Are you getting enough?

Homunculus is a faintly ridiculous model that you can often see in Human Biology exhibitions at many a Natural History Museum. It shows the relative sizes of body parts according to the investment our nervous systems make in connecting these peripherals to the brain.

As such, the model has huge hands! There are two models, one on the motor control of our parts and the other on the sensory nerve endings. The hands are huge on both models.

The models have huge feet!

The models have huge lips – way beyond Botox! And a great big, and I mean BIG, tongue. Yes, it’s pretty yukky! (Hello, Google Image Search)

The exciting news is that it is a map of what is important for our brain’s well-being.

Your feet need more loving.
Your hands need more stimulation.
Your tongue needs good taste!
And those lips… well, you know what they are for!

I was struck by how abstract our Society has become – how isolated from sensory and motor stimulation.  If the brain craves input from hands, feet, lips, and tongue – we may be meeting the needs of the tongue but not much more.

We wrap our feet in torturous fashions.
We are told not to touch.
We DON’T go around kissing everyone.

Turns out kiss-chase with consenting adults may be a very good idea – especially with bare feet on grass.

I hope I’ve got you laughing or at least smiling, even smirking at some of what I’ve said – and it is said with a huge tongue-in-cheek.

But here’s the truth: we thrive with more stimulation in these areas.

Treat your feet this week.

And buy a Moodscope lip-balm.

Treat your tongue to a tasty feast.

And keep your hands to yourself!

Lex

A Moodscope member