Not everyone can, (or even wants) to sit still for hours. If you love the ideas of meditation as a form of self-care, but not the ideas if sitting quietly and chanting ‘Vooo’ (so good for the Vagus nerve and stress by the way), then how about a new type of meditation using a more tactile approach?
Touch meditation is the new wellness trend and here's why you should give it a go.
We all know that meditating is good for our physical and emotional wellbeing. In these unsettling times, more people are looking for ways to incorporate self-care practices into their daily lives, and this is where touch meditation comes into play. A useful tool to focus a beginners’ mind or to enhance a more advanced practice, involving the use of touch to focus the mind on the present moment.
Your brain and your senses are connected and help each other to function effectively. They talk to each other via the sensory system, where a touch can give us different emotions, so touch meditation is a great way to activate your mind as well as your sense of touch.
And there are plenty of benefits from giving this a go – it’s perfect for mindfulness meditations as touch practices cultivate present moment awareness, self-acceptance, kindness and self-compassion.
Try it for yourself …
So how do you use touch meditation to enhance your health and wellbeing? There are many different options, so I have included a few of my favourite for you to try. Just remember to tailor them to your own needs. Like any self-care and mediation tools, you can use them when you have a quiet moment at home, or when something at work stresses you out.
Use self-massage
Grab your favourite body lotions and connect with your body. As you massage it in, focus on any parts of the body that call for attention, either from aches and pains, or dry patches. Breathe with gentle awareness and use a pressure that feels good to you.
Self-massage is a key tool that will help you with self-compassion and self-acceptance. Practice a loving-kindness with your massage and take this feeling with you into your daily life.
Get close to nature
Touching the earth can help us to connect to its rich, earthly energy, so get outside and get touchy-feely! Touch the bark of a tree and feel it’s rough sharpness, or notice the soft bounce of moss underneath your feet. Lie on the grass in the sunshine and feel the cushion of green supporting you. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Feel the texture of the grass, any breeze, and the warmth of the sun on your skin.
Meditate with an object
An obvious way to practice touch meditation is to meditate while holding an object, being aware of its shape, form and texture. Many natural objects make a great focus for this type of meditation. As well as fruit and vegetables which are very tactile, try using stones, pebbles, shells, pine cones, conkers, twigs, feathers or flowers to connect with. Or choose your favourite object, something that makes you smile. If you have a cat or dog, stroke them and see how good it feels when you touch their fur and connect to their energy.
Add crystals to your life
Many people choose to use crystals in their daily lives, so why not use them for touch mediation? Crystals are natural stones that come in all different shapes and sizes and have different healing properties and energy. When you hold the crystal in this way, the electromagnetic field of the crystal combines with the electromagnetic field of your hand to provide relaxation.
I like rose quartz, the stone of unconditional love, which experts believe is good for supporting emotional release and allowing love and compassion to flow into you. Or amethyst with its calming nature, it quietens the head-mind chatter and reduces stress, enabling peaceful grace to flow into your practice.
Touch a gratitude stone
Gratitude stones are so simple yet perfect for touch meditation. I have used a gratitude stone for a few years now, and it has helped me enormously. Gratitude stones are basically a simple way to remind yourself to be grateful for what you have in your life. As part of your gratitude practice, carry a stone or crystal with you in your pocket or purse. Each time you touch, breathe and explore the feel of the object. When you do, it reminds you to be grateful for all you have in your life. Stop and think one of one thing you’re grateful for right now, and give a quick ‘thanks.
Of course, you don’t have to put your stone in your pocket, and sometimes it just isn’t practical. Try putting it on your bedside table, so when you wake and when you go to bed at night you see it. Pick it up and say a little thanks for all you have and for the good things you experienced that day.
Physical touch makes you healthier.
Hugs, massages and holding hands reduce stress while boosting your immune system.
And now, in my beginner's masterclass, you can learn how to reduce the overwhelm, relax your mind and body, and find your own mental and physical oasis in under 10 minutes a day.
Release stress - Wake up each day free from stress, anxiety and fear. You will learn the basics of a powerful self-care practice that you can turn to whenever you want to relax, feel peaceful and safe.
Sleep Better - One of the great benefits of reducing stress and calming your nervous system, is an ability to sleep better and wake feeling more refreshed an energised.
Discover Peace, happiness and inner contentment - Indirectly, meditation teaches us to adopt a flexible, non-judgemental mindset which not only encourages healing and reduces stress, it also dissolves feelings of anger and resentment too. Feeling calmer and more grateful can lead to feelings of peace, happiness and contentment. Learn More.
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