Notwithstanding the mind-body dualism or monism, may I put a simple interrogation – how much do we attend to, are aware of, and connect to our body? Don’t find an answer in viewing your face in the mirror, your selfie and changing Facebook status for all it being non-tactual. Despite having a strong natural history of touch and physical contact serving functions such as hygiene, attachment, and social bonding, modern culture has fast evolved into not- contractual.

Tiffany Field, so aptly observes in her book, Touch, that the society is becoming less and less tactile perpetuating a sense of touch hunger, The trade and occupation devoted to the satisfaction of touch hunger are flourishing, though, it is accessible to the affluent section of the society. On the other hand, some touch healers loaded with psycho-spiritual beliefs also practice it. However neither I mean the satisfaction through sensory indulgence nor faith spirituality, instead I emphasize the feel of embodiment, the body of your own which is a self exercise and does not involve others.

Except for quick morning hygiene requirements, how many times do we touch our body, the sharira? Touch, the self-touch has the soothing and healing power provided it has no other purpose reflexive or reflective. When you have pain, you reach to press that part, when you have tingle, you scratch that part, all reflexively. When you breathe, you gently and hardily press and move your palms through your body to apply soap and remove it with a clear intention to clean the body. Touch alone changes the body (brain) chemistry by releasing endorphins.

We can orient our palm to other body parts even to the other palm for a gentle touch one by one throughout, preferably in a quiet place. Find some time at least a few times, to feel the bliss (healing) of self-touch. Touch yourself as extensively as possible, not intensively. Scan your body through gentle touch. Find some spots those need it more than other parts do, stay on for a while and move on. Give yourself a chance, simple clothes do not matter. It brings you to the present time perspective, it is mindfulness. After all, the body only homes your mind and makes the cognitions possible.

Rajbir Singh
The blogger is a professor of psychology
(FBSc, SGT University Gurugram)