every cell as you go about your activities. Even simple tasks such as brushing your teeth: become totally immersed in the activity and slow your thinking. Pay greater attention and realisation to what you are doing. Close your eyes whenever you want to record something! 4 Listen to a plant, tree or flower A brilliant meditation and relaxation exercise is to simply sit with and listen to a plant, tree or flower. Pay alert attention without analysis. Sense the life in the plant – the peace – the way it grows from silence and stillness. Sense its contentment at living. Notice the colours, shapes and growth. Notice how the leaves grow in different directions without fighting each other; seeking out light and air. Imagine the roots – sense the strength and how they intertwine with the planet. Imagine also the following question – could I have made this? Marvel at its beauty!  Start by haugging a tree! 5 Watch clouds drift and listen intently to birdsong Another great technique for silencing the mind and becoming relaxed. Watch clouds formations and the way they drift, listen intently to birds singing and sense the wind. 6 Look at a close object then a distant one and alternate focus A great eye exercise; alternating your focus. See how quickly your eyes can adjust to light, detail, sharpness and how quickly it recognises shapes and objects. Look all around rather than simply up and down; slow your gaze, drink in the surroundings and notice minute detail in objects. You need to have your desk near a window. 7 Study your hand – explore the detail and aging! Closely explore the detail on your hands and your palm lines ; sense the intricate marks, scars, lines, hairs. Notice the aging, browning and wrinkles! Sense the temporary nature of your skin and body. Think back to a time when it looked smoother (assuming you are older!) Move your fingers and hands slowly and observe the fascinating way everything works and start to appreciate how incredibly complex and fortunate we are! Could you make what you are seeing any other way than through being human?  8 Smell deeply – differentiate between subtle odours Acknowledge strong smells, light fragrances, smells coming and going. See how many you can identify. Breath slowly, deeply and "knowingly" – become aware of air. 9 Touch with eyes closed – explore textures, surfaces, shapes A great way to explore shapes and textures – simply sense with the hands. Feel hardness, smoothness, softness, flexibility, bumpy, flat, curvy, elasticity. 10 Close eyes and feel temperature of objects with hands Sense the coolness or heat of objects; such as the coolness of tables and ornaments. 11 Close your eyes and identify objects solely by touch Place objects before you or for an even better test get someone else to do it for you and see how many items you can identify simply through touch. 12 Close your eyes and try observing your pulse or blood flow A subtle way to slow the mind and become relaxed is to try to observe your blood flow and pulse. Sense the life within you and how everything is being taken care of inside. 13 Gently pull your ears out and listen! An incredible way to enhance your hearing is to gently pull your ears outwards – see how little you have to move them to increase your hearing ability! The skin appears to deflect sounds into your ears more. If using a telephone close the other ear and notice the improvement in clarity in the ear you are using for the call. 14 Feel the wind – really feel it with all the senses Watch the wind, feel the wind, smell the wind, sense the wind. See how it turns grass, trees, flowers and other objects. Sense how it moves and swirls and everything is seemingly being "ordered" into place. Notice moisture in the wind. Notice temperature. See how it moves the clouds and how birds float and twist and turn in the wind. Really feel the wind with all your senses. 16 Close your eyes and pass your hands through water Notice the strength in water, the heat or coolness, sense ripples and waves. Watch water and observe the way it moves, the way it rises and falls and calms into stillness. Observe also flotation and how we are waterproof! Remember we are 75% water! Remember to drink plenty of water! 16 Drink and focus solely on the drinking Sense the liquid, the taste and notice the thickness or not of the fluid. Notice flavours, observe still or sparkling, hot or cold? Really taste the drink and follow it down as you drink. Be fully present on the drinking and the connection with your hands also. Notice also the aroma. Try drinking a cup of coffee with your eyes closed! (Side note & quick joke: If you ever order still water and the waiter repeats "Still Water?" say: "Yes, still Water – I haven't changed my mind") 17 Eat slowly and taste every mouthful; flavours, seasoning, herbs, spices Savour every mouthful and really taste – sense the ingredients and perhaps even ponder the country of origin and the journey, the connections that made it possible to eat what you are eating. Eating rice? Picture the rice fields and the life of the grower! Notice the aromas and textures also. Identify food by the taste.. 18 Close eyes and brush fingers lightly over your arms abd face sensing hairs not skin Sense the static feel, the tingling sensation, and temperature-life. 19 Walk barefooted on carpets, grass or concrete  – sense each step Sense the thickness of the carpet, any heat or coolness and notice how you can change the temperature with your feet! Become aware of how your toes and feet interact with the material.  20 Walk and be conscious of every step as you plant your feet Wherever you walk try to be conscious of the walking, notice your feet – perhaps even count your footsteps! Try walking backwards and see the effect on your muscles and orientation. Take different routes and sense your surroundings fully as you observe your new environment. 21 Become aware of your entire body and "feel" with every cell In whatever you do, whether you are sitting, standing, walking, running, relaxing – in fact, everything! Try to become fully aware of your body and sense the life in every cell. For an incredible experience try every activity throughout your day with no thought and see how it heightens the experience! Try combining as many of these ideas as you can.