SENSUAL AWARENESS
This exercise is derived from the eco-therapy approach by George Burns in "Nature-guided therapy: Brief integrative strategies for health and well-being".
Surprisingly simple, insightful, and practical.
Invite participants to create 5 columns on a piece of paper. Label each with one of the 5 senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, sound.
Ask participants to write down as many examples as they can of how they receive pleasure, comfort or enjoyment for each of their 5 senses. (Allow 10-15 minutes)
Share and discuss. e.g., Invite people to find a partner and explain to one another how they gain pleasure through each of their senses - or discuss as larger group what people noticed about their lists. Possible questions:
+ Were people surprised by their lists?
+ Are the lists long or short?
+ Are the lists even or uneven?
+ Tick the items that you do each day - could you do more?
+ What if a person committed to experiencing at least one source of sensual pleasure from each sense each day? (This can be a practical, homework, assignment, to do this for a week and report back to the group).
Burns notes in his book that depressed people tend to have the shortest lists; the healthiest, happiest people tend to have long lists. After therapy, or even as part of therapy, people tend to develop longer lists.
Burns also discusses that many of the pleasures people describe are nature-based.