Whenever we think of touch, most of us presume or default to physical touch, that is one part of the our body coming into contact with another object. This may be misleading since we do not just have a physical body but also emotions, thus an emotional body and thoughts, a mental body. All these “bodies” coexist at the same time. When we consider these bodies, then touch becomes a more complex and profound activity.

We can thus define touch as any activity that causes a ripple or an effect with these bodies. Taking the highest level touch, the mind, we can say that we are touched by every thought we choose to entertain. This could be as a result of an internal dialogue or an external source such as something we hear or see.

Since one can usually not control what one sees and hears, keeping one’s thoughts as positive or optimistic as possible will go a long way to support one’s healthy touch requirements.

Choosing emotions that make one happy, vibrant and productive is the second step to attaining healthy touch. Most people think they are not in control of their emotions, but they would be surprised that they actually tell themselves that “I am sad”, “I’m a jealous person”, “I am angry”. Telling yourself these things reinforces those emotions and thus decreases your quality of touch. You can choose to embody more life affirming emotions by telling yourself “I love myself”, “I love my child, I love my parents, I love my brothers and sisters and since I see everyone as either my child, parent, brother or sister, I love everybody “. This simple exercise is transformative and improve your quality of touch tremendously.

Finally we come to physical touch. How would you touch a baby? The same soft, sweet touch you would apply to a baby, that’s the kind of touch you give to anyone you come into contact with. This touch reduces stress, calms the mind, body and emotions and makes you and the recipient feel whole.



The next time you meet someone, remember that you are touching them so greet them with a smile that makes you and the person feel good and offer a warm handshake or hug if it’s appropriate.