Touch is one of the healing virtues that we explored in Dance Alchemy classes this month and it was certainly well received. This is a sensation that we can experience in so many different ways and such a simple gesture that is easily overlooked. In a society where people tread on eggshells to be politically correct, where more attention is paid to the mental and intellectual at the expense of organic natural desires and responses and where inappropriate touch is bandied about the media, it is no wonder that we are “losing touch” with such a valuable aspect of life.
Touch is a very natural instinct for us as humans. Many Kinesiology techniques are based around instinctual reflexes of touch. For example when in deep thought, there is a tendency to hold the chin and this is a Kinesiology correction for clearing stress in mental and emotional pathways. You will often see people put a hand on the forehead when they are stressed and this is also a correction a Kinesiologist will use for emotional stress release. You may even like to try this for yourself next time you are in stress or overwhelm. It will help to support the blood flow to the front of the brain where the ‘executive’ brain functions occur which allow us to problem solve, organise and think clearly. Specific types of touch are used in a Kinesiology balance to activate various body reflexes and acupressure points which support appropriate energy flow, muscle balance and neural signalling.
In some cases, people’s response to touch is highly stressful and can activate past memories of trauma or survival fight/flight type responses in the body. This type of response may not always feel as obvious as a high adrenaline “get me out of here” type of feeling. It can be as subtle as suppression of digestive functions, or grinding of the teeth. Another stress in relation to touch stems from caesarian or very fast births. The process of the dragging down sensation on the skin as the baby comes through the birth canal is very important for activating a number of skin receptors and digestive and endocrine functions. This can set people up for long term problems in these areas, such as chronic constipation, painful and irregular menstruation and extreme menopausal symptoms. It can also impact a persons relationship with touch and have them either craving or abhorring touch. If these experiences are relevant for you, take heart, they can be balanced with the appropriate interventions. I was once this person myself, an emergency caesarian baby and extremely challenged adolescent and adult. Trust me, our bodies are incredible at compensating for these types of neurological and biochemical imbalances, yet at quite a cost to our energy levels and wellbeing.
Touch with our hands is a powerful form of communication that can say everything from “I love you” to “I hate you”. When it is used positively it can be a gesture of support, care, nurturing and indeed healing. Since even before biblical times, the healing power of touch in various forms has been documented.
Healing benefits of massage in the modern day has been researched and demonstrates benefits.
These include;
Increased sense of wellbeing through stimulation of endorphins and other healing body chemicals
Decrease in symptoms of muscle pain and inflammation
Enhanced immune function
Reduced anxiety
Improved sleep
Improved Lymphatic drainage for eliminating toxins from the body.
Stimulates oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that helps us to feel loving bonds and supports the synchronisation of neural signalling which means that your brain works better.
And my favourite - relaxation and stress relief.
I find both giving and receiving massage a wonderful way to switch off my mind and bring my awareness to this magical organism, the human body. Much of our stress these days revolves around our mental perceptions of not being able to control or manage circumstances, so a tangible way to shift out of this state is a valuable activity. Even if it is just 1 hour for someone to relax, switch off the mind and receive touch, much healing can occur in the body in this state of being in this time.
Healing happens when we hear and honour these amazing body’s in their strengths and limitations and the needs they communicate. Nothing does this quite like touch. When I massage that area of the body that is tight and tense, there is a feedback system in the body that recognises the truth of what is there. When the body gets feedback about its state of being, it is able to bring it back into a state of homeostasis, which means a state of balance. This is naturally the way the body works when it is not impeded - it is always aiming for a state of homeostasis.
Touch has also been noted as a healing and supportive activity in the way of “pet therapy”. Many institutions such as in aged care and hospitals are engaging pets such as dogs to support relaxation and wellbeing. Simply patting and exchanging touch communication with a pet can be the perfect anecdote for loneliness or stress.
On another vein of thought, touch that we can receive from sunlight, water and elements of nature are also healing. The touch of sunlight on our skin is essential for vitamin D levels in the body, notably vitamin D3, which is important for many functions of the body. Insufficient exposure to sunlight can lead to seasonal affective disorder which is associated with depressive type symptoms. I have seen a few clients this year with low vitamin D3 and resulting problems with immune function, calcium and thyroid function imbalance, and muscle and joint pain. Our contact with nature such as swimming in the ocean or the latest documented health fad - “forest bathing” i.e. walking in nature, has also been found to benefit energy levels, mental health and physical wellbeing. A study in 2008 published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine explored the role of melanin in the body and posed the theory that it could convert the sun’s rays in to energy. Could our body’s act like solar panels and be able to use the touch of sun rays for energy? Ooh! Something to play with and explore for ourselves. What I know in my body is that the feeling of soaking up the sun’s rays is so pleasurable, it must be good for me.
In celebration of the gift of touch, Soul Nurturing are offering some Mother’s day specials.
In these days leading up to Mother’s day we will be providing gift certificates for the very important Mums of the world. We have 2 options:
1.5 hour deluxe massage and complimentary gift, all for the price of a 1 hour massage ($90)
or
1 hour Kinesiology consult and complimentary gift for just $90
Phone Simone 0427 320 302 or Michael 0417 534 647
We are looking forward to sharing the gift of touch. And in the meantime, enjoy plenty of hugs, get smoochy with your pooch, bathe yourself in sunshine and nature’s waters and relish in moisturising your beautiful skin.
REFERENCES
Andrew Vickers, Catherine Zollman, Jane Tracy Reinish; 2001 Sep; Massage therapies, West J Med v.175(3); 175(3): 202–204. Taken from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071543/
Sayer Ji; March 2018; 5 Amazing Properties of Sunlight You've Never Heard About, GreenMedInfo, Taken from http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/5-amazing-properties-sunlight-youve-never-heard-about