What’s On Your Mind? Part 6:
Taste, The Breath & The Mind

By Elizabeth Sullivan

Having Good Taste

Ever wonder what makes a person have good taste? An adventurous palette? Ability to distinguish flavors? Taste for life? How taste can support a person’s creativity and ability to manifest ideas?

Sense Organs & Organs of Action aka Sensory-Motor Loop

The input sense organs, and output organs of action illustrate the sensory motor loop flow, and how learning happens. Try sensing and feeling the connection to the tongue and the reproductive organs. Our sense of taste on our tongue is constantly communicating with us to keep us in balance and health!

Sense of Taste:

• Input sense organ – mouth (6 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, bitter)
• Output organ of action in the world – reproductive organs, our ability to create and manifest in the world our desires and thoughts.
• What we eat becomes us–and what we become informs what we eat and how we nourish ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Daily routines also known as Dinacharya in Ayurveda, can keep the senses clear, and the mind and breath be well supported. Choose one you wish to try that you feel will give you the support you need for clarity of taste and manifestation of your creativity. Please know that there are many ways to work with a daily routine, some mentioned here are for you to get a taste for what works for you today, but by no means is it a complete list, and it will depend on your current state and what is best for you to try. So be discerning and note which one calls to you.

Daily Routine Invitations:

Simple Daily Practices (Dinacharya) to support the sensory organ of the Tongue/Taste (sense organs ​a​re the way our mind receives information from the world).​

Tongue (tasting)

• Try t​ongue scraping​ as part of your morning routine before you go to brush your teeth to remove the toxins from the night that accumulate here.
• Notice how what you eat affects the mind.
• Try eating all six tastes within a day, or within a meal–bitter, astringent, pungent, sweet, sour, salty. What happens to your sense of taste and your mind?

Simple Daily Practices to nourish our motor organ of Reproductive Organs/Creativity (motor organs are the way we act/impress upon the world).

Reproductive organs (ability to procreate, create, manifest)

• Use creativity regularly to stir energy: journal, collage, meditate.
• Find ways to stimulate intimacy in yourself and relationships with close loved ones—nourish your deep sense of satisfaction in the body/soma, which supports self-healing.
• Enjoy your sacred sexuality.

Invitations for Self Study:

Simple Daily Practices to Nourish the Sensory Motor Loop with the Breath and the Mind –

Notice your Breath:

• What happens to your breath when you eat a certain taste?
• What happens to your breath, and your energy when you eat food that feels soothing and nourishing to your tissues and body?
• What happens to your breath when you eat something to stimulate the mind?
• What happens when you bring your awareness to the breath by inhaling into the nostrils with a slow, smooth pace, and then letting the breath go low into the reproductive organs, into the pelvic floor? How does a lower breath support your mind, body, and emotions
• What happens to your breath when you are deep in the creative process?

Notice your Mind:

• When you eat something with a certain taste how does it affect your state of mind? ex. sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, bitter.
• Pay attention to your state of mind before and after eating. If the mind is dull how can you awaken it with spices?
• If the mind is overactive how can you soothe it with what you eat?
• If the mind is calm, focused and serene, how can you support it with taste and creative endeavors?

Get a feel for how the element of water supports your taste buds and digestion of your food, emotions, and experiences to manifest your creative response to life.

Journal your observations and findings as you open this magnificent sensory motor loop of the tongue and the reproductive organs–that inspire taste and creativity.

Elizabeth Sullivan

Elizabeth Sullivan is an expert instructor, certified yoga therapist, and practitioner in Yoga, Energy Work and Ayurveda. She supports the body to optimally function using neuromuscular reeducation and working with energy patterns. By integrating and aligning body, mind and spirit energy, she creates relaxation, increased energy flow, optimized sleep and a clear mind for her clients. Her work helps people hold higher consciousness to live their optimal lives. Elizabeth offers private lessons, group classes and workshops, and online programs for health practitioners, and also writes for health publications. She holds advanced degrees in Dev. Psychology, Education and Writing, along with certifications in each instructional area. To learn more, visit elizabetheilerssullivan.com.

Elizabeth Sullivan, MFA, MA, BA, Certified Yoga Therapy, Energy Medicine
elizabetheilerssullivan.com

Founding member, Community for Higher Consciousness
See Elizabeth’s bio and class schedule.

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