Hands On Touch
What our hands reveal and teach us about ourselves
“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.”
—Carl Jung
There is a pile of roundish, colorful beach pebbles on the windowsill in our kitchen that I’ve collected over the years from our trips to Cape Cod. They’re not just beautiful to look at, they’re also wonderful to hold and touch and move around.
I love grouping them into circles, piles, straight lines; small ones on top of bigger ones; darker ones together; largest to smallest—whatever moves me in the moment. Sometimes I imagine they are little rivers, or mountains. The combinations are endless, and so is the fun I have when playing with them for no purpose other than to see how much calmer I feel when I do.
I love running my hands across all kinds of smooth woods—chair handles, table tops, spoons, our salad bowl made out of an old burl . . .
I love the feel of cool sheets in the summer, and the nourishing softness of flannel in the winter.
Have you noticed that organic cotton feels different than regular cotton?
What is something you love to feel with your hands? What is something that is instantly calming to the touch?
Perhaps it’s your favorite coffee cup or your dog’s squishy toy or the silky freshness of cotton sateen bed sheets.
What does it feel like to be touched by a kindness—from a stranger, a friend, a family member—when you least expect it and need it most?
What are you noticing about your hands right at this moment? Are they hot, cold, tingly, clammy, tight, grippy, smooth, relaxed?
What happens when you place your hand over your heart for a moment?
That’s a good place to start. 1
Ahhh 🙌🏼
Tune in with us to tune up — A journey in sensing*
What you just read is from “Touch Stones (and Other Things,” Chapter 26 of my book A Year for You.
It’s just a small taste of our ongoing 10-week series…
where you get to tap into the power of your six senses — sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing, and inner knowing to…release what is holding you back and remember what is calling you forward.
It’s not too late to join us!
The photo series below (not included in the book) — with weekly nudges from me, full access to all content we’ve covered so far on this Journey to a Lighter You — is being made available to paid subscribers. All for less than $1.15 a week.
Hands speak
A case of where a simple hand gesture goes a long way
Having traveled the world and seen some of the grittiest living conditions up close, it is images and moments like these that give me hope.
You don’t need to speak the language to feel the love.
Photos and captions by Stephanie Bennett Vogt ✌🏼
