5 Days 5 Senses – Summary

For the last 5 days I have been writing about our 5 senses and setting a challenge for exploration. Yesterday was the last day and today it’s time to review what was learned.

For me the big learning was the reminder that I am not just a talking head walking around on an ignored body. So often, I get busy doing stuff – head stuff, and I completely forget about my body. I sit too long in front of the computer and then stand up. Ow! That hurts. My back is cramped, my hips are unwilling to bend. None of that is good for me nor does it feel good.

My observations are that we are a society that highly values putting in intense hours of work and we pay little or no attention to the effects that has on our bodies and ultimately our minds. Recent research is showing that sitting for long periods is as bad for us as a diet high in sugar or fat. We need to be moving. They have desks now that will allow you to work your computer from a standing position, you can move the desktop up and down.

Each of our senses offer value to our lives, it’s up to us as to whether we are paying attention. Today I was preparing the cornbread stuffing for our turkey and I could not help but admire how pretty the vegetables looked and how good it smelled. By the time I had sauteed all this with the added herbs I was almost drooling. The wonder of having taste, smell and sight all combined.

So, as we go forward I guess the question is how much attention will be pay to our bodies and the senses that provide us with the information to make choices and move around? And if we chose to continue ignoring our selves what will happen to us? Will we end up being giant brains on stick bodies with large thumbs for texting? Now come on, isn’t that a picture that makes you smile?