The Weight of a Butterfly

Sensing the world around us is pretty amazing, even though we usually don’t notice much of the little things. From feeling the warmth of the sun to a soft breeze, we’re constantly picking up on subtle signals without thinking much about it. But how do we notice the really delicate sensations—like a butterfly landing on your shoulder?

This kind of awareness comes from how our nervous system works. It turns out, the smaller the sensation, the more attention we need to pay in order to feel it. The Weber-Fechner Law helps explain this by saying we notice changes in proportion to what we’re already

feeling.

A Butterfly on a Backpack

Let’s say you’re carrying a backpack stuffed with heavy books. If a butterfly landed on the backpack, you wouldn’t feel it—there’s too much weight already. But if it lands on your shoulder, you’re more likely to notice it right away because there’s no big load distracting you.

Why Doing Less Helps Us Sense More

This idea of feeling small changes shows why less is more when it comes to sensing. The less noise there is (whether it’s physical weight, tension, or movement), the easier it is to notice subtle things. That’s why in practices like Feldenkrais, we focus on gentle, small movements. It helps us tune into the tiny signals from our body.

So, next time you're slowing down and tuning into yourself, think of it like trying to feel the weight of a butterfly—you’ll suddenly notice a new world of sensations...