Please, Come Back to Your Senses

The Art of Calm: Relaxation Through the Five Senses
by Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

In today's fast-paced world of cellular phones, e-mail, voice mail, traffic congestion, long workdays and hectic weekends, it's no wonder people have forgotten how to unwind. In The Art of Calm: Relaxation Through the Five Senses Brian Luke Seaward divulges that “to smell the freshness of spring air, to taste the texture of ripe strawberries or to hear the rich fullness of a chamber orchestra playing Mozart's Eine Kleine Nacht Musik on a summer evening, these only begin to describe what the awareness of calming stimuli can do to calm the body.”

The Art of Calm is divided into sections which cover the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and an additional section on what Seaward calls the divine sense. “Some experiences promote such a sense of awe, wonder, gratitude and calm that they simply cannot be identified with just one of the five senses. In fact...these experiences cannot even be put into words,” explains Seaward. “The divine sense is in us all.” Some simple suggestions for relaxation include:

Relaxing Sights:

• Seeing blue tends to instill a sense of calm. If you find yourself stressed, put on something blue and let the healing power begin!

• When tension takes its toll, take a quick mind-trip to a place far, far away. It doesn't take long to get to a place of comfort when we use our imaginations!

Relaxing Smells:

• Wake up and smell the coffee! If the pace of work becomes a toxin to the spirit, then let the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee be the antidote.

• The next time you are near the sea, take a slow deep breath, letting the salt air fill your lungs. With that comes a sense of freedom, adventure and solitude.

“With so much focus on stress these days, it seemed rather appropriate to place some much-needed attention on the concept of relaxation, the lost art of calm,” imparts Seaward. He adds, “the art of calm invites us to fully live in the present moment, without judgment or analysis of what we do, or about whom we are with. Let these ideas germinate and take root in your mind. May these passages and insights remind you regularly to seek balance in your lives and live life to the fullest.”

Today in America, the pace of life can best be described as “warp speed.” Some might say it's even out of control. Twelve to fourteen-hour workdays, cellular phones attached to the ear, a barrage of emails, multiple voice mail messages, 57 cable channels, Saturday morning soccer games and mandatory office parties — the list goes on and on. While the human condition thrives on mental stimulation, it also requires relaxation, a state of calm. Balance is the key to life.

It wasn't long ago when Sunday was revered by almost everyone as a day of rest and relaxation. Stores were closed on Sunday. Families typically got together and had a big afternoon or evening meal, after which the day would come to an end with song, music or dance. Other days of the week also lent themselves to periods of relaxation as well, particularly the early morning or evenings after work. It was not uncommon to find people out fishing, curled up with a good book, practicing a musical instrument or perhaps sewing or knitting around a fire while telling stories to the children. These were the days before television, radio and the worldwide web. These were simple perhaps less sophisticated times. With simplicity comes balance. With balance, calm.

Relaxation isn't a science, it's an art. Relaxation is the practice of being calm. It's the practice of staying centered and grounded. Some would contend, it is the art of living in the present moment: To be here now. To be calm, some say, is “to be,” rather than “to do.” Still others would call this the practice of Mindfulness.

Clutivating our skills to bring balance into our lives through relaxation is not only enjoyable, it's essential for a healthy life. Sad to say, many people have forgotten how. Current studies reveal what common sense has stated for decades, a fast-track lifestyle without adequate time for rest and relaxation can lead to burnout and chronic illness (dis-ease).

With so much focus on stress these days, it seemed rather appropriate to place some much-needed attention to the concept of relaxation, the lost art of calm. The art of calm invites us to fully live in the present moment, without judgement or analysis of what we do, or about whom we are with.

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Finding the Treasure with the Map

We tend to think of inner peace as brief moment in time, the calm between storms. But in the bigger picture, inner peace is a lifelong process in our search for meaningful purpose. Unsure of your direction? Let's make a treasure map. Here's how:

First make a list of goals that you really want to accomplish (personal, professional or both). Next, go around the house and collect all the magazines you can find. While you're doing this, pick up a pair of scissors and glue or tape, as well as a large piece of white paper. Then go through the magazines looking for photos, words, phrases, images of things that support your life mission through these goals. Begin to cut and paste these onto the paper. Try to fill in all the spaces before you finish. Then hang the map in a place where you can see it regularly. Let your unconscious mind do the rest.

© 1999 Brian Luke Seaward

About the Author

Brian Luke Seaward is an associate faculty member of the Center for Human Caring at the University of Colorado, an adjunct faculty member of the University of Northern Colorado, and Executive Director of Inspiration Unlimited, a health promotion consulting company located in Boulder, Colorado. He holds a Ph.D. is psychophysiology and health promotion - an interdisciplinary degree from the University of Maryland at College park. When not instructing, writing or consulting, he relaxes back home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.