Big Awe can come in small packages

And why it's so important for your health, take it from this doctor!

“No puedes ir allí. No es para sillas de ruedas.” (You can’t go there, it’s not for wheelchairs.)

But go we did.

Two years ago, my family and I walked 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago. This doesn’t sound that unique until you add in that we were with my son in a wheelchair. When we walked and rolled into that final square in Santiago de Compostela, there wasn’t a dry eye in the square, including our family. It was a moment of awe. That we could do something so powerful and then inspire others around us to see the potential for something bigger as well.

It was truly a moment of awe and the neuroscience on awe actually suggests that the goosebumps we all had in that square amplified the effects. I wrote a longer piece this month in Top Sante UK on this experience if you are interested and want to read more.

For today, I mention this because moments of awe are important for your health. So important that the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine invited me to speak on Awe this past weekend.

Awe has so many health benefits. Awe…
🩺 Decreases inflammation
🩺 Turns down the default mode network that is our part of the brain that ruminates
🩺 Increases connection to ourselves and others
🩺 Revives meaning and purpose
🩺 Makes us more generous and want to care for others
🩺 Improves well-being

And what I really emphasized in my talk was that it does not have to be the larger moments people think of like my Camino or the Northern Lights.

You can find awe in the seemingly small moments. In fact, I would argue these connect us strongly to our immediate life.

Where can you find awe in your daily life so that you can feel these beneficial effects? For me, right now, it’s in my garden. I am an avid vegetable gardener but it’s my first year planting vegetables and herbs from seed. And I literally cannot believe that these small seeds are sprouting into food! I go out and ‘check on them’ multiple times a day and marvel at the way nature provides for us not only in sustenance but in a renewal of trust that even small seeds can bring forth mighty things. They are giving me so much Joy!

Look at these beauties! I’m a proud Mama!

When they look at human brains experiencing awe, using functional MRI imaging, awe acts the same way as deep prayer and meditation. It blurs the lines in our parietal lobe, diminishing our sense of self and encouraging a sense of oneness and connectedness.

I feel that when I tend to my garden. Like there’s something bigger at play. It makes my problems feel small. I think of it as feeling aligned with humanity instead of being persecuted by it.

When they did a study on people taking an “awe walk” for just 15 minutes, once a week for eight weeks, they found the individuals had more gratitude and compassion. I think you could walk as able or roll or why not sit and look for awe? They did this both in urban spaces and nature so there is so much potential here!

What can you find awe for today? Not because you should or it’s good for you, but because you DESERVE to have this booster of well-being and connection. Because you deserve to feel more connected to the world around you and to yourself.

I have awe that I simply turn the faucet and hot water comes out! Find your moments of awe and not only recognize them, but soak in them! Let your brain feel that deep sense of connection and humility. Give yourself the boost of goodness that the world may not be giving you right now. Not to bypass the pain but to understand there is also a bigger story. There is more here.

Let me know what awe you find in the coming days and let’s start an awe waterfall so that we can all feel more connected in our community! (And speaking of connection, I’ll see paid subscribers tomorrow on Saturday for our workshop! Zoom link coming!)