I love to focus on touch as a sense. It always amazes my how pleasant many of the objects feel that I don’t pay attention to otherwise. For example, the doorknob to enter my apartment is smooth and cool on warm summer days. What a delight, and a practice in what Br. David calls sacred sensuousness. 💙
I can use my sense of smell more often. Literally stop and smell the roses. Summer has so many wonderful smells; personally, I love Fall more, but the flowers, trees, and nature in itself have so much to offer. We don’t often take time to enjoy our sense of smell in nature. We see it, feel it, and touch it, but often forget how the smells can take you to another place.
I am coming back into my body
after living in a state of grace and grieving for a few days . . .
Sophie,
my very elderly cat,
died this week
and we buried her out in the garden.
Although my heart mourns for her,
I am reminded
of how much she loved life,
right up until the last week.
As I return to my physical senses
I am almost more tuned into them
than I was before . . .
feeling the spot where she laid next to me in bed
every night,
knowing that spot is empty now,
seeing the places around the house,
not with my mind’s eye,
which sees her everywhere,
but with my physical eyes
that see where she is not.
There is a shift
as my physical presence
adjusts to the new normal
after almost 20 years of the old normal . . .
my senses
need to come out of my heart now
and into the life that I continue to live.
It’s hard,
like waking up
after a very long dream,
slightly disoriented,
part of me in one world
and part of me in another.
Eating my very real breakfast this morning,
the sun shining on my face,
reminded me of where I am,
and grateful for all of it . . .
the sorrow of death
and the birth of a new day. ♥
Your words touch me, Sparrow. I pet the soft, silky fur of my Tiggs and listen to his trilling meow that usually has a hint of a purr in it, and know the day will come when I will miss his company. Warm hugs to you.
I hope,
dear Barb,
that you will stroke Tiggs’ soft fur
and give her a hug for me
(if she tolerates hugs) . . .
we all know ‘the day will come’,
don’t we?
And yet we love anyway. ❤️
Dear Sparrow,
I am so sorry to hear of Sophie’s passing.
I cried reading your post. 😢 It touched a very tender place in my heart as I too have experienced losing a beloved cat(s).
May you find comfort in knowing how loved your dear Sophie was. Cherish your memories.
Blessings to You…..🌈✨🙏🏻❤️
We who love animals,
all have a tender place in our hearts for them,
dear PKR,
and know that it is worth the sorrow
to bring them into our families and our lives.
I do take comfort . . .
Sophie knew that she was loved
and lived in that love so sweetly.
Thank you for your kind words
and the hugs I could feel in them . . .
blessings to you as well. ❤️
I am so sorry Sparrow and am bawling my eyes out reading this. I know that sorrow and loss all to well. I know how much you loved Sophie. Our pets are family. I’m sure you have heard of the Rainbow Bridge. May your memories of Sophie bring you peace and comfort. A big hug to you. 🤗💗
Thank you,
dear Michele,
for your kind words
and shared experience.
I did indeed love Sophie
from the minute I saw her motley little face
in the cage at the animal shelter.
And thank you as well,
for the Rainbow Bridge poem. ❤️
I couldn’t bear to write about it for a few days,
dear SunnyPatti,
but now it is time.
Thank you for your kindness towards me
and for your compassion . . .
they mean so much to me. ❤️
Oh, Sparrow, I am so very, very sorry to hear that you have lost your precious Sophie. Losing a dear animal is so hard, especially after having lived with her companionship for so many years. Was Sophie your only cat? If so, that makes it all the harder. I’m sending you my love as you grieve your very dear feline friend. I wish I could give you a hug, Sparrow, and hear stories about Sophie. If you feel like sharing any Sophie stories, I know this group would love to hear them.
You may know, but I still want to tell you, dear Sparrow, how much I love reading your responses to the questions here each day.
Please know, dear Sparrow that you are deeply loved and deeply appreciated here, at grateful.org. All of your feelings are welcome. Again, dear Sparrow, I’m sending you my love.♥️ Mary
Thank you,
dear Mary,
for your hug,
which I can feel in my heart,
and for your kindness.
Since we’ve moved here,
she is the fifth cat I have buried in the garden,
so there are a lot of tears
mixed in with the joy of sharing life with them.
When I brought her home
I put up a five foot sheet of plywood in the bedroom doorway
to keep her separated from the others,
but I had no sooner turned my back
when she came climbing over it . . .
that’s the kind of girl she was. 🙂
Phoebe
is my only cat right now,
and she is feeling the loss too,
in her own way,
even though they weren’t friends.
It’s important to have compassion for her as well.
Your words are healing,
and I will hold them in my heart
as I step into this new day. ❤️
Sophie and I
saw soul to soul,
dear Joseph,
if you can understand that,
and her soothing vibes
remain with me now . . .
thank you so much for your kindness. ❤️
I plan to focus on staying in the present moment. If I am present I am able to see, feel, hear, taste, deeply all the blessings of this day.
And stay off my phone…..too much distraction.😕
Happy Friday All.
🕊️🩷
I’m thinking about the sense of touch as I sit on the sofa in my living room petting my youngest cat, Calliope. I can feel my body leaning into the sofa. I just noticed the tension in my left upper arm as I lean too heavily on it, and the tension in my left leg as I also lean into it. Hmmm. I could use a bit of body awareness. Calliope looks content as I slightly lean into her, petting her soft coat. I can feel the gentle vibration of her body as she purrs. I can also feel the cool air from the ac vent on the ceiling to my right, especially on the right side of my face, my right arm, and the calf and ankle of my left calf as I sit, legs crossed on the sofa. I’m noticing the tautness of my crossed left calf, and the weight of it bearing down on top of my left knee. I don’t think I even notice when I am sitting uncomfortably, disconnected from my body as I focus on something else.
Originally, after reading today’s question, I was thinking about noticing the hot sun on my skin as I step outside. Just yesterday, I commented to my husband as we stepped out into a hot parking lot, that being outdoors feels like being in an oven. Today, I will step into the feeling of heat more fully as I step outside in just a bit. I know that it’s more than the heat on my skin that I feel. Somehow I also perceive the heavy humidity in the air. Where am I feeling that? My nasal passages, throat, larynx, my lungs? My eye, my ears???
The sense of touch is interesting. It includes what I am purposefully touching, and anything from outside my body that touches me. I will increase my body awareness, today, as I focus on the sense of touch.
I’m also thinking about how the sense of touch has a lot to do with awareness. There is so much feeling in and on my body that I don’t even notice. Is it even a feeling if I don’t notice it? Maybe not. A baby, in its baby awareness, more fully notices bodily sensations, and more fully experiences all it can perceive through his senses. As a baby grows into childhood, teen years, and adulthood, he learns to focus, and loses that huge awareness. Today I will take a step back toward baby awareness and begin to experience sensations in and on my body more fully. Sending peace to all on this early August day.
Hello Mary, need to comment on the August temps here. Been warm upper 80’s, 86 to 88 and one day it hit 90. But the earth is turning on its axis towards winter and at this elevation we are experiencing the usual 30 to 40 degree diurnal of temps. Yesterday 89 and this morning 48. Makes for some good, notable, sensory changes on a daily basis.
I love how you described everything. That’s a lot to sense! You’re right about awareness shifting as we grow from babies into adults, and all in between! I don’t think we lose it; we just forget to pay attention to it.
As for feeling like an oven outside, I won’t let my husband knows that’s how it feels down there. Quite frankly, it feels the same in Charlotte, although no ocean breezes anywhere near here!
I think today I might focus on the sense of touch. I’ve been alone for a week. My husband and our dog joined me last evening and it has been so good to see them but especially to feel and touch them. I will also focus on the the fan blowing cool air on me on this hot summer day; on the water in the shower; the different textures of foods in my mouth; the scratchy grass of a Hill Country yard; the way my muscles, joints and chest feel as I work through my yoga session. This sense goes so much further than just what we can feel with our fingertips. I hope to attend to all I can.
I was just talking to my husband about this question and mentioned that eating involves the sense of touch with the different textures as well as taste and smell. I hadn’t really thought about that aspect of eating until I read the question as I was eating a lox deluxe: crunchy bagel, creamy cream cheese, little pop of briny capers, soft smoked salmon flesh.
My sight is not as sharp as my other senses, but I do appreciate having it. Many times, I am unable to distinguish colors in the same group. I’d love to spend more time enjoying the green of my succulents, looking far away at the backyard from my window to see taller trees there. Happy Friday to all! 🎄
There are so many shades and tones of green,
dear Ngoc,
and I appreciate especially,
this awareness in you.
I learned this as a child . . .
with crayons and coloured pencils spread before me.
I could create a world in nature
on paper,
using all the shades at my disposal.
Nature rules. ♥
Likewise, I don’t enjoy the flexibility I once had, but I can experience and enjoy the flexibility I do have, and enjoy the experience of my body as I move it through space. ♥️
I’ve been returning to meditation on Soothing Pod this week and am on a 5-day streak after doing a session just now on growth. As Phil Jackson says in 1 of his 11 zen principles, “1 breath=1 mind.”
One of the advantages to being a low context person is that it’s easier to acknowledge someone for their right message without looking into their motivation. It also gets straight to the point and keeps the flow going. It’s easier to see the backstage when our minds are clearer. A slogan I have is “Respect the message, not the motivation.” This helps me find the sweet spot between acknowledging them for the right message while protecting myself from getting taken advantage of.
That’s interesting, Loc. Respect the message, rather than trying to interpret the motivation. I agree with you that not cluttering my mind with scrutinizing the messenger will help me to see all more clearly. Thank you for that insight.
No problem, Mary. I was an overthinker not too long ago. Becoming closer to my root people and expanding upon my social circles has helped. Looking into motivations will lead to overthinking. This branches into assumptions, misinterpretations, and overanalysis.
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I assumed it was AI frankly – esp the way it is written…
Well said,
dear Barb. ♥
I love to focus on touch as a sense. It always amazes my how pleasant many of the objects feel that I don’t pay attention to otherwise. For example, the doorknob to enter my apartment is smooth and cool on warm summer days. What a delight, and a practice in what Br. David calls sacred sensuousness. 💙
I can use my sense of smell more often. Literally stop and smell the roses. Summer has so many wonderful smells; personally, I love Fall more, but the flowers, trees, and nature in itself have so much to offer. We don’t often take time to enjoy our sense of smell in nature. We see it, feel it, and touch it, but often forget how the smells can take you to another place.
I am coming back into my body
after living in a state of grace and grieving for a few days . . .
Sophie,
my very elderly cat,
died this week
and we buried her out in the garden.
Although my heart mourns for her,
I am reminded
of how much she loved life,
right up until the last week.
As I return to my physical senses
I am almost more tuned into them
than I was before . . .
feeling the spot where she laid next to me in bed
every night,
knowing that spot is empty now,
seeing the places around the house,
not with my mind’s eye,
which sees her everywhere,
but with my physical eyes
that see where she is not.
There is a shift
as my physical presence
adjusts to the new normal
after almost 20 years of the old normal . . .
my senses
need to come out of my heart now
and into the life that I continue to live.
It’s hard,
like waking up
after a very long dream,
slightly disoriented,
part of me in one world
and part of me in another.
Eating my very real breakfast this morning,
the sun shining on my face,
reminded me of where I am,
and grateful for all of it . . .
the sorrow of death
and the birth of a new day. ♥
Your words touch me, Sparrow. I pet the soft, silky fur of my Tiggs and listen to his trilling meow that usually has a hint of a purr in it, and know the day will come when I will miss his company. Warm hugs to you.
I hope,
dear Barb,
that you will stroke Tiggs’ soft fur
and give her a hug for me
(if she tolerates hugs) . . .
we all know ‘the day will come’,
don’t we?
And yet we love anyway. ❤️
big hug coming your way, dear Sparrow
Thank you,
dear Carol Ann . . .
I feel the love coming
and the loss will be a little lighter
knowing that I am held up by
those who care. ❤️
Dear Sparrow,
I am so sorry to hear of Sophie’s passing.
I cried reading your post. 😢 It touched a very tender place in my heart as I too have experienced losing a beloved cat(s).
May you find comfort in knowing how loved your dear Sophie was. Cherish your memories.
Blessings to You…..🌈✨🙏🏻❤️
We who love animals,
all have a tender place in our hearts for them,
dear PKR,
and know that it is worth the sorrow
to bring them into our families and our lives.
I do take comfort . . .
Sophie knew that she was loved
and lived in that love so sweetly.
Thank you for your kind words
and the hugs I could feel in them . . .
blessings to you as well. ❤️
I am so sorry Sparrow and am bawling my eyes out reading this. I know that sorrow and loss all to well. I know how much you loved Sophie. Our pets are family. I’m sure you have heard of the Rainbow Bridge. May your memories of Sophie bring you peace and comfort. A big hug to you. 🤗💗
https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm
Thank you,
dear Michele,
for your kind words
and shared experience.
I did indeed love Sophie
from the minute I saw her motley little face
in the cage at the animal shelter.
And thank you as well,
for the Rainbow Bridge poem. ❤️
I have been wanting to ask about Sophie but knew that you would tell us when you were ready. I’m so sorry 💔 I know that grief and am sending you love
I couldn’t bear to write about it for a few days,
dear SunnyPatti,
but now it is time.
Thank you for your kindness towards me
and for your compassion . . .
they mean so much to me. ❤️
Oh, Sparrow, I am so very, very sorry to hear that you have lost your precious Sophie. Losing a dear animal is so hard, especially after having lived with her companionship for so many years. Was Sophie your only cat? If so, that makes it all the harder. I’m sending you my love as you grieve your very dear feline friend. I wish I could give you a hug, Sparrow, and hear stories about Sophie. If you feel like sharing any Sophie stories, I know this group would love to hear them.
You may know, but I still want to tell you, dear Sparrow, how much I love reading your responses to the questions here each day.
Please know, dear Sparrow that you are deeply loved and deeply appreciated here, at grateful.org. All of your feelings are welcome. Again, dear Sparrow, I’m sending you my love.♥️ Mary
Thank you,
dear Mary,
for your hug,
which I can feel in my heart,
and for your kindness.
Since we’ve moved here,
she is the fifth cat I have buried in the garden,
so there are a lot of tears
mixed in with the joy of sharing life with them.
When I brought her home
I put up a five foot sheet of plywood in the bedroom doorway
to keep her separated from the others,
but I had no sooner turned my back
when she came climbing over it . . .
that’s the kind of girl she was. 🙂
Phoebe
is my only cat right now,
and she is feeling the loss too,
in her own way,
even though they weren’t friends.
It’s important to have compassion for her as well.
Your words are healing,
and I will hold them in my heart
as I step into this new day. ❤️
May Sophie ‘Rest in Peace’ and may dear Sparrow enjoy some soothing vibes.
Sophie and I
saw soul to soul,
dear Joseph,
if you can understand that,
and her soothing vibes
remain with me now . . .
thank you so much for your kindness. ❤️
It’s been very hot, but a bit cooler today. I intend to take a short walk and smell the pine trees.
I too,
dear Enndee,
love how pine trees smell
on a hot day. ♥
I’m feeling a deep weariness and I plan to honor it.
May you rest well Carol Ann.
Joseph, Thank you.
I plan to focus on staying in the present moment. If I am present I am able to see, feel, hear, taste, deeply all the blessings of this day.
And stay off my phone…..too much distraction.😕
Happy Friday All.
🕊️🩷
To more deeply connect with my sense of smell, I could slow down the rate at which I eat my meals.
My eyes. I’m writing a piece and will use my eyes to read and edit. Sight is so much!
I’m thinking about the sense of touch as I sit on the sofa in my living room petting my youngest cat, Calliope. I can feel my body leaning into the sofa. I just noticed the tension in my left upper arm as I lean too heavily on it, and the tension in my left leg as I also lean into it. Hmmm. I could use a bit of body awareness. Calliope looks content as I slightly lean into her, petting her soft coat. I can feel the gentle vibration of her body as she purrs. I can also feel the cool air from the ac vent on the ceiling to my right, especially on the right side of my face, my right arm, and the calf and ankle of my left calf as I sit, legs crossed on the sofa. I’m noticing the tautness of my crossed left calf, and the weight of it bearing down on top of my left knee. I don’t think I even notice when I am sitting uncomfortably, disconnected from my body as I focus on something else.
Originally, after reading today’s question, I was thinking about noticing the hot sun on my skin as I step outside. Just yesterday, I commented to my husband as we stepped out into a hot parking lot, that being outdoors feels like being in an oven. Today, I will step into the feeling of heat more fully as I step outside in just a bit. I know that it’s more than the heat on my skin that I feel. Somehow I also perceive the heavy humidity in the air. Where am I feeling that? My nasal passages, throat, larynx, my lungs? My eye, my ears???
The sense of touch is interesting. It includes what I am purposefully touching, and anything from outside my body that touches me. I will increase my body awareness, today, as I focus on the sense of touch.
I’m also thinking about how the sense of touch has a lot to do with awareness. There is so much feeling in and on my body that I don’t even notice. Is it even a feeling if I don’t notice it? Maybe not. A baby, in its baby awareness, more fully notices bodily sensations, and more fully experiences all it can perceive through his senses. As a baby grows into childhood, teen years, and adulthood, he learns to focus, and loses that huge awareness. Today I will take a step back toward baby awareness and begin to experience sensations in and on my body more fully. Sending peace to all on this early August day.
Hello Mary, need to comment on the August temps here. Been warm upper 80’s, 86 to 88 and one day it hit 90. But the earth is turning on its axis towards winter and at this elevation we are experiencing the usual 30 to 40 degree diurnal of temps. Yesterday 89 and this morning 48. Makes for some good, notable, sensory changes on a daily basis.
That sounds like great weather, Joseph! Wow, 30’s and 40’s in August! How fabulous!
😊😊😊
Peace to you and to Calliope, Mary ❤️. Hi from my own summer oven, this one smoky and dry from wildfires.
High temps with smoke. That sounds pretty bad, Drea. Wishing lots of rain and the ending of fires, Drea.
Beautifully written, Mary. You had me doing a body scan!
Because you write so well, Carol Ann, I especially appreciate this compliment from you!
Thank you for your kind words, Mary.
Thank you, Carol Ann.
I love how you described everything. That’s a lot to sense! You’re right about awareness shifting as we grow from babies into adults, and all in between! I don’t think we lose it; we just forget to pay attention to it.
As for feeling like an oven outside, I won’t let my husband knows that’s how it feels down there. Quite frankly, it feels the same in Charlotte, although no ocean breezes anywhere near here!
☀️☀️☀️♥️
I love cooking and food, but I eat very fast. I will slow down and savor taste. It will be healthier and I will enjoy it more.
Just here right now, noticing & appreciating the moments.
I think today I might focus on the sense of touch. I’ve been alone for a week. My husband and our dog joined me last evening and it has been so good to see them but especially to feel and touch them. I will also focus on the the fan blowing cool air on me on this hot summer day; on the water in the shower; the different textures of foods in my mouth; the scratchy grass of a Hill Country yard; the way my muscles, joints and chest feel as I work through my yoga session. This sense goes so much further than just what we can feel with our fingertips. I hope to attend to all I can.
I was just talking to my husband about this question and mentioned that eating involves the sense of touch with the different textures as well as taste and smell. I hadn’t really thought about that aspect of eating until I read the question as I was eating a lox deluxe: crunchy bagel, creamy cream cheese, little pop of briny capers, soft smoked salmon flesh.
Yes! I’m with you in this, Katrina!
My sight is not as sharp as my other senses, but I do appreciate having it. Many times, I am unable to distinguish colors in the same group. I’d love to spend more time enjoying the green of my succulents, looking far away at the backyard from my window to see taller trees there. Happy Friday to all! 🎄
There are so many shades and tones of green,
dear Ngoc,
and I appreciate especially,
this awareness in you.
I learned this as a child . . .
with crayons and coloured pencils spread before me.
I could create a world in nature
on paper,
using all the shades at my disposal.
Nature rules. ♥
Likewise, I don’t enjoy the flexibility I once had, but I can experience and enjoy the flexibility I do have, and enjoy the experience of my body as I move it through space. ♥️
I’ve been returning to meditation on Soothing Pod this week and am on a 5-day streak after doing a session just now on growth. As Phil Jackson says in 1 of his 11 zen principles, “1 breath=1 mind.”
One of the advantages to being a low context person is that it’s easier to acknowledge someone for their right message without looking into their motivation. It also gets straight to the point and keeps the flow going. It’s easier to see the backstage when our minds are clearer. A slogan I have is “Respect the message, not the motivation.” This helps me find the sweet spot between acknowledging them for the right message while protecting myself from getting taken advantage of.
That’s interesting, Loc. Respect the message, rather than trying to interpret the motivation. I agree with you that not cluttering my mind with scrutinizing the messenger will help me to see all more clearly. Thank you for that insight.
No problem, Mary. I was an overthinker not too long ago. Becoming closer to my root people and expanding upon my social circles has helped. Looking into motivations will lead to overthinking. This branches into assumptions, misinterpretations, and overanalysis.
All so true, Loc!