July through the Senses
Simple pleasures, feeling like a kid, savoring summer's bounty
It’s the lazy summer season. How much are you getting outdoors right now?
Engaging our senses is a great way to find grounding when life is throwing us punches. So here are three ways to “get sensory” right now.
1. Get your feet wet (~10 minute or hours, depending on your mood)
Summers are getting hotter, which means the age old advice of walking barefoot for relaxation can pose risks this time of year, particularly in areas without trees.
So instead, why not make like a kid in a heatwave and engage in some old fashioned water play?
Plan a trip to a creek, lake or ocean…or fill up a bucket of water and dip your feet at the end of your work day.
Have kids of your own? Instead of sending them off with sprinklers, hoses, and water guns, let your guard down and join in on the fun!
2. Make a summer bouquet (~5 minutes)
Sometimes in the midst of all the adventuring of summer (the camping, the hikes, the picnics, the outings, the days at the pool), we can forget the simpler pleasures of this season of warmth and sun.
Among these pleasures are the many many kinds of flowers now blooming, from vibrant lilies and cone flowers, to the many different herbs.
Bring together whatever kinds of plants you want to form a summer bouquet.
Feeling fragrant? Try lavender or mint. Have young kids who want to join in? Don’t underestimate the beauty of a small bouquet of dandelions.
3. Savor summer fruits (~1 hour or more if you bake or cook with them)
Right now where I live in Portland, Oregon, fruit is everywhere!
Peach trees are practically falling over from the weight of their bounty. Wild Himalayan blackberries are fruiting (and spreading alongside roads, trails, and rivers) too much.
Fig trees are bursting with a rare bonus “breba” crop due to a warmer than average early summer.
Blueberries are having a great crop too.
Probably one of the easiest ways that you can connect with the outdoors right now is by enjoying the summer’s bounty of fruits.
Head to a farm. Forage local trees and trails for fruit. Say “yes, please!” when a neighbor offers you extras from their own tree.
Or just grab a big ole’ watermelon or cantaloupe the next time you are at the store, cut it open, and sit outdoors with your feet in that bucket of water and eat.