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We tend to think of touch as being something we do with our hands but we have a sense of touch all over our bodies. Exploring the way things feel can help us discover new experiences with familiar things.

In the first two parts we explored how we can see and hear better to help us develop our spiritual side. Now we think about touch and how we can explore familiar things in a new way.

Everything you touch – or that touches you can provide a way of becomming more aware of the world around us

When was the last time you felt your clothes. I don’t mean as you put them on but actually as you are wearing them. Do they feel soft or course or smooth or stiff? Do they feel loose or tight or comfortable or restricting?

When did you last feel the texture of your pen? Is it cold or warm? Smooth or rough?

Start by picking up five different things and just feeling them over (you might want to do this on your own if you feel self-concious about such things).

What do things feel like?

To begin with you need to get used to feeling things with your hands because your hands are very sensitive and are used to this kind of experience. It might help you to shut your eyes. Feel the size of what you hold. Now feel the texture. How heavy is it? Do you like the way it feels or not. Sometimes when we feel something with our hands it might make us tingle in our feel or in our stomach etc. Can you feel any other sensations as you touch the objects?

Whenever you pick something up feel it

I won’t suggest shutting your eyes and running your hands over everything you touch because people will get the impression you are a bit weird but let your sensation of touch tell you something about the thing you hold. You can even do this with things like computer keyboards. Feel the smoothness, or otherwise, of something, feel whether it is hard or soft, etc.

Feel with different parts of your body

If you are familiar with the feel of something with your hands then try with your feet (if they are clean of course!) or perhaps your nose (if it is clean). Both your nose and your feet have good sense of touch.

Feel you clothes

Next try to get familiar with feeling your clothes. Notice how they feel when you put them on. Do you like the way they feel? Don’t forget your footwear. What does it feel like to put your feet in your shoes? Is there a texture to your footwear (many beach shoes have texture inside to help wet feet grip)? Are they soft or hard?

Feel new places

If you visit somewhere new (and you can get away with it) feel some of the things in the new place.

Find good places for feeling stuff

Some of the best places for feeling things are found in the great outdoors.

Trees are great because they have different kinds of bark and all kinds of shapes and sizes.

Pebbles and stones are good to feel.

Wet and dry grass

Earth – rub it between your fingers

Don’t get carried away but enjoy yourself

Touch is a way we enjoy the world around us. Even if you lack one of the other sense you will probably have some ability to touch and feel things. By learning to feel things we connect with them better and begin to feel part of the bigger world around us.

You don’t have to get annoying about it and upset people by trying to touch everything but at the same time don’t let others put you off.