Reclaiming the Deep Sensuous as an Evolutionary Imperative
We live in a sensuous world. The touch of a breeze, the sweet moisture of a strawberry resting on a welcoming tongue, the radiant warmth of the sun, the visual caress of a candle, the melting of a snowflake on one’s nose, the good morning song of a robin, the scent of lavender, the touch of dew soaked grass on the soles of your feet, fingers, yours or another’s gently caressing the contours of your skin. Of course the list is endless. We live in a sensuous world.
Held within the embrace of the Elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Ether we are bathed and nourished daily by the deep sensuous nourishment of life. Why have we forgotten this? When every moment nature calls us to celebrate and enjoy the pleasures of creation in the simple everydayness of that which we taste, touch, smell, hear and see.
In my 20s and 30s my quest to find meaning in life, beyond what I had been told life was all about, led me to a new kind of spirituality that embraced views that made my soul sing. I was a serious spiritual quester for 20 years – and then I got sick. While the teachings supported me greatly in recognizing indoctrinated patterns of belief, habits, and helped to transform the tyrannical God of my childhood into a loving presence which, at least conceptually, I knew I was a part of. And while we took great care in all of our tasks, ate healthy homemade meals, etc. in the community I was part of, I did not experience nor was the deep sensuous and innate intelligence of our organism and of nature acknowledged as essential to spiritual fulfillment. Spirituality and Earth/body were separate to each other in my consciousness. Of course a house divided eventually leads to dis-ease.
Through my healing process I discovered that within my organism, with her myriad of sensations, emotions, imaginations and appetites for Life lives a wisdom and intelligence that is primal, true, pure and completely connected within the larger Earth Community. I have spent the last 30 years of my life reclaiming this. Sorting through early childhood traumas and indoctrinated ideas as to what ‘true pleasure’ is, I discovered that following ones bliss from an ‘eco-system participant’ point of view is ultimately the way of greatest joy – and – service to the whole.
Life is not meant to be a ‘chore’, a burden and all about ‘getting the job done’ or ‘getting’ anything for that matter. It’s about the pleasure of participation. These concepts and ideas that we are separate to the whole are born of an industrial growth, patriarchal mindset that tells us that happiness is in power over, consumption, and that it is human nature to use each other and the earth for our pleasures. This is not true. There is no ‘me’ outside of the whole.
Life is a beautiful thing. Full of wonder, dripping with beauty and creativity. With social structures falling apart all around us, deception, twisted truths, separation and alienation from each other and the natural world escalating, we as a human species are making vital choices at this critical time in our evolution. Choices for the ongoingness of our species, for the other-than-human beings and for the natural world. Let us, during these times of such rapid change not forget to open ourselves to the enlivening beauty all around us. For it is within our gratitude and love for creation that the answers lay. I believe that it is only as we reclaim the sweet nourishment of the deep sensors in all areas of our lives that we will be able to withstand the enormous challenges of these times.
As I write this I am sitting beside my spiral garden near the pond. A little hummingbird is feasting upon the sweetness of the Lambquarter flowers about to come into full bloom. She doesn’t hesitate in her quest for the sweet juices of life and it is a reminder to me that joy lives in the heart of this beautiful home planet we all are privileged to be a part of.
As one of our Permaculture participants said – “I am wildly in love with life and in awe of the utter beauty and sheer genius of Mother Nature.”
Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera, Co-director of The Living Centre
Founder of Shamanu: Earth Wisdom Teachings
