Waking Up to Our World

Written by Rebecca D'Onofrio
Our sense perceptions are what allow us to experience the vastness and vividness of our world, but we tend to dull down our senses and limit our experience through the filter of our thoughts and concepts.
When we do this, the world becomes a much smaller place and the full depth of experience that we as human beings have available to us becomes inaccessible and out of reach because we have created a very narrow idea of the world based on our habits, biases, and conditions that we are always projecting outward.
Because our mind is constantly jumping from thought to thought, it creates a cocoon-like barrier that disconnects us from the present moment, but it is only in the present moment where life actually takes place, and our sense perceptions are the gateway to experiencing this larger and more expansive reality than the version that is limited by our ego.
One of the many benefits of mindfulness practice is that it helps us synchronize our mind and body together in the present moment by subduing the mental activity that is constantly preoccupying our attention. When our mind is disconnected from our body, we can’t access our sense perceptions, and the greater world around us — the world beyond our ego — is lost to us. But as we synchronize our mind and body together, a natural byproduct of this process is that we begin to wake up to our sense perceptions in a direct way.
There is natural brilliance, intelligence, and richness that is constantly humming throughout the phenomenal world and it is always inviting us to connect with it: the magnificence and majesty of a mountain range, the shimmering sparkle of a starlit sky, the aroma of a nearby wild flower meadow…
The warm embrace of a fresh cup of tea touching our lips, the cool touch of morning grass under our feet, the delightful dance of an afternoon breeze meeting the trees, and the cold sharp ocean waking up every nerve in our body as we take our first step in.
There is magic in this world and it is worth tuning into. As human beings, it is our birthright to experience the magic that is always penetrating our ordinary experience but in order to access it, we have to settle our busy distracted minds and allow our natural awareness to permeate our sense perceptions and make contact with the world around us.
When we have the courage to embrace the vastness of the world into our hearts through the medium of our senses, the world suddenly becomes more alive to us and we suddenly become more available to our world. It is here that we can experience the fullness of our being, and the profundity of joy and appreciation.