High Sensitivity

Living consciously · The person

Sensitivity is a gift!

Being highly sensitive is often interpreted as a weakness. For me it is truly a gift. Highly sensitive people take in many impressions at once – they lack the filter that separates the important from the unimportant. That can be overwhelming, but at the same time it grants a special depth, empathy and perception.

What the research says

The term goes back to the American psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron, who in the mid-1990s described the „Highly Sensitive Person“ (HSP) and the concept of Sensory Processing Sensitivity. According to estimates, about 15–20 % of people are highly sensitive – across all cultures and even in the animal kingdom. What matters to me: high sensitivity is not an illness and not a diagnosis, but a personality trait. The highly sensitive nervous system simply processes stimuli more thoroughly and more deeply.

The four hallmarks (DOES)

Elaine Aron sums up high sensitivity in four characteristics, known in English as DOES:

• Depth of processing (Depth) – impressions and information are thought through and reflected upon more thoroughly.
• Easily overstimulated (Overstimulation) – many stimuli at once overload the nervous system more quickly.
• Strong emotional resonance & empathy (Emotional reactivity) – feelings are experienced intensely, including those of others.
• A sense for subtleties (Sensing the subtle) – the quiet, the delicate, the barely perceptible is noticed.

Perhaps you recognise yourself in one point or another – and perhaps not in all of them. Because: every highly sensitive person is different.

Yoga for highly sensitive people

In my classes for highly sensitive people, the first thing is to accept your own way of being instead of toughening up. I combine gentle yoga exercises with coaching and constellation elements, so that a protected space can emerge – without sensory overload, without pressure to perform, at your own pace.

This is exactly where my four pillars take effect: conscious breath, letting go, mindfulness and individuality. You don't have to achieve anything, you don't have to prove anything – you may simply arrive.

This text reflects my personal experiences. High sensitivity is not a medical diagnosis; in case of persistent distress, please turn to medical or therapeutic professionals.