Awaken the Senses

I've worn glasses practically my whole life. So the sense of vision has always been a major theme in my life. So too was the importance of having a clean lens, with which to view the world. Ironically I didn't always have such a clean lens. Without getting too in the weeds about being called "four-eyes" in kindergarten - my glasses used to be such an identifying part of me, for me.

My relationship to my glasses really became the way I looked at my self. Yes, I realize the connection there - I was focusing on how I looked, we use glasses to see better. I got it all twisted, whatever, I was a goofy-looking kid and teen.

In my mind's eye, as I type the above - I see my mom shaking her head or frowning at that statement, but it was how I saw myself, mom. Speaking directly to you now, Mom - recently I had the opportunity to feel what it felt like for you to have your beloved daughter say a negative thing about herself. I didn't much care for it, so I apologize to you for putting you through that. 

It took me some time to clean my own lens, my own view of myself. Sometimes I use a tissue and other times I use what I believe is our most powerful sense. For further explanation - I will share a recent Bongo story. 

During quarantine and long before - for me, a happy Mother's Day involved getting dirty while making the yard pretty. Translation: I like to garden with my daughter.

I taught her well. The above photo shows her finally resting after digging up a root that mostly refused to budge in the end. What she yanked from the earth reminded me of something from "Stranger Things" which we just slow-binged as a family.

In addition to that stubborn root, Brianna yanked up a few green wild onions from the yard. Bongo was nearby, zonked out from a day of being an old dog. Lately he's been experiencing how just getting up kinda hurts and walking up stairs gets harder every day and was OUT.

Bongo's never been known as a watch dog - but a few years ago, he'd be easily woken at the sound of his name. At 13 though? When he's asleep, he's ASLEEP. 

Not his nose though! Brianna waved her hands by his nose and the smell of the onions on her hands was enough to wake him.

It awakened the most powerful sense his old dog body has - his sense of smell. 

As I watched it happen (and documented it in the above photos) I marveled at how much more alert he seemed after being roused from his slumber in this way. He's a generally good-natured dog, but he can be a sourpuss grouchy old man type of dog too - given his age, he's earned the right. 

His clouding 13 year old eyes seemed brighter. He kept sniffing the air for other scents.

He was AWAKE.

Which brings me to my point [and yes, I do have one] 

What's the most powerful sense we have, as humans? 

I'm the first to remind you that vision fades with age. I rely on contacts AND glasses now. Welcome to fifty! The sense of hearing too can weaken with time. So that's why I believe it is the power to sense and be aware of our own breath. Once we do that, we can then observe and choose to alter it or be in it. It can awaken us to our emotional state. It can help us regulate our anxiety. It can clear our mind.

When you wake up with your breath, through breath work (pranayama) you too, might have brighter eyes - you will seek more awareness with an enlivened sense of self.

I'm no expert, but I've coached a few pranayama sessions

in my short time as a teacher and I'm soaking up as much info on the subject as I can. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. Two installments are left in the Mind over What Matters workshop being offered by the Powerflow School of Yoga lead trainers, Carrie Parker and Stacey Bell.

Reach out if you need more details!