Sensitive Hands through Healing Touch

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My awareness of the human body, when touched through my hands is becoming more sensitive and precise.  Having spent the past eight years refining the proprioceptors in my hands and the ability to discern what they are sensing, through Reiki Energetic Healing (touch), Craniosacral Therapy (healing touch) and then Craniosacral Biodynamics and Somatic Processing (also healing touch), it has been a fascinating journey.

Recently, I realized how precise and sensitive my hands were (especially when going about ordinary life) when I picked up a hair off the floor, and between my fingertips, it felt relatively thick.  I wondered at this phenomena for a moment and then realized that my sensitivity was increasing, even when I am not touching someone.

But it is amazing what can be discerned from having skilled hands on a client who is receptive and open to healing touch.  As in, they are intending to relax and they trust the process enough to at least get on your (massage) table.  These days, I do an intake interview which takes at least 15 minutes, primarily asking about previous accidents, injuries, surgeries, etc as well as inquiring about client’s medications and supplements taken.  I also make certain that if there is any question of their mental stability that they have additional support, whether from a religious figure, counselor, therapist, etc.  So I basically ask all these questions to get a baseline of where they are starting (and of course to cover my butt – there are certain clients who I will not touch initially but this is another story).

Sometimes clients will forget to mention something – it happens at least a couple times per month – like I ask about accidents and previous injuries or surgeries and they say they have been lucky so far in their lives and therefore they have nothing to report.  Well, yes, that is most likely the case, and I am glad they see through “glass-is-half-full-eyes” but when I eventually put my hands on their head, I might feel immediate “shock!” “trauma!” “Yikes!” messages…  So I ask, have you ever been in a bad car accident or injured yourself while your body was moving (like a skiing or boating accident, etc)?  Depending on what my hands are picking up, I will vary the question.  And sure enough, every time, there is something they forgot to mention.

Yes, that time you fell off the swing as a kid and hit your head on the porch and lay in bed for two days because you had a bad concussion: this is important information to share with your bodyworker!  Maybe I need to change my line of questioning  🙂   But it is amazing what you can teach your hands to detect – if you practice, if you maintain good habits of self care and if you keep up your sensitivity through monthly healing touch.  Very cool indeed.

Actually I am doing a lot of the Somatic Process (from the Kathy Kain / Peter Levine lineage) work recently, spending a lot of time slowing down myself and then transmitting that peace and serenity to clients and getting them to drop into a deep state of rest-and-digest or parasympathetic nervous system activity (the opposite of fight or flight or freeze).  Up to this point, this is the most profound and potent modality I have practiced.  Depending on the client’s history, I spend the first session simply providing containment for the skin and when they are ready, following their awareness and body’s receptivity to become aware of fascia – the interconnecting matrix of tissue which runs between organs and through the entire body.  Then, when the client is ready, I move to kidneys, gut and eventually, when it feels safe, to the brain stem.

Long story short, I am seeing more and more clients, and gleaning more and more information from healing touch.  And of course, I still work a bit with Zapchen Somatics when it is appropriate.  I am blessed and it seems that some of my positive karma is ripening at the moment, so I am deeply grateful and I try to be present in the midst of whatever is arising – good, bad, rich, poor, fame, blame, I try to rest in “It is okay.”

*** Kirby Moore is not a licensed health care provider.  This information is provided purely for entertainment or educational purposes only.  If you have questions about your health, please contact a licensed professional.