MINDFUL MONDAY The power of touch

Welcome Back for another MINDFUL MONDAY!  
I've often felt that the power of touch produces one of the most soothing, nurturing and energizing effects on our mind, body and spirit.  The power of touch is so essential to our attitudes, yet how often to we think about it?

Below is a nice little article that gives reason to why the concept of Touch is so Powerful and also some techniques that we can include in our daily routines.  

"It's common sense that a hug at a stressful time, a handshake after an important meeting or just cuddling at the end of the day help us relax, leaving behind negativity and worry. Now researchers are investigating whether this feel-good energy has an impact on our well-being. 

When we experience friendly, affectionate touch, our bodies release oxytocin, which is sometimes called the love hormone. Oxytocin's effects include lowering blood pressure, decreasing the stress-related hormone cortisol and increasing pain tolerance. It is released through friendly touch, including contact between breastfeeding moms and their babies, cuddling couples and even pets and their owners.  

The Benefits of Bodywork
Studies suggest a number of ways touch can help us stay healthy. Massage, for example, has been shown to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and even help premature babies gain weight. By increasing the amount of touch, massage harnesses the health-promoting effects of oxytocin, along with reducing anxiety and promoting a general sense of well-being. And massage after a tough workout can help prevent stiffness and soreness the next day.

Adding Touch to Your Day
Without thinking about it, some people can go hours, days or even weeks without any physical contact in their lives. Adding touch to your day is a simple way to harness its health-maximizing effects of less stress, pain management and a healthier body and mind.

Remember that touch doesn't only have to mean being touched; giving touch in healthy ways, from a hug to a handshake to a pat on the back, benefits you—and the person on the 
receiving end. And you don't have to be in a relationship to do it. Even a quick touch like a high-five (for those friends who hate to hug) can be beneficial.

• Cuddle. You don't have to talk or gaze deeply into someone's eyes, but you can cuddle with your partner, child or pet.
• Hug hello (and goodbye for that matter). Greet friends and family with a quick embrace to maximize touch in your day.
• Find Fido. Touch doesn't have to be person to person. Use your down time to groom or pet your dog or let your cat nap in your lap as you make phone calls.
• Jump in bed. Having more sex will increase your touch time, and time spent between the sheets can positively impact your relationship, too.  
• Schedule a massage. Penciling in a session with a trusted therapist will leave you relaxed and refreshed.
• Try a solo massage. Using lotion or massage oil, relieve neck, arm, leg and scalp tension using the tips of your fingers to massage in a circular motion. Self-massage tools, such as canes (to massage your back) or kneading tools can help with hard-to-reach spots or tough knots.
• Get classy. Yoga and Pilates classes offer hands-on adjustments from qualified instructors that can help strengthen your core and provide a dose of touch.
• Hold hands. Don't wait for someone to initiate it—go for it yourself! This simple gesture can bring the spark back to a long-time relationship, add some sizzle to a new one, and even show someone special (your child, parent, grandparent, sibling or best friend) that you care.
• Get a pedicure. Snag a snazzy new nail color and a serving of healthy touch
• Pat someone on the back. Congratulate friends and co-workers on their accomplishments with a celebratory pat on the back.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1818

So for MINDFUL MONDAY find time this week (and every week) to re-connect youself with the Power of Touch.  You see, touch is powerful! From reducing our blood pressure to positive feelings and emotions that come over us.  Just a few simple examples are all we need to set us on the right path.  

"With a little thought, you'll find countless ways to touch the lives of others through this meaningful form of connection."

ENJOY!

Sources
National Institutes of Health. "The Power of Love," accessed April 4, 2013. newsinhealth.nih.gov

National Institutes of Health. "Massage Therapy," accessed on April 4, 2013. newsinhealth.nih.gov
University of Virginia. "High-quality marriages help to calm nerves," accessed on April 4, 2013. www.eurekalert.org
Baker, Kathy. "Study shows frequent massage sessions boost biological benefits," accessed on April 4, 2013. news.emory.edu
Keltner, Dacher. "Hands on Research: The Science of Touch," accessed on April 4, 2013. greatergood.berkeley.edu

National Institutes of Health. "Massage Therapy," accessed on April 4, 2013. nccam.nih.gov

Weerapong P, Hume PA, Kolt GS. "The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention," accessed on April 4, 2013. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Uvnas-Moberg K, Petersson M. "Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing ," accessed on April 4, 2013. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Field, Tiffany. "Touch for socioemotional and physical well-being: A review," accessed on April 4, 2013. www.sciencedirect.com

MINDFUL MONDAY Feelings

If you don't know how you feel, you can't heal.  Those words ring so true to me, like bells of the soul.  



Our feelings are a natural compass, to guide us through life.  Our feelings emerge to bring awareness.  Whether we are celebrating, sympathizing or feeling scorned...it's important to take a moment, be IN the moment & to feel what we are feeling.  In order to understand how we can Feel Better, we must first take stock.  By being aware of our feelings, we are being mindful.  

We need to recognize the importance of our feelings in order to be authentic with ourselves.  I know at times it is hard to understand our feelings, but sometimes just by sitting with it, you can start to bring them to the surface.  By bringing things to the surface, you are given an opportunity to alleviate the pain, suffering, guilt, (fill in the blank) that binds us to trauma.  Let the feelings rise above you, bring them out in full glory.  Once they've reached the surface & have been exposed, they no longer reside in you.  When you start to feel better, you can once again take flight.  Your foundation is stabilizing, spirits are lightening & your eyes sparkle once again.  

There is no short cut here.  I wish I could say that this process is easy....but what's easy is burying your feelings, and that's a dead end road.

So for MINDFUL MONDAY, focus on your feelings!  Don't take the easy way out...it's your life & you're worth it!  If you do feel great already, then share it!  Help others through support, guidance, mentoring, or just listening.