Massage therapist Erika Zettervall explores our senses - the big 5 and some lesser recognised ones that shape our experiences - and suggests some ways of using this to cultivate calm and a richer experience. We have five main senses that we all are likely to be very familiar with and three or four lesser known senses. These are connected to sensory organs. ![]() Our main senses: Vision - eyes Touch - skin Hearing - ears Smell - nose Taste- tongue The lesser known senses are perhaps just ones that have not been incorporated into everyday thinking about senses. There are several and it varies depending on how much you break them down into finer systems and functions.
Balance – the vestibular system – tells us whether we’re in equilibrium or not, and whether we’re in motion or not. We have the inner ear to thank for that one. The sense of pain – nociception – is nerve or tissue damage felt in the skin, joints, bones, and internal organs. Proprioception or position Temperature There is also interoception related to how things feel on the inside for example blood pressure, sense of stretch in the bladder Through external sensory input our brains interpret nerve signals and conjure up a picture that gives us all a unique view of the world. Colour adds a dimension to seeing and we all experience colour differently. The artist Cezanne described it as where the brain and the universe meet. Practicing a wider sensory awareness will create a richness in life and is useful to bring calm and presence. A simple way to bring to ground yourself and reduce anxiety is tuning into the five main senses: What can I see: looking around, pick large or small items to focus on, try to notice the colour, texture, and patterns. What can I touch: notice skin whilst taking palm to palm, fabric of clothes, any object you can pick up and touch, putting hand (or body) into water. What do I hear: near, far, from different directions and volume. What can I smell: you can bring things to your nose but also notice if and what you can pick up from the air. What do I taste: if you don’t have anything at hand think about distinct flavours as you remember them like lemon, coffee, something sweet, Noticing and observing the sensations from the surroundings brings you into the space and present to the moment. It also orientates you into the now, geographically and in time. In addition it will also subtly enrich and broaden any experience. With anxiety we are away worrying about what may or may not happen, sometimes completely fictional but the fear appears real. Becoming present in the moment this way aids the distinction between factual and fictional fears. For example; good to hear a car approaching whilst out walking rather than being away in the mind somewhere else, worrying about things that might or might not happen. Since we have a focus on water and swimming with our blogs from West Norwood Therapies this summer, a suggestion from me is to bring your senses into interactions with water. Apart from taste for obvious reasons. When immersing into water notice the sensations on the skin, sense the texture, temperature and scent. The sea water is very different to a lake or pool in texture, scent and colour. Listen for the sounds both being in, under and around water. If you are by the coast, gaze out at the offing, where the sky meets the ocean. Pay attention to the sounds sounds and smells and you can have an awe-inducing full body/mind experience. Observe water move - be it waves of the sea, swirling brook, big water fall or rain is mesmerising and meditative, adding the sound and smell of it the experience swells. Stepping out just after rain, scenting the petrichor brings calm and joy. Bring your senses to your summer water adventures and see if it will increase experience of awe and joy.
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AuthorBlogs from the WNT team. For our blogs from before June 2020 please see individual profile pages - it's a good way to get to know practitioners too. Archives
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