Christmas is fast approaching – it is impossible to deny it now, despite my best attempts. What are your senses telling you as you go through this week?
I absolutely love Christmas, but generally like to keep it to December. MB has been told that his favourite enormous Santa mug can be reintroduced to the mug cupboard next week, but not before.
But all around us, the evidence of its approach is growing, and enthusiasm in this house gaining momentum. A fully lit and decorated tree has been spotted in a window in a nearby street. Christmas carols are being practiced for concerts. Shops are full to bursting with things that – it is put to us – we couldn’t possibly get through another year without.
And so it goes on.
And so I came to wondering, how to approach Advent with fresh eyes? How can we engage fresh wonder at the beauty of it all? What might encourage us towards a day-at-a-time enjoyment that reduces the normal overload of lists and stuff-to-get-done at this time of year?
It is 12 years next month since I left my previous twenty year long career as a physiotherapist (physical therapist) and moved into coaching.
Astonishing to think that.
But there is still much of the physio in me – I cannot switch it off. I am a very tactile person, very aware of how astonishingly wonderful and complex our bodies are.
I love the connections between body, mind, soul, emotions.
And at this time of year, I am particularly aware of how powerful our senses are to connect us with our world. There are so many fragrances and tastes, smells and sounds, lights and physical experiences that are peculiar to the Christmas season.
I wonder how our internal sources of sensation of the external world complement our experience of that world?
Can we taste, smell, notice, listen and embrace our way to a deeper daily enjoyment of the build up to Christmas?
This comes back to a familiar theme – that of being present in the moment, stopping to notice what is happening now. This is especially significant in this season as we often fall into the trap of trying to be all-things-to-all-people. More on not being Superwoman (or man) at Christmas here.
Immanuel Kant way back in the 1760’s proposed that our knowledge of the outside world depends on our modes of perception:
All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason.”
Most of the things we enjoy in life – whatever the stimulus is – are derived from our five senses.
Think about that for just a minute.
Go back over today and register how many of your senses were involved in what you have enjoyed:
…the delicious taste of good coffee, a bear hug from a loved one, the laughter of a friend, the smell of fresh baking.
Now, imagine every day over Advent taking time to sharpen your perception of the world by paying attention to your senses:
- taking time to perceive my outside world – especially noticing the little things.
- paying attention to what I am perceiving – how does that make me feel?
- what do I understand about myself (internal and external world) as a result?
- responding in some way – thankfulness, appreciation, service towards someone in need, reconnecting with someone, simply stopping and enjoying the moment.
It is all too easy to become anaesthetised to the little, the ordinary, the momentary, in our headlong rush towards Christmas Day. To literally become numb to it all because we allow ourselves to be swamped with all there is to do, and lose focus. There is more here on how to practice being present in the Christmas season.
I love the family celebrations, presents and feasting of Christmas. And I also have a personal belief that there is more significance to the day. But whether there is a faith component for you or not, perhaps over these next weeks we can take a little time to explore how to sharpen our enjoyment of Christmas preparations by tuning in to our senses and making connections that enrich each day.