We can perceive the intention of touch in one second

I've always loved touch. I didn't identify this way for a long time, but it's one of my main love languages and I've started to notice when i'm lacking human contact. Getting a massage from someone who has a nourishing touch is the epitome of self care to me. I much prefer a loving intentional touch than an intensely skilled one, of course both are ideal, but I'll happily forge skill for nourishment. Think about it, the best hugs give you a good 'feeling'. You can tell when an embrace is nourishing...or awkward. We are very perceptive when it comes to touch, we need to be as a matter of survival. We need to be able to quickly and correctly evaluate a persons intentions based on the slightest contact, because it could mean the difference between life and death. More than that, touch is the primary means for human bonding, communication and health.

Our perceptiveness of the intentions of touch have actually been quantified, which I love, I reference this study all the time.

This study was conducted at UC Berkeley, they asked the question, can clearly communicate compassion through touch?

So they set up a barrier in the lab separating two strangers. Stranger one was given a list of emotion to choose from, and then convey in a 1 second touch. Stranger two stuck their arm through the barrier and waited, once they were touched they had to try and guess the emotion being conveyed. The odds of guessing correctly were about 8% (given the amount of emotions to choose from). People were able to correctly identify compassion nearly 60% of the time! Gratitude, anger, love, fear were guessed correctly 50% of the time. This is with a chance of guessing correctly only 8%.

Part of my training in Zenthai Shiatsu was all about intentional touch. We spent a great deal of the training cultivating focused intention to deliver our bodywork. Intention is what Zenthai is built on. After reading the above study years ago, I got even more intentional with the emotions I was bringing into my sessions. I'm often infusing my touch with compassion, loving kindness, safety and nourishment, and I know that these intentions have a real effect on the people I work on. Having 'good touch' is not mistake, it's an intention I constantly cultivate.

With our touch alone, we have the ability to connect and bond deeply with the people around us, to regulate and comfort, to nourish and heal. I'm so passionate about the power of touch alone as a therapy for those have experienced relational wounds, those dealing with the loneliness that is so prevalent in our culture. More than that, touch is the cornerstone of our relationships, something that we absolutely should not abandon.

Note: please know that I'm very aware of touch consent and physical trauma that may make touch triggering. These are seperate topics from this one.