The Extremely Sensory Animals – It is necessary for us to heighten our senses in order to slow down the moment. We need either to take in more of what is already here or to sense it more deeply in order to feel something more deeply. There are times in our lives when we have vivid memories of moments when we felt that time had slowed down due to a crisis or beautiful moment.
There have been many occasions when we have been affected by an accident; we have sat beside someone we love, watching them die; we have proudly watched our students graduate in the audience. Our heightened alertness in these moments made the scene appear as if it were unfolding in slow motion during these moments. In knowing that this power exists, we can choose to use it at our discretion, to slow down the passage of time, and allow our experience of life to be slower. In order to sense what is going on around us, it is in our nature to do so. There is no doubt that we are highly attuned to our senses as animals.
With the help of our senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing we have the ability to aim and use these gifts as a great receivers in order to catch and magnify this moment’s streaming current. A person’s ability to slow down time begins, as always, with their breath. As we draw air into our bodies deeper and deeper, we become oxygenated, and this results in an increase in energy and presence as our bodies become more oxygenated.
Even so, most of us don’t think about how we breathe when we are inhaling. This deep, refreshing pool of oxygen around us is filled with shallow breathers, sipping dumbly from it as we sigh in bliss. Our breath is only used in extreme cases when we are dissatisfied or exerted, and we do so by huffing and grunting to convey our frustration.
There can never be a full appreciation of life if we do not breathe in the moment and oxygenate our brains to the full extent of their strengths and alertness by breathing deeply and being present in the moment. When we take the time to tune into our breath and deepen and lengthen the amount of air we draw in as we draw it into our lungs, we will be able to experience the moment in a deeper and more meaningful way than ever before.
It is important for us to breathe before giving a speech or giving a performance. The best way to prepare for a difficult conversation with your lover or friend is to breathe. In order to take in life and feel it through every breath we take, it is important to remember to take one deep breath when we are standing in line at the store, working out, or sitting at our desks.
Now that we are aware of our breath, let us try to become more aware of it. As if we were filling a great balloon, we should ensure that air is drawn into our bellies, feeling it all the way up into our chests, and then letting it bubble out smoothly and with controlled ease. This type of breathing is difficult, if not impossible, to do every moment. Our subconscious takes over and quickly reverts back to shallow breathing. This can be a source of confusion when you are trying to breathe deeply.
However, by focusing on the practice, we can make it stronger over time, making it more automatic. This is not a hard practice to learn, but it can be conditioned to last longer. We can become more present if we check our breath several times during an hour and especially during moments that we wish to feel and remember.
If we were to absorb more details from our surroundings, we would be able to slow down time even further. Our attention should be drawn to the color of the objects around us, as well as the texture and placement of those objects. Looking out the window, we can see the way the branches of the tree sway rhythmically as the wind blows along them.
A baby’s smooth and flawless skin is almost too beautiful to even touch, allowing us to mimic the soft expressions on her face and observe how soft her lips are. In the sky, we can see the cloud formations making lazy shapes as they form lazy shapes as they move in the wind. On the palate, we are able to see how the food is beautifully arranged on a plate, with each ingredient displayed in a variety of vibrant greens and oranges.
The effort we are undertaking is not intended to be a race. I think we should not be scanning our surroundings as if we were beasts on the run because that is not what we want to do. As we strive to live in the moment, it is important that we pause and check out what is right in front of us. The process of bringing color back to life is accomplished by having an unhurried and curious eye. It is in these moments that we are able to slow time by heightening our awareness of touch, which is our physical sensation at the time.
There are many things around us that need to be touched, picked up, turned in our hands, and taken in by our senses, especially their dimensions, textures, and particular details. As we kiss our lover, we should feel the lips of our lover as if it were the most important kiss that we could ever have. During the time we walk, we should feel as though our heels and toes are touching the ground, and we should walk in presence as we walk.
In the first place, our skin holds the keys to a life that is truly lived, a life that brings real joy and satisfaction. How about now? What kind of sound do we hear? There are too many times when we muffle the sounds of life in an attempt to quiet them. Our ears ought to be filled with sounds we love: the sound of a car driving by; the sound of a house finch singing in a birch tree; the sound of a remarkable voice calling out to us.
If we are to slow down and enjoy life, then we must be able to enjoy the music of the world around us as well. There is a difference between tuning out a few things and turning them all off in order to tune out the irritating things, but this does not mean we cannot tune them out. Last but not least, in our fast-paced world, there are few senses that are ignored with as much brutality as taste is ignored. There is a culture in which we gulp down our food like starving hyenas when they are starving.
Food is not often allowed to linger in our mouths; we do not pay attention to its texture and its flavors. As a result of barely experiencing their last meal, many people do not remember any details about what they ate. The time has come for us to return to a more dignified way of eating, in which food was no longer something we wolfed down on the run, but rather something that was filled with meaning and brought nourishment, joy, and connection to our lives.
If the food we eat does not bring real enjoyment and good health to our bodies, then let us push it aside. If what we eat does not bring true enjoyment and good health to our bodies, then let us let it go. A simple formula can be applied to the process of experiencing the moment: The more senses we bring to the moment, the more time slows down, the more memories become a permanent part of our minds, the more grateful we are, and the more nourished our soul becomes.
Read More – Clarity About What is Meaningful?
