An Introduction To The Five Senses

Today we wanted to chat about the importance of the five senses and how they’re interconnected. Soon you’ll be able to experience the wonderful Sensory Retreats Divine Escape experience. It’s a brand new addition to our treatment portfolio here at The Banwell Clinic and we can’t wait for you all to experience it.

Until then, you can still tap into all five senses anytime you feel like you need to take five from the stresses of life. We’ll give you some useful tips below that you can all practise from home in the meantime.

 Why Are All Five Senses So Important?

By harnessing not one, two or even three but ALL five senses, you will experience feelings of warmth, self-love, deep inner healing, and a powerful sense of peace. 

What Are The Five Senses And How Are They Connected?

Just like the delicate petals of the Lotus flower, the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are all deeply connected.

The sensing organ associated with each sends a powerful signal to our brain. Putting us back in touch with nature’s heartbeat, enabling us to better connect to the environment in which we live, while increasing our level of perception.

In today’s challenging environment, when overwhelm and anxiety are likely to creep in more than usual, listening intuitively to your senses and honouring them has never been more important. We want The Banwell Clinic blog to be a source of inspiration to you all.

Let’s Take A Closer Look At Each Of The Five Senses

What Part Does Sight Have To Play?

Perceiving things with our eyes is a complex process. Light reflects off objects onto the eye, acting almost like the lens of a camera. The iris works as a shutter, to retract and expand, letting more or less light (visuals) in. The lens of the eye bends that light and focuses it on the retina, which is full of nerve cells. Those cells are shaped like rods and cones. The cones translate light into colours and details, while the rods translate light into peripheral vision and motion.

It’s often the case that people without sight experience enhanced hearing, touch, taste and smell. Even in cases of profound blindness, the brain can rewire information to enable interaction with your environment.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When you surrender the sense of sight, you heighten the intensity of your remaining senses.

HOW CAN YOU TAP INTO THAT SENSE AT HOME? Find a tranquil space whether it be the bedroom, in the bath or a favourite spot in the garden and cover your eyes with a cocooning eye mask.

Why Is Sound So Important? 

Hearing is another incredibly complex process. The human ear is a complicated labyrinth of tunnels and canals that transmit sound waves and vibrations. Tiny hairs cells inside an organ called the Corti, translate vibrations into electrical impulses which travel to the brain via sensory nerves.

Hearing is directly linked to our sense of balance and helps maintain and regulate equilibrium, as well as carrying sound signals to the brain.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When you surrender the sense of sound, your body is brought into harmony with nature.

HOW CAN YOU TAP INTO THAT SENSE AT HOME? Listen to the deeply soothing and therapeutic sounds of crystal singing bowls.

 

Sense of Smell And The Role It Plays

Did you know that humans can smell over 1 trillion different scents? We use something called the olfactory cleft, which is located on the roof of the nasal cavity. It was originally believed that humans could only differentiate between 10,000 smells, but new research has thrown that theory out of the water. The sense of smell in humans is now thought to be as advanced as that of dogs and other mammals. Old age has a significant effect on olfactory impairment.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When you surrender the sense of smell, you reawaken the senses.

HOW CAN YOU TAP INTO THAT SENSE AT HOME? Massage your favourite wellbeing oil into your pulse points and take a moment to breathe deeply.

 

How We Experience the Sense of Taste?

When it comes to taste, there are five different sensations; salty, sweet, sour, bitter and also something known as umami. There may be even more flavours that as yet are undiscovered. It’s also interesting to note that spicy isn’t a function of taste but rather a signal of pain.

Taste is experienced in the taste buds of which adults have in the region of 2000 to 4000. Most are located on the tongue, but they also line the back of the throat, as well as the epiglottis, naval capacity and the oesophagus. All fives tastes can be experienced anywhere on the tongue although the sides are much more sensitive than the middle.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When you surrender to the sense of taste, you’re able to naturally stimulate the body.

HOW CAN YOU TAP INTO THAT SENSE AT HOME? Awaken your senses with a refreshing and invigorating cup of herbal tea 

Why Touch Is So Important?

It’s thought that touch is the very first sense we develop as humans. Touch is experienced in several ways. As temperature, pressure, vibration, pain and light touch, all of which are communicated to the brain through specialised neurons in the skin. The sense of taste has aided human evolution, protecting the species from eating something that might be rotten or poisonous.

But touch is more than something we use to interact with the world; it’s also crucially important to our overall wellbeing and is the primary way in which we convey compassion and empathy with each other.

Touch is powerful. It can influence us to make decisions and can change our perception and orientation, instantly enhancing our mood.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? When you surrender to the sense of touch, you feel deeply connected to your environment. 

HOW CAN YOU TAP INTO THAT SENSE AT HOME? Hold something like a rose quartz crystal close to your heart and allow its gentle energy and soothing touch to flood your body with emotional healing.

Introducing the Sensory Retreats Divine Escape Experience

Sensory Retreats is an enchanting and indulgent journey of holistic wellbeing, captivating both the physical needs as well as emotional to relax, rebalance and reset the body, mind and soul. Uniquely, a Divine Escape experience doesn’t work on touch alone, but instead harnesses all five-senses; sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

Feeling connected has never been more important and tapping into all five senses can help put you in touch with the frequency of self care. You’ll be transported to a place of deep relaxation, reawakening, renewing and rebalancing the senses. We can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself.

For more wellbeing tips and ideas and to find out more about the wide range of treatments and services on offer at The Banwell Clinic

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