Cleaning up in the House of the Senses

Have you ever thought much about your senses?

They are the main way we meet the world in this physical body. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch all help us to interpret the world. 

But often we get into a routine with the sensory realm and we respond to the world through habit. Working daily on computer screens has most of us tuned into the square nature of the digital world. Slowly we are losing the peripheral vision that helps us to see what is coming out of the range of our forward focus.

We purify the environment with synthetic scents. We distract ourselves with manufactured sounds. We don't spend enough time touching.

Some years ago I visited an exhibition in Prague that was designed to shock the senses into alertness. It was an installation that was offered in complete darkness. The guides were all sight impaired. Right before I met my guide, in the first room with no light at all, I gave myself confidence by saying to myself: "You can do this! You have wise hands."

The guide introduced herself and demonstrated the bell she would use to help me know where she was. I was the only one taking the tour.

She guided me through a house where she asked me to identify a number of sculpture pieces. Then we went on the street where a loud car horn stopped me from stumbling into a car in front of me. Next we went to a hunting lodge through the forest. The final stop was a crowded bar.

My ears needed to work more quickly. My hands helped to guide me. I had the confidence of at least one other person who knew their way. The thought of doing this all by myself seemed immense.

I asked the guide how long it took her to learn the full layout and she said 2 days Wow!

We can extend the use and practice of our senses by actively working with them. Sensory input is so important to how we interpret the world and it's also important to help add colour and depth to our stories. We can help people "see" and experience what we experienced by adding the language of the senses to our stories.

I've just revamped THE STORY DOJO and I'm really enjoying crafting the creative piece I offer during the third week fitting to the theme of the month. So fun to do!

In September, our theme is "Taking Curiosity as Your Starting Point." The House of Senses visualisation is based on the work of Dr Jean Houston, who is famous for the work she does to help people find and utilise more of their innate potential.

Working with the senses will help you expand your "reach" into the world and make you both a better listener and a better storyteller.

You'll need a quiet, undisturbed space for just over 15 minutes. Let me know how it goes!

Please join us in THE STORY DOJO and set your story free! We're taking the 365 ALIVE! journey, following my book on a step-by-step exploration of your story and the power of story in the world. You can join at any time!