A Canvas for the Heart - Understanding Physicality

As we all know, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' The traditional understanding of this popular adage says that each person perceives beauty in their own, unique way. However, when we really think about it, life isn't an experience derived from mere sight alone. Rather, it is the combination - and cooperation - of all our senses, processed by the mind and deepened by the heart to form a wholesome and multifaceted picture. Therefore, it would only hold true that if one wishes to maximize the quality of their life experiences, they must tune in to their senses - both individually and as a group - and get in touch with the true meaning of what they are picking up. Only then will it be possible to bring meaning to our interaction with the physical world, instead of it being just a mundane and obvious element of our existence.

 Ultimately, we want to be able to bridge the gap between our souls and the physical world which surrounds us.

Recently, I had an experience which brought this concept to light - literally.

We were just wrapping up our little barbeque, when my friends and I savored the last few moments of a fantastic day at the beach. As the sun began to fell, a silence started to set in as the crashing of the waves subsided. A cool breeze fluttered against my bare skin.
Then, in what I perceived as only a matter of seconds, the skies illuminated into a glorious aurora of red, orange and blue tones, painting a breathtaking masterpiece in front of our very eyes. As clouds changed shape and moved across the sky, new colors started emerging, creating new medleys of vibrant hues every second. It was like watching an Impressionist painting being formed, stroke by stroke, detail by detail, color by color.

As this beautiful phenomenon unfolded before me, I could still feel the cool and sharp breeze whisking by my face, carrying with it the refreshing aroma of the sea. Accompanying all this, was the subtle ambiance of the relaxing, pulsating waves slowly rolling onto the shore.

It was a powerful moment. And all I wanted to do was capture it, take some of it for myself, and keep it stored forever in a safe place that no one can touch or see other than me. I wanted this experience to be - mine.
I knew that there was some deep message written in the patterns in the sky, communicated through the breeze, the soft waves, and the ocean's aroma.
I knew this experience had held some personal significance - it was trying to tell me something. I didn't figure it out then, and I'm still trying to figure it out now. But the point is that I was able to capture the experience inside myself. It forever lies in me, and will always be there for me to recall, reinterpret, relive.

That day, my senses, as a whole, were a Canvas for the Heart, vessels through which my feelings, passions, dreams, and goals can interact with the outside world. The depths of my soul were now the experiences of reality. The world around me and the world inside me were one.


I beseech all of you to take advantage of what you have - G-d bestowed upon us an amazing gift - the ability to sense. He didn't do this for no reason - He wants us to interact with the world around us which He created, so that we can draw personal and unique meaning into our lives. If we don't realize this, we will close ourselves off to an entire dimension of meaning, hope and inspiration. And possibly even more crucially, we will close ourselves off to an entire dimension of ourselves.

"The senses are our bridge between the incomprehensible and the comprehensible."
- August Macke
                                                                                                                   
 - PH