I love this time of year in many ways – it’s a time to retreat, to settle in, to slow down a bit. The darkness invites us to hibernate and go within. And this is then a perfect time to ask our senses to come out and play – so we can then drop in even more deeply into ourselves.

My favorite definition of the word Sensuality is: the condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses. Being fulfilling to the senses – doesn’t that sound wonderful…

It makes me think of a fall day – looking around at the crispness of the blue sky and all the colorful leaves on trees and on the ground. I love to let my eyes feast on the differing colors and seep into me – while memories of other fall days, in other cities and even countries, fill me up.

Since it was Thanksgiving last week, my sense of taste was happy to play. My brother and sister-in-law provided this sense a wonderful opportunity with favorites as well their own spin on a platter of roasted vegetables that delighted my eyes as well as my taste buds. The nourishment sunk in and filled me up in ways indescribable.

When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I love to use my senses to calm me down and help me feel more centered. There’s an exercise you can do with any sense, but my favorite is hearing. The exercise is simply to listen. As you’re reading this, go ahead and play…notice the sounds around you. First you might just hear one, maybe you have music on in the background or something else. Continue to listen and see if there are other sounds to hear underneath – usually there are other things to be heard…traffic, birds, a hum of the refrigerator or some other appliance. Just notice. Feel the stillness that the listening allows for. Feel your body relax as you give into the stillness. What else is underneath those sounds?

Lately, I have a favorite walk up a hill, overlooking the ocean and then through some quiet streets to a little pond. The little watering hole is a sanctuary to ducks and other birds. It’s on a quiet cul-de-sac so feels like a little haven. The trees there are full of color and there’s a freshness in the air – almost like the ocean air swept through part of the city to nestle here with the birds.

This is a perfect place to have a party with my senses – the idyllic setting with the smell of the air and the sounds of the birds all enveloping me and wrapping me in its splendor.

This week, you’re invited to play with your own senses – exploring your own sensuality in ways new or old or both. What do you notice when you wake up to your senses and when you allow your senses to wake you up? Sink in, explore and appreciate.