Much has been written about the importance of touch in childhood development.[i],[ii],[iii] but, what about adults? Turns out our need for touch does not diminish as we age. We unconsciously reach out to shake the hand of someone we’ve just met, greet people we know and love with a smile and a hug, hold hands with people we love, and offer loving touch to someone in pain.
Well, at least we used to.
Now, the idea of getting close puts us on alert; dredges up primordial fear and even anxiety in some. What to do then during these times? Here are some simple suggestions you can incorporate into your lives and share with clients that you are maintaining contact with:
* Stimulate your own touch receptors by massaging a luscious warmed oil all over your body before taking a hot shower or bath. In Ayurvedic medicine, self-massage is called Abhyanga and is credited with stimulating circulation and helping to eliminate toxins. Traditional oils of choice are sesame and coconut but use what you have.
Put a little oil into a glass container and then warm in a pot of water. Start with your feet, circle the ankle joints and then continue up the legs with long strokes. Do the same with the arms. Massage the oil into your abdomen in a clockwise direction as you look down at your own stomach. Finish with long strokes across your upper chest and gentle strokes on the face (avoid the eyes). Don’t use too much oil. Some will be absorbed into your skin; the rest will be washed off in the shower.
Try it for a change on the weekend and see what you think. Take your time and really feel your touch.
* Give yourself a hand or foot reflexology session. Do it mindfully, not as something to do with your hands while watching an adrenaline-pumping television drama. Refer back to the short video on March 25’s blog for a simple reflexology procedure you can do on yourself that will help support your immune system right now.
* If you live with furry friends, love ‘em up a lot! They will go mad and so will you.
* And remember to move your body to help release more endorphins, our body’s ‘feel-good’ hormones. Blast a favorite piece of music and dance! Take a walk around your neighborhood – I bet you usually just drive out of it every day and likely miss a lot of what’s there.
I continue to think of you often and send healthy ‘vibes’ your way. I’m starting to think of how I can give back when all this isolation has passed – that gets me excited! I’m looking forward to a rekindled business model later in the year.
[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865952/
[ii] http://www.changingminds.org/explanations/needs/touch.htm
[iii] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/loving-touch-is-key-healthy-brain-development
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