Have you ever wondered why we shiver when we are cold? The human body needs to
keep a core temperature of about 98.6°F to prevent hypothermia. When you are chilly,
tiny sensors in your skin send messages to your brain telling you to warm up. Your
brain then sends messages to nerves all over your body telling you to shiver and when
the muscles quiver and you shake, the result is heat and warmth for your whole body.
Have you ever wondered why cats purr? According to Dr. Gary Weitzman, author of
“How to Speak Cat” purrs occur at a frequency of 25-100Hz which corresponds with
healing frequencies in humans. Researchers have also found that bone responds to 25-
50Hz of vibration. This is the reason that whole body vibration plates were used for
astronauts after returning from space. In space astronauts lose bone density with the
loss of gravity. Whole body vibration helps to rebuild density after space travel.
Scientists have surmised that the purr of a cat has developed as a low-energy way to
keep bones and tissues in good condition in much the same way that space travelers
benefit from vibration. Petting a cat has long been a form of stress relief as well. Some
studies show that cat ownership could cut the risk of stroke or heart disease by as much
as one-third. This healing aspect of the cat’s purr has been used in robotic pet therapy
as well. Robotic cats mimic real purring, complete with vibration, and have been
utilized to help decrease stress and agitation for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in
long term care facilities.
Dr. David Berceli uses shaking in his work with trauma healing. He believes that
shaking induces a parasympathetic nerve response, or “the relaxation response.” This
aligns with the calming response we’ve noticed with dementia residents in long term
care.
I have been interested in the benefits of vibration for quite a long time now. This is the
reason I created the Tubee exercise tool. Shaking is simple and powerful. Shaking
stimulates the central nervous system and can increase blood flow. Specifically,
researchers have measured significant increases in blood flow in a fidgeting leg.
Shaking can increase circulation, dexterity, joint stability, core strength, as well as
facilitate fascial release and increase muscle endurance.
Our lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help eliminate toxins as
well as carry infection-fighting white blood cells throughout our body. The lymphatic
system doesn’t have a pump like our circulatory system does. Jiggling stimulates the
removal of toxins.
The trick is finding just the right speed and intensity of shaking for you. If you shake
too hard, you may feel your muscles tense up. This is not the sensation we are looking
for. If you don’t shake with enough movement, it won’t relax your body or warm you
up. We want to shake until when we hum, we can hear our voice vibrate.
Shaking is not a new concept and has been linked to healing for centuries. In the 19th
century there were Indian Shakers. In China, there is a 2,000-year-old healing
tradition that activates the shaking response known as Waidangong. This movement
spread to Southeast Asia and Japan. Slowly this tradition was lost until recently when
Oprah introduced her self-help guru Gabrielle Bernstein who uses the Kundalini yoga
technique which involves shaking your hands in the air for three minutes. Shaking is
easy. It can be performed anywhere, it’s fun and you can shake virtually in any
position. So, if your body automatically clenches when you’re under stress do as
Taylor Swift would say and “shake it off”.
