The Importance of Touch
Information gathered from Psychology Today
Let’s face it: we’ve reached the point in quarantine where we are all frustrated. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and the unknown is taking its toll.
Those of us still sheltering in place with others are experiencing things we never have before. Quarters are feeling cramped, alone time is nonexistent, and relational tensions are heightened. And for those quarantining alone, completely different realities exist, including a lack of physical connection and a profound sense of feeling alone are feeling way too real right now.
In each of these settings, the lack of both intimate and casual, social physical touch is becoming a source of agitation and sadness. The absence of handshakes, high fives, hugs, and other sensory experiences that, in normal times, are woven into our day to day interactions, is being deeply felt. Given that our connection has moved almost entirely online only adds to the frustration since FaceTiming our loved ones often leave us feeling an increased awareness of our isolation and longing for touch. It turns out that touch deprivation is experienced by many people much like dehydration is experienced by the marathon runner; if it goes unaddressed, it can take us out.
We are social animals who fail to thrive outside the presence of affirming connections. This human need is often met through touch or, at the minimum, within the kind of energetic experience offered by being in the physical presence of others.
To aid in this time, here are some ways to fulfill that need of touch missing right now.
Meditate
Practice visualizations and meditations that center attention on being physically supported. Assuming a posture of alert wakefulness (sitting up straight with feet firmly on the floor or lying on the ground), expend mental energy imagining the ground or the chair rising up to support you as opposed to imagining your weight resting on the chair or ground. Work to feel the support of the surface that holds you. As we advance in this practice we can begin to imagine gravity itself exerting pressure on us to support us.
Be Aware
Increase the attention to all the senses of the body. Touch is but one of our many senses. When the body is starving for one kind of sensory stimulation that is not easily accessible, we can comfort the longing by tending to it in other ways. Offering ourselves new flavors and sounds, stimulating our sense of smell, and providing interesting things to look at can all help. Given our current reliance on the auditory and visual senses to connect us to others via the digital realm, tending to our sense of smell and taste can be particularly effective. Adding novel or unique spices to our foods will help. So will infusing our air with pleasant and stimulating scents via candles, essential oil diffusers, or even simmering a pan of water on the stove with some cinnamon or other herbs.
Stimulate the Senses
Apply different textures and temperatures to the skin. Gather up a diverse range of textured fabrics from your clothing or linen closet. Place these in locations where you can feel them regularly. Run them over your arms or legs or place them between your hands and make circular motions. Do the same thing with heat and cold, using water, ice packs, or heating pads to stimulate the sensory receptors in your skin. Fill a bowl with steaming, hot water, place a towel over your head then lean forward with the towel enclosing your face and the bowl. Pay attention to the feeling of the steam on your skin. For a unique experience, invest in a jade roller. While most commonly used to stimulate facial skin, they can be rolled over any part of the body and provide a smooth, cooling, gentle pressure.
For deep muscle tension release, the SALT Hot Stone Massage is a wonderful option. A hot stone layout across the body for key points of release placed strategically for optimal soothing and stimulation of blood flow. Although considered a deep tissue massage, the stones provide comfort for your experience. This massage offers heat therapy for relaxation that works beyond the surface of the skin to melt away pain and stress.
Apply Pressure
Apply gentle weight or resistance. Appropriate compression of the body in the form of gentle weight (taking into account one's own body size) can feel soothing.
While getting a regular massage will work, elevate your experience with the SALT CBD Massage, a perfect way to relax and release muscle tension. A massage therapy session with CBD massage oil provides great wellness benefits as well as nourish and soften your skin. We incorporate aromatherapy custom to you and work to clear toxins that may be getting in the way of your body’s natural ability to heal itself.
In studies, CBD has shown to offer health benefits that help curb anxiety, manage pain, reduce inflammation, regulate sleep patterns, uplift your overall mood, among other things. Our beautiful and relaxing session is one that will leave you feeling soothed and connected to your mind, body, and spirit. And, best of all, an award-winning CBD beverage, Dram, is included to enjoy after the SALT CBD Massage session is over.