Explore every episode of the podcast Speak From the Body

Touch is our earliest sense and a lifelong source of connection, regulation and communication. This episode reflects on why it matters now more than ever.

In this episode, I talked about:

* Even though touch is a sense that we all have, it’s not a dominant sense for most people

* Bodyworkers train in the art of palpation and their sense of touch gets more refined with time.Touch is one of our first senses. It develops in utero and it’s vital for how we engage with the environment around us

* Caregiving for newborns through full body contact such as babywearing, breastfeeding, contact naps and cosleeping foster a deep sense of safety and connection

* We can keep positive touch with our loved ones through holding hands, hugs and keeping close physically with one another

* People of all ages thrive with touch, and sadly too many people are starved of touch, especially if they live alone or are isolated

* Touch is a tool for communication. It conveys so much about what we feel. Touch requires receptivity rather than just being active

* Touch therapyowers blood pressure and heart rate, and improves immune function

* Zero Balancing is a type of bodywork that addresses the structure and the energy in the body

* Protecting the sense of touch in an increasingly visual and virtual world

Resources:

The Calming Hormone of Health, with Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg

The Beauty of Touch

Keep in Touch with Avni:

Sign up for my free course ‘5 Days to Wellness with Ease’

Returning after a long pause, with a change in direction and focus. Musings about the circle of life, the toll of caring and looking for a sustainable way of life.

Here are some previous episodes of ‘Speak From the Body’ that cover grief and loss that I hope you find helpful.

Moving Through Loss

Healing From Grief With Kristie West

Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss with Julia Bueno

As I mentioned in this episode, I’m trying to find a way to live and work that is more simple and sustainable. It’s also a time of seasonal change and I’m upping the self-care because I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Resources:

Other Episodes to Explore:

Reimagining Community for Better Health

How to Cope From Winter if You Suffer From SAD

How to Make Space for Wellness, Even When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed and Exhausted

Keep in Touch with Avni:

Sign up for my free course ‘5 Days to Wellness with Ease’

Breast screening is used for early detection and cancer prevention. Some screening methods can be invasive and there are alternative approaches to consider that are increasingly reliable. Breast health is important to consider.You can find out more about Dr Nyjon Eccles at The Natural Doctor

https://thenaturaldoctor.org/breast-health/were-having-the-wrong-conversation-about-breast-cancer-prevention/

Iodine Deficiency article

Article: An Urgent Need to Re-address the Role of Mammography in Breast Screening: Earlier and Safer Detection is Needed

We have all developed from an embryological state, and that embryo is within us and relates to our full potential. Cherionna Menzam-Sills in a somatic prenatal and birth therapist and she shares her compassionate approach.

In this conversation with Tracee Stanley, author of ‘The Luminous Self’, we discuss the importance of rest and nature as teachers and everyday practices that help us to live more intentional and sacred lives.

For the episode show notes, https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/luminousself 

Find out more about Tracee at traceestanley.com.

All good things must come to an end. I’ll be back with more episodes of ‘Speak From the Body’ after a break. For now, I’m leaving you with thoughts about slowing down and processing the events of recent months.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/break

Taking personal responsibility for our health behaviours facilitates long-term health. And personal responsibility ripples out into the sense of collective/ society health. Do you find it hard to ask for support? How does this affect you in your work/life balance? What are some simple ways you can extend your circle of support?

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/support

A solo episode about the importance of acknowledging and marking endings, how waiting can bring you into a state of presence, and the benefit of all things in moderation

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/mishmash

Tracee Stanley, shares teachings that are inspired by more than 20 years of study in the traditions of the Himalayan Masters and Sri Vidya Tantra. The focus of her teaching honours life as a ritual and she is devoted to yoga nidra, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/tracee-stanley

Improving and maintaining the health of the teeth, gums, tongue and mouth positively impacts the full spectrum of health. Daily dental hygiene can be considered to be a mindfulness practice, and can be aided by Ayurvedic practices and homeopathy.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/laura-schikkerling

Anna Lovind helps feminist creatives and change-makers go from dreaming to doing- without the striving and overwhelm. This conversation is about holding a vision for what you want, and breaking down the tiny steps to get there. It’s a sustainable view of creativity and living an intentional life.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/anna-lovind

The Four Baskets relates to the ultimate origin story: what was the story of your beginning and how has it affected your life? The Four Baskets looks through the lens of: conception, gestation, birth and the 6 hours after birth from a spiritual and awareness-orientated perspective. It’s an approach for experiencing heart-opening and self-compassion

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/catherine-lightfoot

Julie Wright is an entrepreneur, sleep ambassador, and author of “The Natural Sleeper: A Bedside Guide to Complementary and Alternative Solutions for Better Sleep” .

Julie is also the Chief Sleep Orchestrator and founder of WeSleep, a wellbeing provider focused on sleep, sleep deprivation and insomnia to a wide range of organizations and business clients. In addition, Julie is an ambassador for World Sleep Day.

“Having battled with sleep issues for years, Julie embarked on a journey full of learning, discovery and therapeutic experiments to resolve them. She then started to re-energise sleep-deprived individuals by teaching them how to sleep better naturally for optimal physical and mental health.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/julie-wright

An episode about the power of words and the process of flow writing to rediscover yourself, and how this approach has been used in hospital and care homes with people with dementia, mental ill health and carers and staff. Talking about creative expression and the sense of wholeness rather than just being defined by a label

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/susanna-howard

Yoga is for everybody, but the dominant image is of a young, skinny, flexible girl. Donna Noble talks about creating a space of safety and inclusivity so that people can connect with their bodies and minds. The more restful and slow postures and practices are just as valid as the acrobatic, complex movements that are most commonly shared and seen.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/donna-noble

A conversation with Skylar Liberty Rose about taking up space as older women and being visible. Learning to turn inwards to choose what we need and feel, rather than relying on the outer illusion of social media and other images that are presented to us. Perimenopause, body changes and how ageing doesn’t have to be associated with loss and shame.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/skylar-rose

Did you know that many children are spending less time outdoors than prison inmates? Movement, play and fun are for everyone. Sedentary lifestyles are linked with obesity and chronic diseases and yet the solutions can be simple and fun.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/darryl-edwards

Molly O’Brien describes the 3 disruptors of physiological birth. She aims to bring biomechanics (the study of human movement) back into birth. Improving the baby’s position and balancing the pelvis can help to lessen difficult births. Freedom of movement and autonomy. 

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/molly-obrien

What if we took the focus away from self-care and self-development and instead created an approach to health that addresses groups and communities? People power can be vital for dealing with issues such as addiction, and mental health as well as learning and maintaining new habits such as meditation and running.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/community

Françoise Freedman, social anthropologist and founder of Birthlight, shares her approach of simple practices that support women to feel more confident and at ease in pregnancy. Her work weaves together yoga foundations, and knowledge gained whilst living in community in the Upper Amazon

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/francoise-freedman

Have you noticed how clearing your physical environment helps you to have a calmer state of mind? In this episode we talk about how trauma and stressful life events can result in a build-up of clutter. You can keep your possessions and space in order by creating simple systems and then maintaining them

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/helen-sanderson

A short journaling practice to help you to reflect on a recent time and make space for something new in your life.

For the full shownotes:

https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/reflect

A tiny practice to help to cope when things aren’t going to plan. Instead of letting tension build up into discomfort and pain, experience release. Scan the body, clench and melt any areas of held tension and shake it away.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/clench-melt

Even in today’s world, talking about female sexuality and orgasms can still be a taboo. In this conversation, Mangala Holland talks about shame, boundaries and how sexual pleasure enables flow in all areas of life.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/mangala-holland

Seasonal Affective Disorder can make the winter a real struggle. Here are some simple and soothing tools to support your mind, body and emotions.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/sad

Supporting babies and children to move, learn and grow through play and connection. Play is needed for children and adults alike. Exploring the importance of occupational therapy for early intervention, and addressing the sensory and motor skills that are needed for healthy development. How to adapt to individual needs, such as the need for tactile stimulation.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/munira-adenwalla

Menopause can be described as the ‘autumn’ of your life. In this conversation we talked about the taboo of menopause and how to have conscious conversations about this rite of passage. Exploring why some women sail through menopause and others are besieged by challenges such as brain-fog and anxiety. And simple ways to manage common symptoms.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/caroline-gaskin

Kreena shares her lessons and powerful story of experiencing breast cancer, heart failure and infertility and pursuing motherhood through surrogacy and donor conception. She talks about speaking out as a South Asian woman, in a community that can be very private, and how sharing stops shame and stigma. Kreena talks about finding beauty and gratitude, even from the painful and difficult things.

For the full shownotes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/kreena-dhiman

The ‘busy busy’ culture stops us from finding true health. Rest is an important part of being well, and not just a reward for productivity. It’s easier to create and enjoy rest rather than to be forced to stop.

For the full shownotes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/timetorest

Life can often feel too busy to see a way to create change. Change doesn’t need to be radical. Little steps soon build up. The first step is making space. You can make space in your head, body, diary and living environment. Here are some easy ways to make space so that you can listen to what your body needs next.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/makespace

The Intuitive Way to Wellness is a slow, gentle and individual way of looking at health and wellbeing. When you listen to your bodily wisdom, you become the expert of your body. This is the first of a series of 3 episodes about this approach to health and wellbeing.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/iww

We’re told we should love ourselves, but it can feel rather awkward can’t it? Alex from Nini Organics radiates love and positivity. In this episode he talks about positive mindset, acceptance, self-love, gut health and caring for your skin.

for the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/alex-nicolaou

Do you think of yourself as creative? What if we all realised that creativity is something that is accessible and that supports the full spectrum of our health? And it needn’t add to your priorities, but can instead be enhanced what’s noticing what’s already around you.

If you’re led by your to-do list, then you’ll love hearing about creativity and play. It’s the perfect approach for anyone who needs permission to sit still, or who can’t slow their busy mind.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/shannon-read

According to Michel Odent, who has been attending births since 1953 and is now in his 90s, society is at a precipice. It’s time to change our way of thinking and enter a new paradigm. We need to be asking “why some births go so well”, rather than “why birth is difficult”. He talks about how important the transition into birth is, and the need for protecting this time. Waiting for the initiation of labour, including for caesarean births wherever possible, so that the baby is ready to be born. This is a cultural conversation for everyone: not just doctors, midwives, doulas and pregnant women.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/michel-odent

Human beings need to feel safe so that we can thrive. That’s not easy to do right now, especially during a pandemic, with so many environmental, social and political issues in the forefront of our minds. 

Finding safety can be simply and accessible and I’m sharing my easiest tips so that you can feel more settled.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/feel-safe

Have you ever felt constricted by what other people think you ‘should’ be? In this episode, I speak to artist Sheree Mack https://www.instagram.com/livingwildstudios/ about reclaiming her true voice and learning to express herself authentically and fully. We talk about her new project: ‘The Earth Sea Love Podcast’, which explores women of colour and their relationship with the natural world.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/sheree-mack

Sophrology is a mind-body approach to life that incorporates breathwork, relaxation, visualisation and movement. It can be a useful approach to address stress and anxiety, prepare for birth, enhance performance and facilitate change.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/dominique-antiglio

The fourth trimester/ postpartum period can be challenging. Here are some suggestions to support the new mother, couple and baby to feel more relaxed and integrated in this stage of life.

For the Full Shownotes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/diane-speier

Connecting with the element of water is one of the simplest and most versatile ways of supporting our physical, emotional and mental health. You can drink water, behold it or immerse yourself in a relaxing bath, floatation tank or the ocean. Cold water swimming is having a surge in popularity and is good for mental, physical and emotional health.

Are you tired of rushing around, without the time and space for what’s truly important to you? Yarrow Magdalena lives a soft and intentional life, working from home in Scotland and creating offerings for her inclusive community about rituals, business and healing. She shares her philosophy that a slow, sustainable life can be just as creative and impactful.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/yarrow-magdalena

It should be obvious that placing a woman at the centre of her antenatal care is vital, but it sadly isn’t always the case. In this conversation, midwife Elsie Gayle and I explore continuity of care in midwifery and the rise in birthing outside of the system, (a.k.a freebirthing), when women choose a non-medicalised experience or feel like they have no other choice (perhaps because of previous experiences).

For the Full Show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/elsie-gayle

Herbal Medicine is a way of supporting health for individuals and for building community. Plant medicine and sharing knowledge and skills for all.

Catch the full show notes at https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/rasheeqa-ahmad

Emotions such as fear, shame and anger can be difficult to identify and release in the body. When we release blocks, we can access greater joy and pleasure. Also talking about the transformational aspect of the menopause

For the Full Show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/marcela-widrig

Tips on how to re-emerge after lockdown, as well as time away for any other reasons including surgery, compassionate leave, illness, holiday, retreat or giving birth.

For the full show notes:

https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/reemerge

What if everyone realised that the true expert is within? How different birth and humanity could be if decisions were made around love rather than fear. Birth choices and embodying birth. 

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/maha-almusa

How to effortlessly bring intentionality and sacred rituals into everyday tasks as well as opening up to the unseen world around you and reconnecting with womb wisdom as the seat of power. Talking to Chloe Isidora, author of ‘Sacred Self-care’: Everyday rituals for a more joyful and meaningful life’

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/chloe-isidora

https://www.chloeisidora.com 

Instagram @chloeisidora

Do you feel overwhelmed about using spices to enhance your cooking? Learn how to layer flavours with whole and ground spices to create tasty dishes.

For the full show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/ren-patel

If you’ve been transfixed by ‘Normal People’ or ‘I May Destroy You’, it might have something to do with the powerful intimate scenes. In this episode I’m speaking to Ita O’Brien, Intimacy Coordinator and founder of Intimacy on Set, about consent, choreography and storytelling.

Full Show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/ita-obrien

A conversation about learning through play and movement and inspiring potential and self-leadership in childhood. The role of teaching to create a space for play where it’s safe to make mistakes.

Full Shownotes: 

https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/alison-kriel

Resources:

Alison Kriel website

Twitter

Above and Beyond Education

Bryn Llewellyn from Tagtiv8 Ted Talk

Why is it that two people can experience the same stressful event, but have very different outcomes? In this episode I speak with Steve Haines, chiropractor, craniosacral therapist and TRE teacher about deepening feeling, changing the narrative and addressing pain and trauma.

Show notes: https://www.avni-touch.com/podcast/steve-haines