Touch Heals
Massage is one of the simplest and most profound forms of healing there is. Babies thrive on being held and touched; in fact, healthy babies can’t do without it. As adults, we are no less susceptible to the joy and pleasure of nurturing touch.
Modern medicine increasingly recognizes the value of massage in treating a broad range of conditions including back pain, tension headaches, sleep problems, arthritis, and depression. Massage works by increasing blood circulation to the soft tissues, helping them heal with oxygen and nutrients. It also improves the draining of toxins and waste products from the muscles. And it has been shown to boost immune functions by increasing the number of natural killer cells in the body. Most important, massage helps to reduce stress and tension, thereby promoting a relaxed and open sense of wholeness and well-being.
I’ve come to understand that much of the healing that takes place in touch happens on very, very simple levels. Simple, nurturing touch is so important. Touch plus breath plus presence feels like acceptance. Giving permission to accept yourself and to receive nurturing is a big part of the sacred, intimate touch that I offer, which comes in two varieties: