What can highly sensitive people learn from snails?
- Pranita Rao
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
When I observe snails, I often wonder if I am hurting them with my touch. When I take my fingers close to their feelers (tentacles), I feel as though I am going to poke the eyes of the snail.
However, snails are kind. They let me pet them after a while of playing hide-and-seek with me. Here, by hide-and-seek, I mean that the snails go into their shells for short periods and come out of them to see the human who is holding them.
As someone with higher levels of sensitivity, I can understand how stimulating humans could feel for snails. Snails aren't too dissimilar from highly sensitive people, as snails are sensitive to sensory input too.
Have you ever observed a snail before? Have you noticed the comfort it feels within itself, pacing through life at a speed that suits it as a creation?
I find that highly sensitive people can often feel guilty about not being as fast as the majority of the population. We feel the need to be like the majority of the population, given their ability to move through challenges more quickly and easily. Again, I say this with caution, as many non-highly sensitive people could also relate to a slow pace of life.
I have experienced many unexpected and difficult challenges in my life that have made me compare myself with the lives of my sister, parents, neighbors, and friends. I’ve repeatedly asked my angels and guides the reasons for my slow pace. In the past, I’ve also been self-critical and shown frustration towards myself for being slow with overcoming challenges.
At such times, I find it helpful to compare ourselves to snails. If you notice a snail, you would realise that it is happy with its speed. It is not trying to be like a hare or a cheetah. Snails always move at a speed that is comfortable to them. That is a self-love habit that highly sensitive people could also develop.
From a scientific perspective, snails belong to a family called mollusks and have been on this planet for 600 million years. There are over 60,000 species of snails that can inhabit land, freshwater, and marine environments. Usually, snails are categorized by their shells and asymmetrical structure. Their peculiar structure includes a calcium-filled shell, a muscular foot for locomotion, and specialized teeth called radula.
Now, I do believe that snails teach us. They teach us to embrace ourselves. They teach us to walk on a path that is true for us. Snails know how to stick together too. They understand the power of togetherness and being around other snails.
As highly sensitive people, it might be helpful to seek other sensitive or highly sensitive people for company as well. I say that as it is easier for other highly sensitive people to understand the reasons for our slow pace in life, or even what might seem like 'failures' in life. For example, if one is experiencing stimulation through device usage, they can share it with another highly sensitive person. This could lead to highly sensitive people indulging in an empathetic conversation about the impact of device usage on the highly sensitive nervous system. As a highly sensitive abstract artist, I utilize abstract art to overcome stimulation challenges. One can learn about the impact of abstract art on the highly sensitive nervous system through my artistic space for highly sensitive people.
Coming back to the topic of this post, in the past year, I've been fortunate to be surrounded by snails and my snail spirit guides as well. Yes, snails can be spirit guides too. My exploration with them began a few months ago. Together, they teach me to love myself and view life in a healthier perspective.
According to them, what might look like a dead end to one person could be a whole new life to another person.
The question remains, which perspective would we like to choose and believe in for ourselves? :)
May the love and friendship of snails be with us, dear reader!
To experience angelic reiki, teachings of snail spirit guides, or energy clearing, please visit my services.
Please remember, you deserve self-care :).
-Don't be a stranger,
Pranita Rao
Science communicator | Intuitive abstract artist | Energy worker
P.S. - To respect the content in this post, I humbly request readers to look at snails and angels as sacred beings that are equal to human beings.
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Reference: Snails | EBSCO. EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. Published 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/anatomy-and-physiology/snails
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