One of my favorite places on earth is India.  There is a rhythm there that my heartbeat hears and tries to follow.  Something in the colors and in the smells and in the sights.  The country is filled with textures and sounds that I have experienced no where else.

When I first got back from my trip, I would ramble for hours trying to explain the grandure that is India. Then finally it hit me, India is a place where I focus with all of my senses.  The life that India breathed into me has yet to leave and often calls my Spirit to return.  Living with such multi sensory awareness motivated me in a way I have never known.  There was an energy to my spirit that I had lost in the years prior.  There was purpose in my words and passion in my eyes.

Focusing with all of our senses can sound like anxiety driven sensory overload, but when done intentionally, it can lead us to a deep calm within ourselves.  For me it has done just that.  In quieting my distractions I have found a deep gratitude.

It never fails. Every time I hear testimony of a group returning from the mission field, they speak of the depth of wisdom and thanksgiving that they experienced in people.  When we remove our superficial distractions and focus with our senses, our spirits free to think about things such as love, patience, gratitude, and knowledge.

It is said that the more senses you use to experience something with, the more likely you are to remember it. Having seen this to be unwaveringly true in India, I wanted to adopt it into my life somehow.

At random times throughout the day I try to stop and take in all that is happening around me.  The sounds I hear, the smells that surround me, the feel of fabric against my skin, the taste of my last meal, the beautiful sights in front of me, and the state of my heart.  It’s here that I find a place of deep quiet and balance.

I hope to adopt this fully into my life before becoming a mother.  {and no, we are not pregnant}  I want to be able to teach my children to nurture their senses.  When are given such powerful tools of adventure and spend more time numbing them than enhancing them.

How can we live lives that linger on others senses?  How can we produce art that inspires others to live lives with fragrance and tangible texture?  I believe the answer lives within us.  God has given us the perfect tools to lead meaningful active lives.  What are we waiting for?