What can be a more powerful GIFT? When we are connected or ‘feeling something incredible’ we say “I am touched”. To be touched, to touch, well it is to connect directly and to connect physically as well as deeply. It allows a moment of softness, protection and perhaps sharing excitement. It is one of the first steps to deepen the emotional bond between two people. We shake hands, we hug, we kiss and yes we make love. The Gift of Touch is all around us.

TOUCH IS the transfer of energy. When we are sad we search for a consoling hug, when we are celebrating we look for high fives and hugs. When we are being tender or when we are searching for deeper meaning we “TOUCH”. As we learn more about what touch is and how we actually use it new and exciting things are coming together. In an article featured in psychologytoday .com we read:

“until recently, the idea that people can impart and interpret emotional content via another nonverbal modality—touch—seemed iffy, even to researchers, such as DePauw University psychologist Matthew Hertenstein, who studied it. In 2009, he demonstrated that we have an innate ability to decode emotions via touch alone. In a series of studies, Hertenstein had volunteers attempt to communicate a list of emotions to a blindfolded stranger solely through touch. Many participants were apprehensive about the experiment. “This is a touch-phobic society,” he says. “We’re not used to touching strangers, or even our friends, necessarily.”

The “Gift of Touch” is powerful beyond measure as it connects the world in deep and meaningful ways. SHARE THIS GIFT DAILY, never take it away from yourself and give it freely to others. Yes, as we move through the 66 Day Journey and Cleanse it will take the understanding to an entirely new level when you start to embrace the idea and touch with greater purpose and greater awareness of the importance of the small and the large moments.

Oxytocin, a hormone, is another benefit of physical touch or acts of cuddling. Oxytocin helps humans connect to others and promotes feel-good sensations that foster a sense of well-being and happiness. Even if we aren’t bonding with babies, adults can still benefit from the various rewards of an oxytocin release with friends, partners, or even animals.