Greetings Village,

I recently took a class on Emotional Resilience for greater health and wellbeing.

Resilience can be defined as….

“The ability to bounce back after encountering difficulty or setbacks.”
Dr. Stephen Southwick, Resilience Researcher and Author

One practice to enhance emotional resilience that stood out to me was finding the “awe” moments in our lives. As I wrote about last month, my need to take a break from news headlines for the betterment of my health and wellbeing, not only did I take a break, but I needed to strike a balance to shift my spirits. After the class on emotional resilience, the idea of “seeking the awe” resonated with me.

Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, describes experiencing awe as . . .

“the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.”

Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (Penguin Press)

Experiencing awe can calm our nervous system, reduce our stress, and enhance our health and wellbeing as it connects us to life’s mysteries.

So how can we experience awe?

Well for me it's in the small moments, the moments that can pass you by if you are too distracted. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

For me, I experience awe the most when I’m in nature, but I don’t always have to be “hiking” outdoors to experience it. Most recently, I stepped outside of my car, grabbed my yoga mat for my 6am class, and saw that the stars in the sky were vivid and bright. They stopped me in my tracks and I just took a moment to gaze in wonder.

Last week, my daughter spotted two large deer in our backyard. They were just staring at us, and us, back at them. Yes Alice and I were in the middle of the morning rush for school, but we stopped and admired the deer in silence.

Have you encountered moments like these?

When do you experience awe?

As with everything, practice helps it to become a habit.

Once you start seeking awe, the more you will see it.

Gratefully,

Lesley

P.S. I’d love to hear your awe moments!