Technical Exercise 02- Collaborative Skill Building + Group Project
Research
I watched ‘Why We Hold Hands’ by Dr James Coan and was very moved by his presentation. He describes how holding hands with people we love can help us to work through difficult situations- in this case a veteran with PTSD symptoms who drew strength from holding his wife’s hand during treatment. Dr Coan followed up on this event by creating experiments that showed brain activity linking the two people with a pre-existing close emotional bond.
It reminded me of a time when I was receiving treatment with a counsellor and my daughter was not able to be there but she was supporting me from afar. So I asked my counsellor to hold my hand- to keep me anchored in the room and in the here and now- and she agreed. I trusted her implicitly and also was able to imagine my daughter holding my hand in that moment. It was very powerful and meaningful.
The other story of hand holding that is near to my heart is my Grandma who used to ask me to hold her hand as we sat and chatted. I loved this and can still feel and see her beautiful aged and arthritic hands and the love we shared. I can also imagine her smell- very soft and gentle. Coming from a family that was not big into displays of affection, my Grandma gave me a great gift and I know I was able to offer her comfort too. This remains a favourite memory to revisit these many years after her passing.
I also watched a video about why we shake hands. It spoke of it being a friendly gesture of greeting and parting that is steeped in history- both Christian and Islamic cultures. One striking things about this article is that it was made during the pandemic when shaking hands was not allowed due to public health concerns. It reminded me of that time when human touch was scarce (especially for people living alone) and that it is a relief to be able to be in community again.
https://www.pbs.org/video/why-do-we-shake-hands-i5pcgs/
As someone who lives alone, my dog was especially important to me during the pandemic and beyond. My past and current dogs both have lovely soft fur to bury my hands in. My current dog, Magnus, is beginning to come up to me more and more for scritches and belly rubs. It feels like a lovely reciprocal relationship. While we don’t hold hands, obviously, this is an aspect of a close relationship that is based on touch and trust.
I’m not sure who my partner will be for the project so I don’t know what pose we will choose. It needs to be something that feels good for both of us and I’m sure the aspects I have mentioned so far will inform my side of the collaboration.
Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (right) shakes the hand of Babylonian king Marduk-zakir-shumi I (left), 9th century BCE
By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88251528