From SenseThinkAct
THERMAL SENSE EXERCISES
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: To Objectify Temperature Sensations You must equip yourself with at least two air thermometers. One in the shade and under cover outside, and one in your room. If possible also have a humidity meter. Now at the same time every day for a year, keep a record in your diary. First assess the temperature by how you feel - taking into account changes of clothing, health etc. Note this guesstimate, then take the thermometer reading. At the end of every month, add your readings to a graph, made out for the year, and note the progress in the accuracy of your assessments.
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: Surface Temperature Variations The simplest way of shaking or shocking the bodies heat control mechanisms outoftheir'central heating slumber' is to vary the surface temperature of the skin quickly without allowing serious heat losses. The best way to do this is to go to a shower with separate hot and cold controls - set the heat full on, then vary the cold until you can comfortably bear it. When you are well heated step out of the shower and turn offthe hot. Then dive back under the now cold shower, foras long as you can bear it, or until you are well cooled off. (The first time you may only be able to bear a quick splash, but regular repeated practice makes the practise a pleasant and invigorating one). Then repeat this quickly 3 or4 times until you feel yourself tingling all over. This tingling is the lazy old thermo-nerve endings spluttering their way back into operation. The refreshing effect initiated by the tingling will continue for about half an hour. I have found that regular 'hot and colds' with a bit of jogging beforehand makes me practically immune to common colds, flu and other common niggily ills.
The aerotone, sauna, Russian and Turkish baths can do a similar job, but require more time and ,money. Outdoor swimming in Spring and Autumn will be as good, if you make sure you get well warmed up between dips.
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: Radiant Heat Source
a. Blindfolded, get an assistant to move a lighted candle across a table towards your open hands, face, or other exposed parts of the body. Say as soon as you can feel the heat and record the distance. Then move the candle from close-by gradually away, across the table. As soon as the sensation of heat fades record the distance. Repeat daily for ten days with rest. Using the same area of body as a sensor and having the room at about the same temperature. Does having warm or cold hands make a difference to your sensitivity?
b. At the distance at which you can barely feel one candle alight. Arrange a short ark of unlit candles. Blindfolded, get a friend to light and extinguish candles in a random order. (This must be done silently - suggest using a taper). Guess how many candles are alight at any time. Repeat ten days with rest.
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: Ice & Blood Find two smalI strong glass 'jam' jars with smooth bottoms. Fill one with hot water bearable to the hands, the other wlth crushed ice. Arrange for someone to track these slowly around your body using oil or talcum powder as a lubricant. Can you always be sure which the hot and which the cold? Note the varying sensations in different parts of the body.
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: Extremes What is the hottest water you can put your hand into? (withoutscalding .yourselforfeeling pain). What is the coldest water you can dip into? Both extremes need to be approached cautiously and gradually. Know where to stop.
The hot extreme: Hot water from a kettle is gradually added to a bucket until you can't bear to keep your arm in for a count of five. Take the temperature of the water with a household thermometer. Record with comments. Repeat at regular intervals and compare results.
The cold extreme: Can be done in a bath (or shower if it has accurate temperature regulation) by gradually reducing the temperature of a bath by one degree each day. But it is a richer experience, done at the swimming pool or in the sea following the change from summer to winter. Attendance twice per week will give body time to adapt This technique. will improve the self-insulating properties of the body - and this helps guard against seasonal chills etc.
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: Assessing Conduction of Materials Different materials have the capacity to hold different amounts of heat. Metal holds lots and wood holds little. So, even when it is at the same cool temperature, a metal bar will feel colder than a wooden rod. Go around your garden (blindfold helps) or your house (the parts of it that are at a similar temperature) and check out the feel of different materials. List them in order of conductivity (check them against a table found in a reference library). Earth, tree, grass, concrete, water, glass etc. will all be at roughly the same temperature but will feel different because of their different heat capacity.
