Welcome back!
Did you catch Part One of Healing Touch for All Ages? If you did, you are already a firm believer in the power of touch and human connection to transform our lives.
It’s so easy to do. I rarely have time to give lengthy massages, and I doubt you do, either. However, just five minutes, twice a day, of regular skin contact can make a world of difference in someone’s life.
In the powerful book, The Continuum Concept, Jean Liedloff presents a compelling argument that in order to achieve optimal physical, mental and emotional development, human beings — especially babies — require the kind of experience to which our species adapted during the long process of our evolution. For an infant, these include such experiences as “having constant physical contact with his mother (or another familiar caregiver as needed) from birth, having caregivers immediately respond to his signals without judgment, displeasure, or invalidation of his needs, and sensing his elders’ expectations that he is innately social and cooperative and has strong self-preservation instincts, and that he is welcome and worthy.” Liedloff challenges us to consider the possibility that if the touch intensive, “in-arms” phase is missed during infancy and early childhood, the potential is there for us to remedy the situation with healthy touch at any point we choose in life.
Therefore, rather than rushing through my busy day with a minimum of touch, I remind myself to slow down and be physically present with the people in my life. Gently massaging a loved one’s hands, feet and shoulders, giving a tender hug, and even brushing someone’s hair softly can bring a welcome sense of relaxation, comfort and connection to friends and family of all ages.
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Guest Blogger Mara Maroney: Essential Tips for Connecting Stay-at-Home-Moms I am delighted to introduce you to Guest Blogger Mara Maroney. When Mara approached me, asking to share her top tips for helping Stay-at-Home-Moms meet other Stay-at-Home Moms, I jumped at the chance. This is a crucial area in need of increased conversation and solutions. When Mara graduated with her Master's...... -
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Parenting and the Art of Change: Step Two As part of my continuing mission to bring you the best information to empower your life as a parent, here is Step Two in my Parenting and the Art of Change series. Tom V. Morris shared excellent ideas about mastering the first step in the Art of Change and Creative......
