“Touch is one of the most powerful words in the English language. We touch people with our hands, but we also touch people with our smiles, our tears, our words, and our actions. All day long we are “touching” the people around us… When a baby is born, the first thing the mother usually does is to hold it, with skin-to-skin contact if at all possible…The nerve endings in the baby’s skin instantly relay all sorts of information to its nervous system, and this will help the baby immediately begin to learn about the world into which it has suddenly been thrust.”
“Teaching Yoga with Intention”, Judith Hanson Lasater
From the very beginning of life, our skin and nervous system share a profound connection. In fact, they are born from the same source.
During the earliest weeks of embryological development, our tiny ball of cells organizes into three distinct layers:
- Ectoderm – the outer layer
- Mesoderm – the middle layer
- Endoderm – the inner layer
Around the 4th to 6th week, something remarkable happens. A portion of the ectoderm folds inward, forming the primitive neural tube. From this structure, the brain, spinal cord, and nerves begin to emerge. And here’s the fascinating part: the very same ectodermal cells that create our nervous system also become our skin.
This shared origin explains why our skin and nervous system are so closely linked. Touch is not simply a surface sensation—it’s a direct line of communication with our brain and body. Every stretch, every bit of pressure, every gentle glide across the skin sends signals deep into the nervous system, influencing how we move, feel, and even regulate our emotional state.
Touch, Movement, and the Role of Stretch-eze®
The silky fabric of the Stretch-eze® band has been intentionally designed to echo this intimate relationship between skin and nervous system. Its unique properties—expandability, gentle resistance, rebound, and the way it naturally returns to shape—mirror the qualities of our own skin.
When you wrap yourself in a Stretch-eze®, you’re not just working with resistance. You’re engaging with a fabric that provides tactile input in the same way touch does:
- Supportive yet responsive – like skin stretching and recoiling;
- Grounding and regulating – signaling safety to the nervous system;
- Awakening awareness – helping you feel where your body is in space.
This is why so many practitioners and movers describe the Stretch-eze® as both a physical and sensory experience. It doesn’t just build strength, flexibility, or alignment—it provides a felt sense of containment and comfort.
Why Touch Matters
As adults, we often underestimate the power of touch in movement and wellness practices. Providing touch effectively and intentionally when I teach a yoga class, or receiving such touch from another when I practice, is so appreciated. As stated by Judith Hanson Lasater, a pioneer who popularized restorative yoga in the West: “An educated touch is worth many words”. My favorite part of my yoga teacher training was learning and practicing hands-on adjustments – when, how and when not to offer them. As explained by Lasater: “Never forget that the student’s nervous system is infinitely more knowledgeable about their body than any teacher could ever be.”
It is time for the Stretch-eze® to be part of the discussion on touch – it knows how to support each body it drapes. The science is clear: tactile input plays a crucial role in motor control, proprioception, and emotional regulation. By teaching with, or using the Stretch-eze®, you are not only gifting your muscles and cueing alignment—you’re also nurturing your nervous system through the language of touch.
In essence, the Stretch-eze® reconnects us to something we’ve known since our very first days of development: movement and touch are inseparable, and when combined, they have the power to make us feel whole.