TOUCH THERAPY
by Susanna Bany
The power of human touch. Whether it’s a mother’s soft touch, or even a heartfelt handshake, we connect deeply with touch. It’s essential to our very health and emotional well-being.
Touch Therapy, as opposed to Massage Therapy, is all about that deeper connection.
What is it, and how does it work?
Within us all is an electrical current type of flow. It's part of the electro-chemical make-up of our bodies. A touch therapist trained in the particular connection points on the body, known variously as Chakras, Meridians, or Nadii, helps stimulate, or trigger, these natural balance points. This “flow” (also called Chi, Ki, or human energy field) helps to regulate our inner wellness, and promotes our natural self-healing ability. A therapist with a highly developed sense of “touch” can actually feel imbalances within these flows, and by touching the right areas, help your body clear blockages, rebalance and stimulate main flow pathways, and generally boost your ability to maintain an inner wellness.
The most commonly recognized Touch Therapies are:
• Therapeutic Touch (Dolores Kreiger and Dora Kunz)
• Healing Touch (Janet Mentgen, BSN, RN, as recognized by the American and Canadian Holistic Nurses Association)
• Reiki (Japanese)
• Acupressure (Chinese)
There are hundreds of books on the subject, with many, many research projects, past and present, citing the benefits of these therapies. Any one interested may start with reading the basics as described by: the women noted above, as well as Barbara Brennan, Rosalyn Bruyere, Sharon Scandrett-Hibdon, Brugh Joy, Louise Hay, or Caroline Myss, to name a few.
What to look for in a touch therapist:
When selecting your Touch Therapist, ensure that he or she has received certified training, and don’t be afraid to ask to see their credentials. Both Therapeutic Touch and Healing Touch, have stringent certification processes. Healing Touch in particular has the certification process overseen by Registered Nurses, in order to ensure the highest of standards.
Select a clinic or spa where you feel comfortable with the surroundings, and with the therapists. Premier Spas of Ontario has a qualification process which requires that the spas under their listing have proof of all certifications on the premises. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and have your therapist explain what you might feel, or to clarify the procedures. Most people claim that they reach an extremely deep state of relaxation, their whole body feels lighter, stresses seem to melt away, and their sense of inner wellbeing is enhanced. Scientific research has shown that the immune system is boosted, depression can be lifted, blood flows are balanced (high/low), and positive results have been noted for such conditions as fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic pain, even types of cancers.
Boosting the immune system through Touch Therapy has also been know to help people avoid colds or a bout of the flu!
Susanna Bany, CET, CHTP is a certified Healing Touch Practitioner, and certified “touch therapist” with over 25 years experience. She is also Manager of Wellness and Spa Services at the in Port Severn, Ontario.