6 Ways to Cultivate AWE in your Life (and your own backyard)
Even Deepok Chopra’s team at the Chopra center is getting into the excitement around AWE. We all have experienced the benefits, but maybe didn’t know we were experiencing AWE. How exciting! The cool thing is that the science proves that we get the same benefits from everyday experiences as we do standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
In my TEDx talk, I share the story of a tiny mushroom that stopped one of my clients in his tracks. You too can experience the benefits of AWE inspiring moments…. Right in your own backyard.
Here are some tips to experience Backyard AWE™. #backyardawe #AWE
6 Ways to Cultivate AWE in your Life (and your own backyard)
1. Begin a daily practice using the 3-step AWE method
Arrive – Get present
Access – Open your heart, mind, body and soul
Anchor – Hold the feeling and take it with you
2. Go outside often
Walk in nature and let yourself feel AWE
Leave your devices behind and just be present and look
Look once, look twice and look a third time. Notice.
3. Allow yourself to be amazed
AWE is a mindset… It is an adventurous attitude toward living.
Experiencing AWE may seem like something that requires travel to distant lands, but there are many opportunities closer to home, seek them out and notice.
4. Get out of your comfort zone
“Sometimes we have to travel to the edges of ourselves to find the center.”
Outside the comfort zone is where the AWE happens
5. Savor the beauty and let it sink in
In Rick Hanson’s book Just One Thing– he shares that scientists believe that your brain has a built in negativity bias, (Baumeister study in 2001). We evolved to watch out for danger so we wouldn’t get eaten by saber tooth tigers. We are no longer running for survival, but our brain still reacts more to negative stimulus. Scientists have proven that painful experiences are usually more memorable than pleasurable ones. By tilting your brain toward the good- you can level the playing field.
Look for the good- look for any fact in your life that is good- actual and true. LET YOURSELF FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT. We often let good pass right by us. Let the good facts affect you. Do it at least 6 times a day. Let it sink in for 10, 20 30 seconds. Soften and open up to the experience.
Be aware of any reluctance towards positive experiences (thinking you don’t deserve it). If you feel good, you might lower your guard. Drink it in. The longer you hold this awareness, the more emotionally stimulating it is the more the neurons fire and wire together… and the stronger the trace in your memory. Taking it in, you will feel better inside. You will be less fragile and needy. You happiness will become more unconditional, increasingly based on inner fullness, rather than external conditions.
6. Be in AWE of yourself
Give yourself a break and sometimes take a moment to realize your accomplishments.
When you are having a bad day, literally stop and reflect on all of the accomplishments to date. Practice. People forget how far they have come and it will serve you well to give yourself a little credit. Try it and see if it doesn’t give you added energy and a sense of possibility to tackle even your stickiest problems. It is not in our nature. But being in AWE of yourself is a great way to build your resilience. You can allow yourself to be proud and use it to build you up for the next big challenge.
Read Deepok Chopra’s perspective on AWE here but I’ll share a little preview below.
“Have you ever gotten chills as you lay on the moss carpeted forest floor while gazing up at the tall sequoias? Or have you had your mind blown when introduced to a fascinating concept like consciousness? If you have, then you know what it’s like to experience awe. Awe is a positive emotion that can help you feel more connected, heighten your altruism, and possibly even decrease inflammation in your body.”