Marie Claire UK - 11.2019

HEALING HANDS
The intimacy of holding hands can heighten
awareness, express a deep connection and
trigger the release of the oxytocin in our
brain. This neurotransmitter is responsible
for increasing feelings of trust, generosity
and compassion, while decreasing feelings
of fear and anxiety, so the next time you are
with your partner, grab their hand. ‘We have
a dense network of nerve endings in our
palms and fingertips,’ says Sushma Sagar,
reiki master healer and founder of The
Calmery in London. ‘These receptors
deliver information to the brain about any
stimuli. Also, when your fingers are
interlaced, pressure receptors trigger what’s
called “vagal activity”, which resets our
nervous system, so you relax faster after a
stressful situation,’ adds Sagar. As a society,
we are starved of non-sexual touch, so try to
be mindful of reaching out a hand to the
people around you a little more often. As
harsh winter conditions play havoc with our
hands, choose a hand wash without
SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate, which strips the
skin of natural oils), such as Weleda
Calendula Soap, £ 5.50, and use a super-soft
hydrator with an uplifting scent, such as
Guerlain’s Bergamot Body Lotion, £44.