A great experience. We can improve the sensitivity of our senses

My son visited me recently for the second time this year again in Thailand. This time he brought a friend of him. Both together and sometimes the three of us had lots of fun discovering our wonderful surroundings.

His friend used to smoke. And because I do not smoke and do not like smoking in my house he respected me and used to smoke outside. No problem.

At a certain morning they wanted to do a cooking class in the city and needed to wake up early. To start the day my son's friend smoked a cigarette outside. Walking downstairs I felt extremely sensitive to the smell of the smoke and no this had nothing to do I once was a fireman.

It offered me the insight my senses improved their sensitivity or my response raised alertness the last couple of years. What and how did this happen?

Discussing this here with a guest I discovered at least four causes for this expansion of my awareness.

First of all in my opinion it has everything to do with the environment I live in now. I live and work at a health & wellness resort in a more than beautiful and natural environment in the Northern part of Thailand. It is a high energetic and peaceful place that really invites you to connect with yourself and with nature in a deeper way. Food and drinks are most of the time totally different than I was used in my former home country. It’s nearly always fresh and with an inviting rich blend of taste and smells here.

The second thing is I totally changed my life-style. For over 30 years I was a very busy scheduled manager till the end of 2010. I was connected with everything that happened in the world around me. Following the newspapers and the (inter)national news on radio and television and was 24 x 7 available for everyone and everything. Lots of email and social media connections. Always running.

For over five years now I am a person without a watch, no I-Phone, not reading the newspaper or watching the (inter)national news anymore. Actually I have no social media for more than half a year already. Not longing to get it again as well. I have no fixed schedule at all and I am living by the day. Enjoy face-to-face conversations and above the entrance of my house you find the text: “The clock won’t find you here.”. Walking with my dog and stopping lots of times to take the time to explore what I see, feel, hear, smell or even taste.
Confusius was right in saying: "Everywhere there is beauty but some people do not see it". I once joined that group that almost did not see it. And this has completely changed as part of my lifestyle change. What a blessing and wealth to be thankful for.

The work I do now has everything to do with mindfulness and awareness and on a daily base that’s training the senses and the mind. Meditation (like the labyrinth walk on the picture), mindful photography and Tantra workshops are continuous stimuli for the senses and the mind to become more sensitive.
And the funny thing is, that this is happening with our guests as well. This morning a guest who has already been here three times noticed that he had heard nine different bird sounds during my morning class about silence.

Last but not least it has to do with abstinence. Not everything is available at the moment you want to have it. Electricity, water, internet, milk, butter, bread, you name it. Sometimes waiting for it makes you first of all creative to discover supplements. On the other hand it makes you much more thankful for the availability of things if you need them.

Being much more sensitive over the years, offers me for free an even better understanding and appreciating of the availability of my life.

Frans Captijn

Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow in life, love, family, business, career and work. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

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