In this conversation, we delve the profound connection between our senses and our experiences with food, nourishment, and relationships. We discuss how sensory experiences shape our memories and interactions, emphasizing the importance of community and shared knowledge in parenting. The conversation highlights the need for mindfulness and presence in our daily lives, encouraging listeners to create sensory-rich environments for themselves and their children.

In this episode of Illuminating Being, we reflect on the rich tapestry of our sensory experiences and how they shape our relationship with food, our communities, and ourselves. Over the past several conversations in this series, we’ve explored the deep interplay between mind, body, and spirit — and how our senses help us live more awake, more aware, and more connected.

Reclaiming Our Senses to Reclaim Ourselves

From taste to smell, sight to touch, sound to that elusive sixth sense—our conversations uncovered just how powerful our senses are in shaping our relationship with food, our bodies, and ultimately, our identity. As Dr. Somers said, our sensory experiences aren’t just fleeting inputs—they become memory, emotion, anticipation, and connection. They are how we know the world—and how we create home, community, and joy.

Whether it’s walking into grandma’s house and being met with the familiar smell of roast and potatoes, or planting seeds with our kids and watching their eyes light up as green shoots emerge—these small sensory experiences root us in something profound. They ground us in the now.

The Family Meal: A Sacred Ritual

Dr. Somers reminded us that one of our earliest and most formative memories is often the family meal. It’s not just about nourishment; it’s about relationship, ritual, safety, and identity. It’s also an invitation—to listen, to be seen, to be valued. Around the table, through the questions we ask, and the stories we share, we model presence for our children.

And let’s not forget the unseen forces that shape our patterns: the habits we inherit, the fears we unconsciously pass on, and the information overload that tells us there’s a “right” way to eat, parent, or live. Dr. Somers emphasized something we too often forget—fear should not be the driver of how we feed or raise our children. Curiosity and presence should be.

Presence Over Perfection:Embracing the Now

One of the most powerful insights we circled back to was the idea of the arrival fallacy—the belief that happiness or fulfillment will arrive once we’ve “made it,” reached the goal, lost the weight, gotten the promotion, or raised the kids. The truth? Life is happening right now. It’s in the breath. It’s in the sensation of the morning air, the birdsong, the crunch of carrots at the table, or the sticky fingers exploring mashed avocado.

We are not waiting to arrive. We are already here.

Wisdom in Community

These conversations reminded me—and hopefully reminded you—that we are communal beings. We are not meant to figure it all out in isolation or rely on Instagram feeds to learn how to raise our kids. We are meant to lean on one another, to reclaim the art of storytelling, to listen and be listened to. The wisdom of the village still matters. We just have to choose to rebuild it.

Simple Sensory Practices for Everyday Life

So here’s our invitation to you:

Sit at the table tonight and ask your child what their favorite scent is.
Go outside barefoot and feel the earth.
Make a meal and savor the texture of every bite.
Turn off the podcast and listen to the birds for a moment.
Read with your child. Plant a seed. Laugh out loud.

These are not trivial acts—they are the essence of Living Awake.

Closing Thought

From both of us, thank you for journeying through this series. May you continue to explore, to connect, and to live awake—one breath, one meal, one shared story at a time.

The Senses: A Journey Through Nourishment