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Dopamine, anyone?
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A client of mine referred to their new dog as a “dopamine dispenser,” and I couldn’t agree more. 😍 It’s like, “Move over phone, Instagram, all the apps and devices that vie for my attention. I’ve got something REAL here.” This reminded me of a visit to my cousin after she got a new kitten. We were on the floor playing with it when, inevitably, a phone came out to show a funny cat video. Apparently, at some point I broke from my haze and said, “Wait, why are we watching videos of cats when we have an actual kitten right in front of us.” OMG. 🤦♀️ The difference between the phone and an animal (or a human) is how they feel. Instead of a flat screen, living beings have texture, movement, and response. This is part of why so many animals were adopted during the pandemic. We were touch deprived from isolation, whether we named it that way or not. Our skin is designed to come into contact with a wide variety of surfaces. In the digital age, we have to be more intentional about finding connection beyond our devices. That’s why this week’s episode hit home for me. Real-life connection, with animals, with people, with texture, isn’t just nice. It’s regulating for our over-stimulated nervous systems. 🥰 In Episode 7, of Bring Different Together, Kelly and I explore the power of touch. We talk about:
And I drop one of the best jokes of my freaking life 🐷. Listen for that alone.😂 🎙️LISTEN HERE: How Touch Shapes Our Relationships I hope this email inspires you to share a hug, pet a dog, or touch something beyond a screen today. It really is good medicine. In Joy, P.S. Papi is our ABT mascot: Always Be Touching. P.P.S. If you have a partner, close friend, or family member you want to feel more connected to, my upcoming Thai Massage workshop is a beautiful way to explore that together. You’ll learn a nourishing, nervous-system-friendly way to connect through touch—with someone you already trust. Learn more here or click the button below.
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Nyssa Hanger
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There have been two reigning topics that have appeared in my treatment room the past few weeks. No matter the client, I felt like I kept having the same conversations. I'd usually get asked one and then both of these questions (though not always in the same order): How were your holidays? Can you believe what is happening in this country? (a.k.a. How are we supposed to be with all this??) I see what I do as my small part of holding space for all of this, holding space for you. While at the...
Back in the early 90s, the most rented video on my family's Blockbuster account was The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I was obsessed. There was something magical about watching Rick Baker transform Michael Jackson into a werewolf and the entire dance crew into zombies. If you asked me then what I wanted to do when I grew up, I’d reply, “I want to be a horror make-up artist.” 10-year-old me rolled up to the local costume store asking about fake blood and latex scars. I remember the...
A few weeks ago, I saw that Kelly was watching a documentary. On the screen were the characteristic buildings in none other than my favorite Indian city -- Varanasi. THAT caught my attention. I can't say why, but I love this ancient city with its cows and temples, incense and bells. Here's one of my most favorite moments of me with a street goat on the shores of the Ganges in Varanasi: But this wasn't a documentary about the city, it was "AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda." My plans for the...