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Touch - developing and using feelings
Do you know the biggest organ humans have? It’s our skin. There must be a reason for that. Obviously we use our skin to feel. The biggest organ in our body is for feeling. We have physical sensation to keep us in
touch with the world around us. We have learned over thousands of years to be attuned to the different sensations we get through touch. We can sense something sharp or hot and can respond to the stimulus before we
are actually cut or burned. We have nerve endings that tell us when a fly has brushed a hair. There is no doubt that touch and the ability to feel is important to our survival. Our skin literally protects us from
our environment. We are surrounded by a sensitive protective layer of feeling. Touch can also be pleasurable. It feels good to have your back tickled. Touch the back of your hand or your arm and remind yourself how
sensitive your skin is. Have you ever seen Braille? People that lose their sight develop their sense of touch to “read” patterns of tiny raised bumps of paper. All of us can develop our feelings and sensitivity.
Feeling can also mean intuitive awareness or emotion. Interesting that it’s the same word. The use of our biggest organ, physical touch, and emotion; same word, “feeling”. Feelings are what makes life as a human
special. We can be sensitive in an emotional way too. We say people are sensitive when they are attuned to their emotions. We say a person is sensitive if they are in touch with their emotions. Maybe physical
feeling and emotional feeling are closely related. Maybe our skin is a direct link to our heart.
You can use your physical feeling to change the way you feel about someone. When we take time to touch someone in a way they want, like combing their hair, or holding hands or patting their shoulder, it says to that
person, “I care about your feelings” “I want to be close to you”. It’s pretty hard to touch and not be close. Touch can be a powerful tool for establishing an emotional state with another person. Pay attention to
instances when a family member hugs you or sits next to you on the couch. Try reaching out to a family member on a walk or out shopping. When they reach back and hold hands with you, how does that feel? Touching is
a great way to (re)establish a connection with another person. If you are trying to be closer with someone, try reaching out and seeing if they are ready to hold hands. When they are ready and you do touch, notice
how the energy flows between you and you’re not quite as “mad” as your were. “Forcing” yourself to reach out is a way of “acting as if”. Act as if you want to be closer and you will want to be closer.
Try This:
Learn to share power. Establish a ritual with people you love for touching. One person says, "Share” and offers their hand. The other person, when they are ready, takes the hand and the two of you let your
energy flow where it’s needed. Maybe you have energy available for the other person. Maybe you need a boost. Sometimes you may “think” the energy is going to flow one way and it flows the other. The second person
says, “power” when they feel they have enough energy. One person offers their hand and says, “share”. The other person takes the hand and says, “power”. Do it. Share your power with people that are close to you. Use
touch to establish contact and close the distance in your relationships. Reach out to get in touch.
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