Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/709470
"In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty." —Christopher Morley B eauty is one of the essential graces of living on earth. It surrounds us and entrains our capacity to notice and rec- ognize its presence. Beauty has the power to transform us and everything we touch, and that begins in our hearts. The media constantly misdirects us to a specifi c, and argu- ably limited type of beauty that parades as fashion in youthful perfect silhouettes, airbrushed wide-eyed models with chiseled features and perfectly coiffed hair. This commercial beauty is the kind that drives us either to despairing feelings of not measuring up or seduces us into buying just one more thing that will bring us closer to that exclusive experience of beauty. Yet, most people, when asked about where they witness beauty, rarely mention glamorous magazine models. They're more likely to rhapsodize about the way the evening light trans- forms the trees in their backyard, majestic mountains or thrilling sunsets, or even the scent of freshly baked bread. More powerful than even the wonders of the natural world is the beauty that fl ows through authentic human connection. It is easy to feel teary-eyed when we bear witness to simple kind- nesses exchanged between strangers, the wide-eyed innocence of a child in a poverty-ravaged country offering a fl ower to a tourist, the adoring smiles exchanged between a dog and its human, or lovers who steal a kiss before the subway door closes. James Hillman wisely wrote, "We have a moral obligation to restore beauty to a place of centrality in daily life." The effort required is really only one of attention, not creation. In simply witnessing the beauty before us, we awaken both acceptance and gratitude. Beauty graces us as it teaches us to that in letting things be as they are, we appreciate life as it is. Perhaps one of the most profound, yet often-overlooked con- nections beauty offers is as a gateway to our erotic selves. Beauty, eroticism and the visceral experience of pleasure are all inter- twined, and as we open ourselves to the deep sensory experi- ence of the varied and vast pleasures our bodies can hold, beauty awakens a lust for life, showing us the way to our innate eroticism. healthy living SEX TALK Beauty awakens a lust for life GATEWAY TO THE EROTIC SELF By Wendy Strgar Cielito Lindo Taos, New Mexico Imagine living on 20 pristine acres on a seasonal pond in an established and fully sustainable off-the-grid community near Taos. Spectacular 360° views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, bordered by protected BLM land, billions of stars in a clear night sky, and only 25 minutes to Taos, 35 minutes to Taos Ski Valley. Build your own adobe or passive house and live utility free! $39,000 505.466.3915 • legacy@cybermesa.com 16 wholelifetimes.com