Sensitivity as Perception

“Sensitive is the new strong” as Anita Moorjani reminds us.

Over the years I’ve noticed something about sensitivity, particularly to strong synthetic scents like perfume.

For a long time, sensitivity tended to be framed as fragility, as though the body is somehow “too reactive.” But I’ve also come to understand it differently. Often what we call sensitivity actually may be a form of attunement. Whether innate or stimulated by environment or challenging experiences in life.

Sensitivity is not always innate (see end of blog for more details).. Our fields are always adapting. Sensitivity is not fragility. It is the refinement of perception through coherence.

Some nervous systems and energetic fields are highly permeable, simply more permeable to subtle information, open to subtle frequencies, designed to read subtle signals. They read environments, emotional tone, and energetic signals very quickly, whether the awareness is conscious in the mind or not. This can be a gift of perception, a kind of finely tuned instrument. Not better, simply a way of being and experiencing.

But when a system that is highly attuned encounters very dense or synthetic signals, like strong fragrances or chemical scents, it can easily become overwhelmed. Not because it is weak, but because it is receiving more information, or too dense of information, than it can comfortably process in that moment. When a person is more sensitive, they are more affected by dense frequencies (like perfume, synthetic fragrances) or incoherent signals and their system becomes overwhelmed.

Sensitivity, when understood this way, becomes less something to apologize for and more something to navigate with awareness.

It can become a compass rather than a burden.

If you are sensitive ... here’s a short ‘selective permeability’ practice to keep your sensitivity but also keep out the ‘noise’:

Duration: 5–10 minutes. Posture: Seated or lying down. Breath Ratio: 4-6-8-4 (inhale-hold-exhale-hold)

Grounding Inhale (4 seconds)

Breathe in slowly through the nose.

Imagine the breath entering through the soles of your feet.

Say silently: “I receive only what nourishes.”

Hold (6 seconds)

Let the breath expand gently in your chest.

Feel your field widen, but not collapse.

Say silently: “I am open, but not unguarded.”

Exhale (8 seconds)

Release the breath through the mouth, like a soft sigh.

Imagine dense, incoherent or synthetic frequencies leaving your field.

Say silently: “I release what is not mine.”

Hold (4 seconds)

Rest in stillness.

Feel your field recalibrate.

Say silently: “I am attuned to coherence.”

Repeat this cycle 5–7 times.

After the final round, sit in silence for 1 minute.

Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.

Integration phrase: “Sensitivity is not fragility. It is attunement. I am a finely tuned instrument. I receive only what resonates with my coherence.”

Developing Sensitivity through Life:

Sensitivity can increase positively through: Influence from: Coherent fields (people, places, or experiences). Practices (like meditation, breathwork, or energy work). Intentional exposure to high-frequency environments. Meditation increases interoceptive awareness, your ability to feel subtle shifts inside. Breathwork stabilizes the nervous system, allowing you to perceive without overwhelm. Being around **coherent people entrains your field to higher stability. Nature immersion recalibrates your baseline frequency.

Sensitivity can also be entrained or increased by trauma or prolonged stress. Trauma sensitizes the nervous system, making it more reactive to stimuli that were once neutral. This is not a flaw, it is a protective adaptation. The system becomes more sensitive not because it is weak, but because it is trying to protect itself by over-reading the environment. When the body experiences prolonged stress or emotional overload, it begins to map safety and threat onto sensory inputs. We can work with these sensitivities, not to eliminate them, but to reduce their impact and restore coherence. This is not about desensitizing. It is about retraining the field to discern again. Here is a short evening integration practice and reflection prompts to work with sensitivities, if it calls.

Evening Integration (3 minutes)

• Sit with eyes closed.

• Recall one moment of sensitivity from the day.

• Ask: “Was this mine, or was I mirroring someone else?”

• Breathe in: “I receive.”

• Breathe out: “I return.”

• End with: “I am safe in my own field.”

Weekly reflection: “What strengthened my field?” “What drained it?”

**Coherent people. Who to Walk With: The Compass of Coherent Companionship. No one can be coherent all the time. But… we can aim to be someone, and be around those, who: Return to coherence with grace. Spend more time in stillness than in chaos. Do not make others responsible for their regulation. Name their waves without drowning others in them. Invite others into presence, not performance.

To support everyone’s experience during our group sound healings, we kindly ask that participants refrain from wearing perfumes or colognes. This helps maintain a clear energetic field for all. Thank you for your understanding and sensitivity.