As the old year ends, I always have a sense of completion and some excitement and sometimes nervousness about what the new  year may bring. This past year, I have undergone major challenges regarding my health, all linked directly to my nutrition and lifestyle and as such have been reminded of how important it is to pay attention to how I nurture myself, with food and in other ways. Thus, I thought it may be a nice idea to make this next year a year of finding the way of eating (and living) which makes me feel most alive, energetic and healthy and sharing my findings with you (aren’t you lucky?:-) ).

Most of us are really ‘connected’ to how we eat. I’ve recently been doing research for an article on vegetarianism and fruitarianism and it made me realise yet again how intimately we view our diet. Even if  you are someone who doesn’t ‘pay much attention’ to food, just wait until you are asked to change  your way of eating and you will be surprised at how important your food suddenly becomes! So, with this in mind, my reasoning is such, if I change/improve/expand my relationship with food, this will directly impact on the rest of my life..

Our sense of touch must be one of the most delightful parts of existing in a physical body! Not only does it bring us pleasure, it also alerts us to danger and notifies us when something is not quite right.

Touch as a sense is experienced by touching something but in my opinion also by being touched. Thus when we are thinking about how to incorporate the sense of touch more into our lifes we can also think about  Swedish massage, reflexology, shiatsu, acupressure and much more.

If you have a furry friend as a pet, I am sure you are familiar with the immense sense of calm that is experienced when stroking them or the warm fuzzy feeling when your cat rubs itself against your legs. Some textures are more pleasing than others, it’s true, I wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with a hedgehog, that’s for sure!

So how can we use touch to bring us into the ‘now’ and benefit ourselves mentally and physically?

Massage.

Massaging in your body lotion (sense of smell) after a bath or shower is a good time to explore the sense of self administered touch. Really put thought into your movements and spend a little extra time on areas where your muscles feel tense, besides helping you relax, this exercise also puts you more ‘in touch’ (excuse the pun!) with your body.

Alternatively, book a Swedish massage or other bodywork modality treatment at least once a month. If your budget does not stretch to this then do a ‘massage swap’ with a friend or partner, you will notice the benefits, trust me!

Non-visual visualization.

Use your sense of touch to guide your mind, for example, hold a small pebble from the beach in your hand while you meditate. Just holding the pebble will make it easier for you to take your mind into a visualization where you are sitting on the beach in the setting sun. Put a bowl of body temperature water by your desk at home and put your feet in it when you start getting that ‘frazzled’ feeling. Believe me, it works! You can even put some smooth pebbles in the bottom of the bowl and imagine to yourself that you are walking in a stream.

Nature’s touch.

Feel the texture of the bark of a tree and then let the lower leaves brush your hands or cheeks. Take off your shoes when you are walking on the grass and you’ll be surprised and pleased to discover that you feel much more ‘grounded’ after walking this way for a short while.

Comforting touch.

Wrap yourself in a mohair blanket or wear silk pjs when you need to feel just that little more comforted. Make a cocoon in your duvet or snuggle into your favourite jersey. It sure beats the calorie count in a bar of chocolate!

Be conscious.

Allow yourself to touch and be touched, take someones hand and give them yours. Be aware of your intention when touching or being touched and be willing to experience your world in a more ‘hands on’ way!

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I really, really, really enjoy my food:-). I would have to admit that this is true!

As we are looking at the senses and how to use them to enhance our health and well-being, let’s take a look at the role played by taste.. In Ayurveda they define six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Ayurvedic wisdom advises that including a little of each of these tastes in each main meal can help to balance the system and minimize cravings. For an amazing article on tastes and the elements visit: http://www.kitchendoctor.com/Ayurveda/taste-elements.html, very interesting!

Examples of foods related to each taste:

sweet: carrots, beet sugar

sour: lemons, yoghurt

salty: sea salt, rock salt

bitter: endive, dandelion, turmeric, coriander

pungent: radish, ginger root

astringent: cilantro, broccoli

For myself, taste is one of the most sensual ways I ‘connect’ with my life and world, good bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and washed down with some good red wine, mmmm, heaven:-)!

Seriously though, when is the last time you really ‘tasted’ your food? Too often, we are so pressed for time that we rush through breakfast (if we have it at all), grab a sandwich for lunch and cook whatever is quick and easy for dinner. It can be so different, food and experiencing it (the preparing and the eating) can become a joy and pleasure and you and your family will reap wonderful benefits such as improved health, more quality time spent together and more relaxed outlooks on life.

When choosing your food in the supermarket or on the farmers market, try to imagine the flavours in your mouth, think about which dishes you are going to prepare and taste the different spices and herbs you are going to add. This conscious ‘tasting’ of your imagination already sets you up to enjoy the meal so much more and when you eventually really eat the food, there is a feeling of fulfillment as your ‘taste’ experience has now come full circle.

Explore.

Explore and experiment with different tastes as ways to discover new cultures and interesting feedback about your own nature. Trying something spicy when you usually only eat plain food could open up a whole world of new flavours you did not know existed! Be open and adventurous and you may just be pleasantly surprised!

Some of my favourite tastes:(in no particular order)

- wholewheat pasta with olive oil, garlic, ginger powder and chillies, crumbled feta and a glass of red

- hummous

- dark chocolate

- fresh baguette dipped in olive oil and greek yoghurt

- salad with lemon and olive oil dressing a la Hendricus (my Dad)

- spicy butternut soup

- fresh berry juice

- fresh orange juice

- spicy rice crackers/corn chips and avo dip

- anything my mother cooks!

Let me tell you, that list is in no way exhaustive:-)!

Open your mind, open your mouth and let the tastes transport you!

Happy tasting!

How many times do you get into bed and realise you feel like you just rushed through your day, not really experiencing anything fully? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many of us, myself included, sometimes feel that life is rushing past and we don’t know how to catch up!

This morning, with the sun making a much needed appearance, I decided to go for a walk by the sea and as often happens on these walks, I got to thinking, this time about how to get more ‘in touch’ with my life.

Our Senses.

Think about the last time you felt you were really ‘in the moment’, chances are it has something to do with a sensory experience, such as a smell, sight, sound, taste or feeling. Our senses are our ‘connection’ to the world and they can also be the key to bringing us into the here and now.

Let’s look at some ways to incorporate sensory experience consciously into our lives..

Sight.

Something I notice myself doing when I am taking one of my walks, is that my mind wanders and I don’t really see the beauty of the day around me. When I make the effort to really look and really see, I find that I finish my walk refreshed and rejuvenated as my mind has had a rest and I’ve been visually nourished by the uplifting images of the sun on the waves, children playing, a seagull swooping past, a dog barking in the surf..

Bringing our vision back to ‘now’ is a wonderful way to notice the wonders which surround us and put our worries on the back burner for a while. Taking our eyes to the outside rather than proceeding on automatic while planning into the future, helps us to feel gratitude for what we see and be more present in the day and moment.

Colour therapy.

Different colours influence our mood in different ways and incorporating colour into your daily visual experience can be of great benefit to your mental and emotional wellbeing. Try buying colourful stationery, having bright cushions in your living room, putting a vase of flowers on your kitchen table and wearing a scarf or top which expresses the colour of your mood that day. Take a minute and just immerse yourself in the yellow of a sunflower, the blue hues of the waves, the pink of your little ones cheeks or the fire of the setting sun. Drink in the colour, imagining that you are taking it into your body with your breath and as you breathe out, imaging any worries or physical aches leaving your body.

Tomorrow we will take a look at how to celebrate your sense of smell.. for now I’m off to make the most of a Spring evening outside!