The skin is of primary importance. Touch is one of the first senses to develop. Stimulating the skin by touch, hugs, rocking and massage is important for proper somatic, neurological, and psychological development.
Contact and touch can be valuable ways to learn about yourself and to learn how to understand another. They help develop better body image, body awareness and perception. By promoting relaxation, contact and touch facilitates a sense of calm, deep breathing, circulation and metabolism.
Also, scientific research has revealed that by stimulating the touch receptors of the neurological system, the hormones oxytocin and serotonin are produced. These hormones help regulate stress hormones (adrenalin and cortisol).
Books that describe these findings are, for example:
- Touch Therapy by Tiffany Field
- Oxytocin Factor by Kerstin Uvnas Moberg
- The Instinct to Heal: Curing Depression, Anxiety and Stress Without Drugs and Without Talk Therapy by David Servan-Schreiber
