Experience Awe!

How often do you experience AWE? Probably not often enough.

When we experience awe we feel we are in the presence of something vast or beyond our comprehension. It is a reverential emotion of respect mixed with wonderment. It is often prompted by nature or the arts but it also can be brought about by a mind-blowing idea, an impressive feat, or an act of great virtue.

Research from the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California at Berkley suggests that awe can make you happier, healthier, humble, and more connected to the people around you. Dr. Dacher Keltner from the GGSC states:

One simple prescription can have transformative effects: Look for more daily experiences of awe.

As a pharmacist, this message resonates with me as medicine for the soul.

Regular experiences of awe can …

• improve mood and life satisfaction
• sharpen our brains to think more critically
• dampen materialism and social comparisons
• lead to humbleness
• expand time perception
• strengthen generosity and spirit of collaboration
• foster community connections

Awe experiences can be truly remarkable and memorable. How many of you have these experiences when you travel? When Stuart and I were first dating, we traveled to Sedona, Arizona. I can still recall the awe and wonder I felt the first time I saw the Red Rocks. Stuart and I have had the good fortune to visit Sedona many times since. But it still gives me goosebumps and my jaw drops all these years later.

While travel can be a great source of awe, it can also be found closer to home. Try taking an Awe Walk around your urban neighborhood, in a wooded local park, or in a museum. Whether you feel awe on your walk really depends on your attitude, not the destination. You can create more opportunities for awe by seeing your surroundings with fresh eyes, as if you’re seeing them for the first time.

Music and the arts can also be awe-inspiring. One of my favorite TV shows is So You Think You Can Dance. I marvel at how their bodies move and the choreography can bring me to tears. Recently, I started listening to acoustic covers on Spotify. Artists take a song originally recorded by a popular band and strip it down to its essential elements. These reinvented versions not only draw out the beauty of the songwriter’s work, but also the creativity of the musicians.

Check out my Acoustic Yoga Playlist on Spotify.

Children’s eyes see marvels everywhere.

They delight in what adults see as common.

Look at everything as though you are witnessing it for the first time.

The world is full of magical experiences patiently waiting for you to discover.

 Cheers-

      Seena