“This is it. It is that simple. Live in the present. Enjoy this divine creation. It is our gift. Along the way, purify the mind and serve, serve, serve. The heart will open and knowledge will dawn.” —Kali Ray
How to face the chaos, turmoil, and unrest being experienced in the world today is often overwhelming. It is very easy to get stuck in the details and complexity of it all, and yet there is so much we are able to do each day. By tuning into practices that uplift our own vibration, we simultaneously uplift the vibration of the world. One of the most powerful things we are able to do at this time is to live from a place of compassion, gentleness, and kindness, raising the vibration we emanate to be one of love over fear, calm over stress, and clarity over doubt.
Yoga is a practical practice of increasing awareness or rather remembering and becoming aware of what we already know (intuition). Yoga is about seeing all with an equal eye, which results in unconditional love for yourself and for others. We achieve this goal by practicing kindness in every thought, word, and action every minute of every day. When you feel lost among the issues we face in the world today, find your way back to the simplicity of love and kindness.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” -Confucius
Mindfulness is a practice that raises our vibrational frequency. When we are mindful of what we are taking in through the five senses, our intuitive sense or sixth sense is heightened. When we are connected to our intuition, we upgrade the five senses—we are able to touch, taste, smell, see, and hear with our intuition.
Here are some mindfulness practices connected to the five senses to keep your vibration up:
Feel
Touch is soothing to the soul.
Feel the sun’s warmth, the rain’s soothing touch, and a cool breeze on a hot day. Feel the grass on your bare feet. Gently touch nature every day.
Feel the touch of a newborn baby’s skin. Feel the embrace of a hug and a friendly smile. Touch with sweetness and love.
Did you know research suggests that hugs protect from illnesses like the common cold and flu? Hugs also reduce stress and fear while increasing happiness.
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ―Thich Nhat Hanh
Make time for real connection. The heart emoji on your phone is not a replacement for being with someone and showing you care.
Taste
Taste delicious fruits, vegetables, grains, and foods obtained with joy and love. Eat slowly, savor and notice the different flavors of your food.
Contemplate your sense of taste. Reflect upon where your food came from. Feel thankful for what nature has voluntarily offered to you.
“The food we eat connects us with the rhythms, forces, and abundance of nature and of our universe, and with the presence of those who nurtured and gathered the foods we are eating. . . . If we consume animal foods, all of these elements of energy and consciousness are diminished by the violence and fear inherent in the vibration of the foods we are eating. . . . Joy, love and abundance are always available to us, and will manifest in our lives to the degree that we understand that they are given to us as we give them to others.” –Will Tuttle, PhD
Smell
Smell budding flowers, green grass, and the aroma of a gentle breeze. Smell the fresh morning dew or the earth after it rains.
Smell the fragrance of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil, and parsley. Smell the aroma of a home-cooked meal, made with love and kindness with ingredients provided by the earth.
Notice how the things you smell impact you.
“Life must be poetry, a song, a dance, like a flower on the roadside, blossoming for no one in particular, but spreading its fragrance in the wind, and sending it anywhere.” ―Lao Tzu
Look
Look at the world around you.
See the kindness in humanity. See the smiles of people you pass by. Notice the uplifting change happening before your eyes.
See the sameness in all of life while also recognizing the diverse beauty and uniqueness. See people for who they truly are. See beyond the layers, the mask, the perceived faults to the essence of their being, their authentic self.
See that love is a strong presence in the world. See love.
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” –Wayne Dyer
Consciously or unconsciously, we may choose to practice yoga and immerse ourselves in satsang (community), to be seen or recognized by others as our true authentic selves. It is an elevating and uplifting experience to see one another in this way. It is a way to deeply serve humanity.
Listen
Listen to the sounds around you. Listen to the sounds you are able to hear furthest away. Listen to the sounds you are able to hear closest to you.
Listen to music that makes your heart dance. Listen to the birds sing. Listen to others when they speak.
Listen, really truly listen. When we have a practice of listening outwardly, it leads to listening inwardly to that inner intuitive voice.
“Keep it simple, open up a window
Let the light and the fresh breeze in the temple
Morning yoga, proper posture
Sun salutation, realign the chakras
Keep stretching, deep breaths
Release tension, release stress
Stay on purpose, maintain balance
Nobody’s perfect, the path is the practice
Good habits, zen focus
Remain present in each moment
The yoga mat, on the floor
It’s more than that, it’s a metaphor”
– Stic, The Yoga Mat
Quite frequently, one or more of our five senses are overloaded. When we allow time to simply be quiet and tune into our senses in a mindful and meditative way, we unplug from an overload of external stimuli (phone, computer, news, media, and so on). This allows for a deeper connection with our intuitive sense…for a shift in our vibration…a shift from vibrating a frequency of fear, worry, and doubt to love, gratitude, and clarity. When we uplift our own vibration, we uplift the world. It starts within each one of us.
The call to action is to keep it simple. Increase your vibration and know that love is a powerful force that we are able to emanate. Value people’s hearts more than their ego. We are not here to be perfect. We are here to be real. The power of love is real. Stay centered in love.
I close this blog post with an invitation to laugh with me. Laughter is good for the soul. This is a little blooper reel from some meditation practices recorded for World Peace Yoga Online…make sure to listen all the way through to the end.
Related:
9 Signs You are Raising Your Vibration and Frequency with Ralph Smart
15 Everyday Ways to Raise Your Positive Vibrations
Anna Ferguson is the author of World Peace Yoga: Yoga for People Who Breathe, a book on yoga that inspires peace in action, developing intuition, deepening empathy, and expanding compassion. Connect with Anna via Instagram @annafergusonpeace or via Facebook or join her for a class online at worldpeaceyogaonline.com.
