While lying naked in the sand in an idealized version of a South Sea-based Polynesian existence may not be a realistic option for those of us who walk through life juggling commitments, work life and cultural norms (and legal constraints) regarding clothing, finding a closer relationship to skin and touch can be beneficial for health, happiness and intimacy in all our relationships.
The first relationship we all have in our lives is the relationship with our self. The practice of regular self-massage is both a tangible way of preventing touch deprivation, stimulating feelings of well-being and expressing our self-love. If you want to go Tahitian, coconut, cocoa butter or other tropical oils provide a South Sea scent and feel. Massaging before bedtime can evoke oceanic dreams which connect us to the rhythmic waves of our breath.
Trading massage with family members is another way to share the love. With children, massaging the hands, feet and head can be an especially calming way to stimulate the receptors in the skin, evoking feelings of safety and a sense of ease while simultaneously calming the nervous system for sound sleep.
Lovers and spouses can more fully dive into the experience of touch, engaging in regular massage and full -body contact as a means of communication that reinforces heart to heart connections.
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.