Inviting Awe
We don’t typically think about awe as an emotion, but it is definitely a body state. This is a state anyone can experience, and it is closely related to the experience of wonder. It is usually inspired by great beauty, power, love, or magnificence. There is a sense of expansion in the mind or heart, one I believe can help us be more resilient and better handle challenges, including challenging emotions.
When we experience challenging situations or challenging emotions, often the first response is to pull away from it because it is uncomfortable. We constrict, pull in, tighten, or pull away. This is a normal human response. We naturally want to put up boundaries and back off, lessening our exposure and the discomfort.
If we can put our attention on something that inspires awe, we can create a sense of expansion in the mind and possibly in the heart. This expansion, I believe, creates a larger space with which to experience the challenge. Awe often brings with it a gentler quality that can overlay some softness to the experience. The expansion and the softening can help you hold the challenging experience you are having with more grace and kindness.
Inviting awe into your life can be simple:
Go outside and look at the sky, especially if you can see the stars at night.
Explore an object in nature, large or small.
Look into the face of a baby – or even deeply into the eyes of someone you love.
Read something that you find inspiring or sacred.
Let your intuition lead you; awe-inducing experiences are all around you.
What happens with your perception of stress or challenge when you have invited awe into your life for a few moment? Try it and simply notice.
This is the experience I have had with awe and what I have heard from some other people. Experiment with this. What do you find when you invite awe into your life?
Please join me in the audio below to walk through this together. Bring with you something that inspires awe for you (a picture, something from nature, or even your baby).
I would love to know your thoughts and any ideas you have for future posts.
Warmly,
Pamela