Coming to our senses: the power of beauty to renew and regenerate

October 20, 8:37 PMNorth Bay Practical Spirituality ExaminerAmara Rose

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"A person's life purpose is nothing more than to rediscover, through the detours of art, or love, or passionate work, those one or two images in the presence of which his heart first opened."

~ Albert Camus

If you're feeling a sensory superabundance these days, it's not just stress — or the impending holiday season. As we evolve into our galactic selves, each physical vessel is being fine-tuned like a Stradivarius. This can manifest in curious ways, from pressure in the ears to a sudden aptitude upgrade, such as enhanced singing ability. (I've experienced both, and am enjoying the latter!)

While wanting to reduce the wattage is understandable, we err if we damp down our natural ardor. Accustomed to the anesthetic, unflinching as sirens wail and graffiti erupts, we become blunted to the renewing power of beauty — even as we appear hardwired to appreciate it.

A scientific study reveals that the Golden Ratio (also known as Phi), which informs the very essence of our Milky Way, elicits a strong emotional response in the human brain.

Certainly the Italian visionary who constructed a stunning series of subterranean chambers feels the connection. He says the Temples of Damanhur — which means City of Light — "are to remind people that we are all capable of much more than we realize, and that hidden treasures can be found within every one of us once you know how to access them."

Benedictine monk and spiritual leader Brother David Steindl-Rast says gratitude is the keynote to recognizing the beauty before us and within us. His evocative video, A Good Day reminds us of the only appropriate response to each now moment.



In an ever-accelerating climate of change, taking the time to engage in global heartwarming can ignite a refreshing cooling trend. With her eye on the Phi, Anita Kroon birthed this inspiring Medicine Wheel in 2002, based on a dream.

The image hung for a season in a church in Edam, Netherlands, where Anita is a volunteer. She writes, "This is the biggest hall church in Europe. [The Medicine Wheel] stood behind the candle rack, so you can imagine it's 'highly loaded'. Especially with humor!"

The Wheel strikes me as a signal we might beam into space, communicating to other sentient life what our planet most values: Beauty. Balance. Diverse habitats and inhabitants. And a brilliant joie de vivre that saturates the retina.

Now, that's good medicine.

For further inspiration:

How to See Yourself As An Artist

The Art of Awareness: Painting Your Aliveness on Life's Canvas

When Faced with the Unfamiliar, Improvise!