The Whole World In Your Hands - Ice Cream for the Soul by Joy Koenig, MD - Personal Growth, Wellness, Healthy Lifestyle, Meditation, Inspiration

THE WHOLE WORLD IN MY HANDS
CATEGORY

        Mindful Meditation

DESCRIPTION

        Turn hand massage into a meditation that can be done anywhere.

INSTRUCTIONS

        Hand massage can be done anywhere you have soap and water or lotion, and any time you have five minutes on your hands (pun intended).

        First, run warm water over your hands to warm them up, then dry them if you are using lotion. Gently rotate your hand and flex your wrists back and forth. Now add soap, or use the same amount of lotion as if you were simply moisturizing your hands. Massage the lotion or soap into your hands using a wringing motion.

        Using the fingertips of one hand, massage the fleshy areas of your wrist and the spaces between the tendons on the back of your hand. Turn your hand over, and using the pad of your thumb, massage the palm of your hand using slow circular motions. Focus on the muscular portion of your palm -- the outer portions extending toward your wrist from the base of your thumb and the base of your little finger. You can also use the knuckles of one hand to work into the palm of the other hand.

        Now, enclose your right index in your left hand (it will look like you inserted your left index finger into a fist of your right hand). Squeeze your left hand very gently, as you slowly pull your right finger out from your fist. Repeat with each finger and thumb on both hands. Now, clasp your hands together, interlacing your fingers. Rotate your hands so that your palms are facing outward and extend your elbows. This will gently stretch your fingers backward.

        Unclasp your hands and wiggle your fingers around. Repeatedly open and close your hand, make a fist and flick your fingers as if you were playfully spraying someone with water. Now smile, and notice if other areas of your body have relaxed, too.

JOY'S JOURNEY

        There are endless daily opportunities to massage your hands. Every time you use the bathroom, you could take an extra sixty seconds to add in a bit of massage. Take a few extra moments to apply your hand lotion in a massaging way. Do you wash any dishes by hand? Spending just one or two minutes at the beginning or end of my dishwashing brings me a more relaxed perspective on the rest of my day or evening.

         I alternate between two rituals. (1) I fill the kitchen sink with warm sudsy water and submerge my hands into the water up to my wrists. Then, I clench and unclench my hands, and do a mini hand massage on each hand before loading the dishes into the sink. (2) I finish the dishes first, then apply hand lotion to my freshly hydrated skin, taking an extra sixty seconds to apply it in a massaging manner.

        There's a reason we wring our hands when we are stressed. The hand is filled with acupressure points that can relieve headaches as well as help us relax. Do you find yourself constantly applying hand lotion during times of stress, even when your skin isn't dry? It may simply be your spirit's intuitive way to take care of you and help you relax.

QUOTES

Your hand is never the worse for doing its own work.
Welsh Proverb

The bird of paradise alights only in the hand
that does not grasp.
John Berry

This playful meditation activity is COPYRIGHTED. If you are a professional trainer, coach, human resources person, counselor, or therapist it is not ethical nor legal for you to use it or share it with your clients or those you supervise/train as part of your job. See the copyright notice on the front page of this e-book. Remember, character is what you do when no one is looking. Please take the high road, and pay me appropriately to use these materials professionally, even if you work for a church, school, non-profit or the government.