Cultivating Resource with the Five Senses
The first thing I always want to do when I’m working on stress management or healing PTSD, whether it’s with a group or an individual, is cultivating resource. Resource is a feeling of being peaceful, joyful, secure, safe, and supported. Occasionally one of my clients will find this place for the first time ever, and the feeling is a revelation. One reason resourcing is the starting point is that when you’re healing, it’s so helpful to know where you’re going. In this way, I suppose you could say we’re reverse engineering the process. Once you find your resource, the next step is to spend as much time there as possible- simply having the experience of feeling peaceful is healing in itself. Finally, it’s essential to practice finding that feeling in easy times, when your stress or trigger level is low. Over time, you’ll be able to find your resource with ease in progressively more challenging situations.
One of my favorite ways to guide resourcing is by using the imagination and the five senses. This technique is often referred to as guided imagery or visualization, but don’t worry if you’re not visual. The imagination is very powerful, and it can create sensory data from all of the senses to craft an entire experience that your body believes is real. In addition to sensory areas in the brain, the imagination can stimulate areas associated with memory, emotion, and sensory processing. Recruiting so many different areas of your brain can help shift you out of the stress response. It’s physiologically impossible to be imaginative and creative, a forebrain activity, when we’re in the defensive survival state, a hindbrain activity.
To see at how imagination affects stress, let’s look at each of the five senses individually:
Sight
Visualizing calming scenes, such as a serene beach or a peaceful forest, can help reduce stress by activating the brain's visual cortex. Research has shown that imagining natural environments can lower cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone, and promote a sense of tranquility.
Sound
Imagining soothing sounds, like the gentle rustle of leaves or the calming flow of a stream, can activate the auditory cortex and trigger the relaxation response. Studies have found that listening to or imagining calming sounds can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a more relaxed state.
Touch
Visualizing comforting physical sensations, such as the warmth of a cozy blanket or the gentle touch of a loved one, can stimulate the somatosensory cortex and release oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and stress relief. This can help alleviate feelings of anxiety and promote relaxation.
Taste
Imagining the taste of your favorite foods or drinks can activate the gustatory cortex and provide a momentary escape from stress. Research has shown that savoring pleasant tastes can enhance mood and reduce stress by promoting the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals.
Smell
Visualizing pleasant scents, such as the aroma of lavender or the freshness of a pine forest, can activate the olfactory cortex and trigger the relaxation response. Studies have demonstrated that imagining calming scents can reduce anxiety and promote a sense of well-being. To view my source for the information in this article, click here.
Imagining with your five senses, you can paint a multidimensional picture that transforms your reality. It’s a simple yet powerful technique that you can do anywhere, anytime. You don’t need any special equipment or WiFi. Being able to engage your healing practice without reliance on any external object is the ultimate in self-empowerment.
Try it Out
Here’s an example of the work I’m talking about. It’s a five senses resourcing meditation. I hope you enjoy!
Coming in 2025…
My online class, Somatic Yoga Evolution, will be available in 2025. I’ve been pouring my love into this class for a long time, and I’m so happy I will soon be able to share it with you. In Somatic Yoga Evolution you will:
Learn how your nervous system works, and why your reactions are not your fault!
Finally feel comfortable being present in your own body.
Use multiple techniques to regulate your nervous system.
Release stored emotions.
Customize your somatic yoga practice to fit your needs.
Free access to the course for one year.
