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TOUCHING EMOTIONS Touch is the first of the five senses to develop in utero and is often the last of our senses to diminish in old age. And, if we're lucky, our lives may be bookended by the loving touch of another's hands. Touch can increase the release of oxytocin (our feel-good hormones), and holding hands has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (our stress hormone). At the University of California, Berkeley, research conducted by Dacher Keltner, PhD, and his team found that humans can convey emotions through touch alone— more than half the time. 2 It's amazing that science demonstrates emotions can be experienced and expressed by touch. Take a moment to consider that in a majority of cases, anyone from the general population can nonverbally and accurately interpret someone's emotions through touch. Now imagine what you, as an experienced practitioner of touch, could listen for and communicate with your hands. One way to fine-tune this aspect of your touch is to awaken your hands' healing energy. Handy Acupressure Restore vitality in your body and activate the healing energy in your hands by contacting a potent acupressure point called Lao Gong or Pericardium 8 (PC8). This point is located in the center of your palm, where the tip of your middle finger touches your palm when you make a fist. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Lao Gong (translated as "Laborer's Palace") is the eighth point on the pericardium meridian and is considered to be home to a minor chakra. Many energy healers use this point to sense or emit healing energy. Working with PC8 is vital to allowing the flow of qi to circulate through your hands and to spread to all the fingers. To get the energy and qi moving in your healing hands: 1. Gently press the center of your palm with your opposite fingers, thumb, or knuckles. 2. Follow your breath, and apply your pressure on the exhale and alternate by releasing your pressure on the in-breath. Repeat several times on both hands. 3. Now create tiny circles in the center of your palm, circling 6–9 times in one direction and then reversing. Repeat on both sides. 4. Now bring your palms together, focusing your mind where the center of your palms meet. 5. Breathe into the center of your palms, and imagine a light growing brighter and brighter spreading to every finger with every breath in and out. Repeat until you feel calm, centered, and filled with light. How do you experience energy in your hands? Can you sense light growing in your palms, and if so, does it have a color? Explore, experiment, notice. L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 47