Awe From The Human Body

An Awe Practice

We see ourselves all the time. But, do we really see how awemazing the human body we inhabit really is?

As we go about our days, preoccupied with the business of living, we may be overlooking one of the biggest sources of awe in the universe: our bodies. — Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D.

We could examine this topic, the human body, from many different perspectives. From top to bottom or bottom to top. From inside out or outside in. From cellular to organ to system level, or starting with the system level and narrowing down to the cellular level.

Any way we look at it, our human bodies are one of the most wonderous of all things that we can think about.

Bill Bryson’s book, The Body: A Guide For Occupants, unfolds these wonders, to leave us in awe of our own bodies. Here are a few facts you can consider to get started:

• You are made of seven billion billion billion, or seven octillion, atoms
• The percentage of water that makes up your brain is 75–80 percent
• A morsel of your brains cortex, as small as a grain of sand, can hold the equivalent of all the movies ever made, including the trailers
• The lifespan of your DNA is tens of thousands of years

Think about each of those facts. Then, think about the second and third ones together. How can a brain made of 75–80 percent water possibly hold so much information? Can you believe your DNA will outlive you to such an extreme extent?

Look into someone’s eyes, or look into your own eyes in the mirror. Think about how it looks and how it works. Think about life without sight. Think about the marvelous things some people have accomplished without sight, utiliz the human body in different ways.

Think about number of people living on Earth and the uniqueness of a finger print. The human body, no matter how many brains spend a lifetime studying, will always be a wonder.

The human body is worthy of appreciation for all of its beautiful complexities and functions. —Maria Roussakis

Maria Roussakis brings up the complexity of muscle movement. I have studied this before at a basic level, yet my brain has simplified the process beyond recognition over the years. There is so much that goes into our every movement, even our involuntary movements. The concept of involuntary movement even brings a whole other set of wonders.

It is easy to take the complexity of the human body for granted as we go about our daily lives. But, if not for the depth of complexity, we wouldn’t be living the life we are living.

In sickness and in health, from conception to death, second by second, the human body is awe-inducing. Take some time to think about that, marinate in those feelings of awe, after all, awe is good for your health.

Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live. —Jim Rohn

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone will take some time to sit in wonder of the human body and embrace awe practices that can elevate us to new levels of awe!

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