The Soft Power of Touching

When visitors come to Osho International Meditation Resort, they comment, "People look so happy and relaxed here. They touch so easily."

Yes, it is one of the Osho tools for relaxation.

Touch is the first language we learn. If you have forgotten it, go and watch a new born being caressed and cuddled by its mother. The infant has yet to enter the complex world of words, so the first communication it receives through all senses is by touch. And that remains with all of us throughout our lives -- an undercurrent of nonverbal transmition of love and support.

A  touch speaks more than a thousand words. A pat on the back, a caress on the cheek, or the warmth of a hug carries the bioelectric energy of  humanness.

In the brain, prefrontal areas, which help regulate emotion, can relax, freeing them for another of their primary purposes: problem solving. In effect, the body interprets a supportive touch as “I’ll share the load.”

“We think that humans build relationships precisely for this reason, to distribute problem solving across brains,” said James A. Coan, a a psychologist at the University of Virginia. “We are wired to literally share the processing load, and this is the signal we’re getting when we receive support through touch.”

At the Osho International Meditation Resort this happens so naturally, almost unknowningly. Hugs and  embraces flow as freely as the brookes and waterfalls here. This may be the reason why people look so relaxed, so happy. There is a sharing of energy all around, a kind of melting. By touching they participate in each other's being.

www.osho.com/meditationresort