7.26.22 // 5 Human Senses

I love the 5 human senses.
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Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Hearing.
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I love the experience of each one and how we use them to connect to the world around us.
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Usually, they are something I take for granted- seeing the mountains on my horizon, hearing the birds chirping, tasting the apple I eat for breakfast, touching Scout's soft fur, and smelling the fresh-cut grass on the breeze.
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As I've slowed down my life and energy, I tend to notice more and through the recognition, I've found myself more grounded.
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I've also been trying to appreciate one of my most intense senses, smell, by attempting to collect scents from the places I've been.
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This has been a practice I've had for years, but I don't talk about it often. I'm not much of a souvenir person, but when I'm in a new place, you can catch me smelling and trying to find one of these to take home: essential oils, perfumes, colognes, or a​ny​ local wearable scent.
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I find that not only does it help me ground my presence into a place, but it also lets me carry the memories with me. You might think, "wouldn't that be distracting when you wear the scent in the future?!" But it actually has the opposite effect and it's profound how much it connects me to my present 5 senses.
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It's a beautiful cycle of being present and then using that memory in the future to re-ground myself.
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And when I run out of a scent, I hold gratitude for that past adventure and look ahead to the next scent, the next memory, the next fully present adventure.
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It's a way of remembering that I'm human, a grounding, a past, a present, and a future- all existing at once.