Charlotte, NC – It’s interesting to me to see that the massage therapists I know are very busy during this pandemic. We are all taking as many precautionary measures for making sure you’re safe, as well as ensuring our safety. I’m still amazed though, at the steady number of new clients Massage Sanctuary is getting. Perhaps people are tired of being cooped up in their homes. Perhaps people have wanted to try massage and this is the best time to do it. What I do know is, people are starved for touch.

Our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made. We are an extremely efficient design, but an amazing need that we often do without is touch. Did you know wanted touch can make us healthier? Touch plays a critical role in reducing cortisol (a naturally occurring stress hormone that wreaks havoc on your body if left in constant production) and helps with heart rate responses. Reduction in stress levels can significantly impact your everyday life as well as long term health.

A study I read suggests that when people are ostracized, ignored, or made to feel inferior, they suffer a lack of regulated hormone production and experience increased health issues. We were made to be touched and to make connections with each other. Even during these difficult times, it is imperative that we continue to make connections and get regular massages (or do some other activity where human interaction is encouraged, even if it’s at a safe distance of six feet or more).