The Fab Five

(and no, it's not Queer Eye)

Dear Friends,

In my randomly assigned prompt in my writing group this week, I got “coming to our senses.” It took me out into the garden, and later to my painting table

Geraniums

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Touch, Taste, Sight, Hearing, Smell. We tend to think of 5 senses, although others identify more.

Coming back to our senses can be a grounding practice, bringing us back to here and now when thoughts spin us out into scary places. Name one thing you can see. Hear. Smell. Touch. Taste.

I’ve thought often in the past 2 years about how to live an embodied life, because unique to this life is the experience of living in a body.  When I learned my time would likely be shorter than I’d imagined, I thought a lot about what is important to me in this life. After being with my people, living in a body seems to be a thing to focus on. And focusing on the body is living a life of the senses. My cancer coach and I used to talk about trying to make sure each of those fab 5 senses are engaged every day, and even more so, taking moments to notice them. 

This reminds me of a favorite verse from Mary Oliver’s poem Sometimes:

Instructions for Living a Life:
Pay attention.
Be Astonished.
Tell about it.

I do best these days with simple reminders: 5 senses; notice; pay attention; find beauty. I want to remember to drink from the sensory well, consciously, grateful for this life in a body.

Having lost sight(ha!) of this five sense engagement as a conscious practice, it is time for me to reintegrate it. What better time than spring in the garden to practice!

Touching the dirt, the tangled roots of plant starts, the wrinkled orbs of nasturtium seeds, the wire tomato cages, new leaves, soft fronds of yarrow, tiny fruits and flowers.

Tasting the winter garden lettuce gone bitter now. Last of the parsley. Last of the cabbage last night improvised into a recipe from the New York Times.

Seeing color, color, color, color. Spring is fluorescent, nature’s neon sign. All the shades of green, leading into an explosion of other colors as things begin to bloom. It’s kind of mind-blowing really.

Hearing bird song, but not right in the yard these days. I can hear them in the neighbor’s yards where they are nesting. Squawk of the bold and clever blue jays as they sweep through the mingled birdseed to pick out their favorite sunflower seeds. The coos of the clumsy, yet beautiful mourning doves who will come to our yard when they are fledglings. The gobbling tom turkeys who wander by fanning their tails to attract the ladies.

Smell. Dirt. Spring rain. Sage. Lemon thyme. Geranium leaves. Orange blossoms. Manure. Tomato plants promising summer glory.

Peonies

The color show in the garden leads me to painting. I have been having fun with online painting classes, playing with new ideas. This week, indulging my love of color and inspired by the garden, I practiced painting geraniums and their lovely leaves, peonies, and lupine.  For me, this is another way to pay attention, both to the characteristics of flowers and leaves, and also in the moment to the act of painting. It is another way to notice beauty.

Lupine

How are your fab 5 senses engaged today? What do you notice when you pay attention? Where do you find beauty?

I’m grateful you are here. Please share this with folks who might be interested. Wishing you a glorious spring!

Lots of love,

Maija

Song of the Week: An old favorite, All This Beauty, by The Weepies.