Touch-Based Activities

Touch-based activities correspond with the WATER element, the Phlegmatic temperament, Phlegm (Cold/Wet), Summer (esoteric) and Fall (pagan), the Soul Body, Tree of Life: World of Briah (Creation), Heart (Anahata) and Throat (Visuddha) chakras, the Blue and Green Aura Color Personalities, the senses of Touch and Sound, FEELING, the emotion of Sadness, and VAM (part of God's name).

Hugging Someone

 

We cannot get enough hugs and affection in life. Most of us are seriously deficient. Hug someone today. Hug yourself. Do you own a pet? Hug your pet. They love affection, and they love you unconditionally. If an area of your home or closet is getting messy, clean it up. It will give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment and boost your self-esteem. It will also get you physically moving.

 

 

Being Intimate

To be intimate means to be close. It is a natural and healthy emotional component of a healthy relationship. You can be intimate with anyone. Intimacy does not imply anything sexual. Intimacy is one of the cornerstones of a healthy relationship and is merely being close, understanding, or having a deep bond. You can be intimate with your best friend, parents, children, and pet. Sex, on the other hand, involves romanticism, love, passion, lust, and a physical expression of all of the above. Unless you have a good reason for being celibate or are under 18, having a healthy sex life is integral to connecting with your significant other. It's the most intimate of intimacies. We need this to feel connected to our mates in a unique way. Make love. Take time to wine and dine, romance, and love your partner. Write intimacy into your schedule, and don't cancel your appointment. Show up physically. Wrap up in a cozy robe or blanket and plunk yourself in the corner of your favorite chair or bed. Grab a good book (or your pet) and enjoy the warmth and coziness. Be grateful for your robe, blanket, chair, bed, book, eyes to read with, and person or pet who desires only your loving touch.

 

 

Giving Yourself a Makeover

 

Giving yourself a makeover can affect how you feel about yourself. You can do this yourself or visit a salon. Makeovers also apply to the sense of "Sight."

 

 

Visiting a Spa

 

Even if you must save money for a while, go somewhere for a few hours and be pampered like a king or queen. You deserve it.

 

 

Ironing Some Clothes

 

So many of us don't perform this activity any longer. It is partly due to clothing being "wash and wear". Still, there must be some things that could use a touch-up. There's nothing like a freshly laundered, creaseless T-shirt pulled over your head and smoothed pillowcases that look straight out of a Home & Garden magazine.

 

 

Rearranging a Room, Closet, or Cupboard

 

Sometimes, things don't flow well in the home because of placements. Look around your home. What have you meant to change or rearrange? What always seems to be in the way or hard to find? Get up and do that now. Cross it off your list. Also, see Creating Healthy Spaces. 

 

 

Gardening

 

Only some have a yard, much less a garden, but you can still enjoy planting and watching things grow. Consider planting some houseplants or potting some herbs on your windowsill. Could you hang a window box, a tomato plant, or a pot of flowers in your entryway? These things help us to reconnect with nature and our roots.

 

 

Washing Your Face

 

There's nothing like a clean face to wake you up and bring back a bit of energy. Take your time with this and feel your face, which might sound ridiculous, but we often rush through touching our skin when we are cleansing. Clean your face with your favorite soap or face cream, rinse (and enjoy the water), pat dry gently, add a bit of face cream or olive oil afterward, and enjoy a newfound perspective.

 

 

Smoothing On Lotion

 

Slathering on lotions and creams is like giving yourself a mini-massage. You can also use extra virgin coconut, olive, almond, or avocado oils. A bit of Crisco vegetable shortening is excellent on the feet for healing dry, cracked skin. So is shea butter. Or, grab my whipped body butter recipe here. 

 

 

Shaving

 

Shave (face, armpits, or legs). Even if you usually go all-natural, an occasional shave can be a real pick-me-up. Little changes can offer significant boosts of energy.

 

 

Giving your Body a Good Scrub

 

Give yourself a body scrub. In a 16-ounce jar or plastic container, mix 1 cup of dark brown sugar, ½ cup of almond or  extra virgin olive oil (vegetable oil is acceptable to use as a scrub), one teaspoon of vitamin E oil (or open liquid gel caps), one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and one tablespoon of raw honey (optional). Scrub the mixture into your skin (not too hard) and rinse. Save any leftover scrub by covering it with a lid. This recipe came from Paula Dean's son, Corrie.

 

 

Giving Yourself a Massage

 

Give yourself a massage. Even if you live alone and have no significant other, you can still get a great massage with your own two hands. Take a shower or a bath to loosen up tight muscles, and then massage every part of your body you can reach easily with long or circular strokes in the direction of your heart. For those places that aren't easily reached, a percussion massager with heat adjustment is the best massage device to own. The pulsating part of a percussion massager doesn't go around and around. It goes up and down, giving your body little beats that wake up the blood vessels in sluggish muscles and increase oxygen flow, which relieves pain.

 

 

Seeing An Acupuncturist

 

Acupuncture removes energy blockages in the body's electromagnetic energy field, reducing physical symptoms. Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) where tiny, painless needles are placed into the skin in exact locations to open energy pathways. Treatments are often combined with certain herbal combinations for overall health. Acupressure follows the same theory as acupuncture. However, light pressure is applied to an exact location instead of using needles to open energy pathways and relieve tension and pain.

 

 

Getting Some Exercise 

 

There are two forms of exercise you need. The first is aerobic (breathing and fat burning). Aerobic exercise increases blood and oxygen in every area of your body, which is just what you need to make any pain go away. The second is resistance (controlled movements for increasing muscle tone). Besides swimming, Tai Chi and Qui Gong are the most healing exercises you can learn to perform. Yoga and Pilates are excellent for creating toned, limber, and healthy muscles, but they can be too challenging for out-of-shape folks. Save these for after you've gained a bit of muscle tone from walking, swimming, or lifting free weights. Whatever you decide to do for exercise, go for variety and fun. Variety makes exercise more like play, and anything less is absolute drudgery.

 

 

Playing

 

It's essential to play. Skip rocks on water, throw a ball, walk your dog, tickle your kids, or run in the rain with your partner. Run, dance, and laugh out loud. By the way, dancing is one of the easiest ways to allow your body to express its emotions. You don't have to understand choreography. Just put on some music and move however you want. No one has to see. Just go with the flow. If you feel like curling up in a ball and then reaching your arms wide only to swoop down and do it all over again, do so. It's your dance of life.

 

 

Put Something Soft Against Your Skin

 

Wear plush pajamas, drag a soft feather up and down the indide of your lower arm, slip into a warm tub of oil-infused water, or sleep on soft sheets.

 

 

Other Touch-Based Therapies: Craniosacral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization, Reprocessing (EMOR), Reflexology, Watsu, and chiropractic manipulations.

 

 

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