When was the last time you went to a doctor to get a shot? Or maybe went to get a new piercing? Do you remember squeezing someone’s hand as soon as you saw the needle approaching?
I very well remember this one time my best friend dared to get her nose pierced and I guess I felt twice as much pain as she did from the gunshot because of the fact that she covered her eyes with one hand and squeezed my hand with another. To all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans out there, can you recall the episode where Ross went to get a shot because Monica gave him a kiwi pie (Ross is allergic to kiwis) and he literally bruised her hand?
Well, I have been thinking about it when the idea of clenched fists crossed my mind and hence this blog. Ever felt like you are falling from a height during sleep? So, what’s the mystery behind it and how is it related to a clenched fist?
To begin with, let’s talk of our palms. Evolutionary pressure of standing upright on two legs brought about an increasing concentration of nerves and finely tuned muscles in our palms and fingers. There are a total of 17,000 touch receptors and free nerve endings in the palm. Some people believe that by applying pressure to our body’s pressure points, it can help relieve pain, establish balance, and improve health throughout the body. Here comes the science of acupressure. Ready to give it a go? Okay, make tight fists for 5 seconds and immediately release. Feel lighter? I do ;)
THE SENSE OF FALLING : This body movement is what doctors and scientists call a hypnic jerk. It’s also known as a “sleep start,” and it can literally startle you out of falling asleep.This type of feeling is normal, and it can happen before people enter the deeper stages of sleep. Doctors and scientists aren’t really sure why our bodies do this, but they have a few theories. One theory is that the brain misunderstands what’s going on as our muscles relax before sleep. It’s normal for the muscles to relax, of course, but the brain gets confused. For a minute, it thinks you’re falling. In response, the brain causes your muscles to tense as a way to “catch yourself” before falling down — and that makes your body jerk.
Can you connect the dots now? According to Jacksonville Sleep Center, North Florida, some sleepers have found temporary relief in holding onto an object when they sleep, such as a squeeze ball or a pillow. I myself grab on to my pillow tight before falling asleep because it somehow gives me a sense of assurance. Holding on to something deals with our insecurity and gives us a sense of protection.
Talking of clenched fists, scientists studying human evolution offer a logical explanation for why do babies clench their fists when feeding. A popular view is that they do it because the monkeys did it. Modern humans who seem to share a common ancestry with some species of upright-walking apes learnt the vice-like grip from baby apes who hold on to their mom’s thick hair for survival as they hang in precarious positions while their mom swings from treetops.
Let’s talk about SHAVASANA or the corpse pose in yogic therapy. It brings closure to our yoga session and involves lying flat on our back, legs separated, hands on the sides…palms facing up. All we need to do is close our eyes and try to relax with each breath we take. But, the art of relaxation is harder than it looks. Concentrating on palms, the main topic of discussion in our article, open palms is a form of surrender and indicates that we are open to receive. I think it teaches us to let go and learn to accept after all the clenching and fisting we had been doing throughout.
So the next time you watch a horror movie, don’t forget to squeeze the hand of your loved one. Human Touch is a psychological need and I hope we get to experience some of our near and dear ones as soon as this pandemic ends. On a concluding note, quoting Audrey Hepburn…
“The best thing to hold onto life is each other.”
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