When we are locked too much into daily routine or into our heads, as I know I get,
the senses sometimes become merely an irritant. Only the things that annoy us manage
to get through the filters of concentration and work. "What's that NOISE?" we snap.
This house is a mess, there's a strange smell coming from somewhere, the neighbor's
dog won't stop barking, there's an itchy spot right there that I can't reach, this milk
tastes funny, yadda yadda yadda. Sure, we will stop and smell the roses just as soon
as we get this report typed up, but in the meantime, would someone PLEASE take
that smelly tuna can out of here?

Yet, it is that very scent of the rose that brings us back to center, and so quickly. I have
been struggling to write this column, even though I knew what I wanted it to be about,
until I remembered that, of course, I needed to awaken my own senses before I could
write about the senses. And in so doing, I awaken myself to life, to contentment, to hope.
In times of depression or stress, we often deprive ourselves of the very things that would
bless and heal. The realm of the senses is filled with the Mother's gentle remedies for
whatever ails you, from trauma to the blahs. Here, take my hand and let's explore.

With your right hand, gently caress your left hand as you would soothe a fretful loved
one, then clasp your hands, in full awareness of the feel of the flesh, the skin, the life
pulsing beneath the surface, the warmth. Just hold your own hand for a moment, until
your senses are fully attuned to each touch. See how simple it is? You are back in
your body, back in the Goddess's mobile temple of the senses, ready for more.
And boy howdy, does She have more!

Begin with sight. As a child of Oshun, the Goddess of beauty and art, there is no such
thing as merely utilitarian for me. The humblest soapdish has to have morning glories on it;
the measuring cup in my kitchen is cobalt blue glass that delights my eye each time I use it.
Conversely, outer disorder creates inner chaos for me. When my Virgo eye focuses on
the mess or dirt in my home, it practically immobilizes me to the point where I can't even
do anything about it. That's when it's time for a beauty transfusion to change my focus.

Right now, wherever you are, stop and look around. Find three things that please your eye,
your sense of aesthetics. Just admire them for a few moments. Here in my office, for example,
my sense of sight is awakened when I turn my attention to a small statue of the Virgin Mary
draped in Mardi Gras beads (Our Lady of Les Bon Temps also awakens my sense of
humor), a pattern of huge cabbage roses on the vintage curtains, a deck of tarot cards tied
with a white and gold ribbon that reminds me simultaneously of Greece and of my friend
Katlyn, for some reason. Almost anything can open your sense of sight if you bring your
full attention to it. And so it is with the other senses as well.

Now find something in your immediate vicinity whose smell you enjoy. This could be a
beeswax candle, baby lotion, a carnation, a book, a pencil, an orange. Did your mind's nose
smell each of those as you read the words? Each inhalation draws scent into your being,
into your soul, and yet we often neglect to pleasure ourselves with this sense. It's important
that we use scent every day to keep the senses awake. Aromatherapy oils are excellent for
this, as all you have to do is breathe them in, right from the bottle. One of my favorites is
bergamot, a citrus-y bright scent that lifts my spirits and cleanses my mental palate.
Breathe deeply of many different smells to awaken this most evocative sense. You are
embedding memories with each sniff.

Hearing is perhaps the most invasive sense, and the one we most often need to defend
ourselves against in this hectic world. Even more important, then, to remember the blessings
of sound, and to give thanks for it by listening to what gives us pleasure. For me, the most
sublime expression of sound is music. I was talking to someone recently who said that all
music was just noise to him, and I was shocked to my core. I'm just unable to imagine life
without music of some sort… of many sorts! My sense of hearing brings me comfort,
energy, sorrowful release, great leaping joy, all through music. And there are so many
other sounds that bring pleasure. Think of a sound you love. The first notes of a favorite
song, windchimes, your beloved's laugh...

Change as many of your daily sounds as you can control to something that pleases you.
If the ringer on your phone makes you jump every time, find one that does not irritate you.
There's no need for an ugly little "bloop" noise when your email comes in when you can
have, for example, the dulcet accent of Counselor Troi telling you she senses something
from the holodeck. If neighborhood noises intrude, play a tape or CD of rain falling, and
feel your shoulders relaxing when you no longer feel bombarded by the world's avalanche
of sound. Sink into the vast ocean of all the beautiful things there are to hear.

Mmmmmm, taste… perhaps the sense we all indulge most often. Think of it: probably there's
not a day that goes by when you do not give yourself at least a taste of something yummy.
The only thing is, you didn't think of it! Bring your attention to the sense of taste. When you
eat or drink or kiss or lick (even an envelope!), keep your senses alert to every nuance of
flavor, all the vast smorgasbord of deliciousness the Goddess has laid out for you. Find
something right now to taste, and give it your full focus. Savor the juice and sweetness of a
summer fruit or the eye-opening chill of mint. How much better everything tastes when
we remember to taste it. As a friend of mine once said, "There's really
nothing like food when you're hungry!" Simple truths make us smile...

Now touch your own hands again. Come back to the sense of touch. Run your fingertips
over your keyboard, the chair you are sitting on, your hair, your cheek. Feel your feet on the
floor. Wiggle your toes. Feel the surface of a table, a stone, a glass. Touch is perhaps the
easiest sense to get pleasure from, as so many things feel good, or at least interesting.
Again, it's a matter of bringing your attention to the details. That table, for example. Touch
it quickly, and your impressions are "hard, chilly, flat, so what?" Now slowly, with the
whole surface of your hand flat upon its surface, touch the table. Smooth… polished… firm…
silky, almost… made by human hands… touched by other hands… infused with energy…