Sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch — these are the 5 senses you use to interact with everything else around you and have an understanding of the world. Balancing your various senses is one of the secrets to becoming optimally healthy. As you read this article, you will realize how your senses can actually help make your body stronger.
Your senses are directly responsible for how you experience the world. One person’s view of the world is different from someone else’s because of how they perceive the environment through their various senses. That is why how you recognize your surroundings can have a considerable impact on your understanding of the world.
Take for example this mantra from Ayurveda, the ancient Hindu system of healing: “The world is as we are.” In other words, the way you see things around you is dependent on how your mind is primed to perceive the world. Based on this mantra, it’s easy to derive the concept that you can change everything by altering your perception of what’s around you.
Healing and strengthening the body is possible simply by feeding your senses with things that can promote wellbeing as well as fend off negative matters that can have all sorts of detrimental effects to your overall health. It’s like supplying your body with nourishing input coming from the outside, as perceived by your different senses.
For centuries now, Ayurveda has established the therapeutic benefits of seeing the world in a whole new light simply by allowing your senses to come into contact with anything capable of commencing healing towards a strong and disease-free body. Let us take a look at how you may use your various senses to attain optimal health:
Sight: Keep It from Being Overloaded with Stimuli
Among all of your senses, it is said that the sight is the most vulnerable to being overloaded. After all, your eyes are organs that you use for carrying out a lot of tasks — reading the newspaper, driving to work, analyzing data, painting a landscape and so many others. From time to time, it’s a wonderful idea to give your sight a much-needed break. You may spend hours being surrounded by nature or fill your home with calming colors. Limiting your use of the television, computer and other technology that involves your vision can be beneficial as well.
Hearing: Flood Your Ears with Soothing Sounds
Traffic jams, office noise, loud music — these and more can contribute to stress, something that can cause a variety of health complications (diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, etc.) if not managed effectively. Consider listening to soothing sounds such as mellow music and the various sounds created by nature in order to ward off stress.
Taste: Experience All Sorts of Taste for Better Health
According to Ayurveda, there are 6 tastes on the planet: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is said that your everyday diet should consist of foods that incorporate all of the mentioned tastes for your own wellbeing. Such benefits the process of digestion, allowing your body to absorb the nutrients in food. Basking in these tastes is also said to help strengthen the immune system.
Smell: Aroma Can Impact Both Body and Mind
Did you know that certain smells can alter your mood and even have a notable effect on your body? That is why aromatic essential oils are highly popular among individuals who wish to resort to all-natural means in dealing with matters such as fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia.
Touch: A Massage Can Help in Revitalizing Your Body
Your skin is the largest organ of the body, and it is filled with nerve endings that allow you to perceive the world through the sense of touch. In Ayurveda, a wonderful way to stimulate energy and divert it to certain parts of the body is by means of massages. Whether provided by a professional or performed at home on your own, a massage can have a profound impact on your well-being.
