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19h • Spiritual Health 🙏
Awe and Wonder
🌿The Benefits of Wonder and Awe for Your Well Being
Last night it was snowing and before getting into my car to drive home, I just looked up. The light was hitting the snow just perfectly and it felt like I was in a sparkling snowglobe...and there was this small moment of joy and warmth. The cold didn't hit in the same way, it felt more energizing than deathly feeling. One look up and the moment shifted from my inner dialogue saying "ugh...i hate the cold so much to "wow, it sure is beautiful out here. How cool that I get to experience this". A moment of awe and noticing the beauty in something shifted the inner experience.
Awe and wonder-the moments that make your brain go "Wow" and your nervous system soften. It brings on a sense of joy and gratitude.
Psychologically, wonder and awe acts like a reset button. Studies show that a sense of awe can and do reduce stress markers, lower inflammation and support healthier cell functioning. When you experience awe your body releases chemicals that calm the threat system and activate the part of the nervous system that restores and repairs. Wonder has a sense of curiosity attached to it and awe also expands your sense of time and increases feelings of meaning which boosts overall emotional well-being.
Awe also shifts your perspective. It shrinks the inner critic and enlarges the sense of connection with a bigger world.
So how do we engage with it more often? You do not need a mountaintop (though, if you have one, go!). You need intentional attention. Here are some strategies:
✨ Seek micro wonder. Tiny pieces of beauty count. The pattern on a leaf. A song that hits your chest. A cloud in the sky :) A snowflake up close. The up-close look in someone's eyes (make sure they're okay with it! ha)
✨ Slow your pace. The nervous system needs a little margin to take in what is around you. Take a few grounding breaths and look around. One of my favorite books has the phrase "look up" in it--pointing to the idea of looking outside of selves.
✨ Experiment with novelty. New experiences, new routes, new tastes. Wonder and Awe love surprise... This is one of my favorite things to do because we can find 'new'ness in even familiar places.
✨ Drop into your senses. Smell, texture, sound and color all increase the chance of wonder catching you.
✨ Make a habit of looking for “the good weird.” Things that are unexpectedly delightful, intricate or strange.
Wonder is free and accessible. It is medicine that supports your emotional and physical health. And it is a practice. The more you look for it, the more it shows up. :)
What is one small moment of wonder and awe you experienced recently?
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Awe and Wonder
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