Sense for the Soul

"To begin to understand the gorgeous fever that is consciousness, we must try to understand the senses. The senses don't just make sense of life in bold or subtle acts of clarity, they tear reality apart into vibrant morsels and reassemble them into a meaningful pattern."

Diane Ackerman

I LOVE this description. L-O-V-E it! Whenever I walk into a room, I am delighted if it caters to my 5 senses. As such, my senses are my most informed way of collaborating the overall energy of any room I organize. The feel of a wool rug padding a bare floor under my feet and the touch of linen pillows on a couch. The sound of music filling the space around me while a spring breeze coos in through an open window. And the smell of freshly cut grass coming in with the breeze while (if I'm lucky) eating homemade coconut macaroons. Does it get better than this?

Simplicity is the cornerstone to abundance. If we can't appreciate the small things…the gifts we most often take for granted…we never fully develop the awareness necessary to understand or have anything else. Walk through your home — room to room. What senses are awakened? Do any greet more than one of your senses? If a room feels flat, what's missing? Indulge your home by adding more pleasure and distinction around you…using your 5 senses as a guide.

The easiest, for me, are particular scents. Lavender, freshly cut grass, the air right after a rain storm…freshly brewed coffee, orange or lemon zest, the winter night air intoxicated by the smell of fireplaces burning…an Anthropologie Volcano candle, Coco Chanel perfume, Stargazer lilies…clean sheets, my girls' hair after a bath, laundry blowing in the wind… All simple enough, and yet, each can seamlessly create sanctuary for my soul.

Your perception of the world begins at home…so fill it with beauty…for when you do, more beauty you shall see…and smell, taste, feel, and hear!