Do you know that a massage therapist does not know what their own touch fully feels like? Isn't that interesting? I believe this is because part of the experience of touch is the psychological/relational aspect, i.e. letting someone else's energy or presence into your own. It is difficult for us to experience ourselves the same way that other people do. Similarly, being "touched" by something (be it a story, poem, musical selection, photo, etc....) means it infiltrates our psychological space--it impacts us or shifts us in a noticable way. We can be "touched" in many ways.
But what happens when a person has experienced neglect in touch? Ah...how did you just read that sentence? Did you read "touch" in the sense of physical touch? Or emotional, or spiritual, or .....fill in the blank. What I am getting at is are we aware of any areas in which we have not been touched or moved lately? All areas of our lives should be able to be touched...unless they are dead, dormant or defended. This does not mean we let anyone or anything in without permission--boundaries are a good thing. But anything that is "untouchable" is worth noting in our own lives.
So...keep in touch with yourself. Keep your own pulse across your physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Also--keep in touch with others, and allow them to touch these areas of your life--and touch theirs! Reach out and touch someone!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
"Keep in Touch" Part 1
I may be showing my age here...but when I was a child, there was a telephone company that had a jingle on their TV advertisement that went "Reach out, Reach out and touch someone!" Basically it was encouraging people to call one another and "keep in touch." What an interesting phrase "keep in touch."
It is common practice in LMT school to work on your classmates and be worked on. What has been fascinating to me is that EVERYONE's touch is different. Two people do not give the same massage--even if they were taught by the same teacher, use the same strokes and work in the same order. Everyone's touch is different. What makes this so? I think part of the reason it feels so different is related to energy--emotional presence. If you work on your own muscles--you are both the giver and reciever--there is no engagement with another's energy or emotional presence. Our body registers the difference. When another person works on you--their person/presence--their "touch" impacts you. I am becoming fully convinced when you touch a body you touch a soul/spirit. Humans are not disembodied spirits floating around. Our spirit infuses our whole person--so that when you "reach out and touch someone" you are not just touching their body--but you are touching their essence.
It is common practice in LMT school to work on your classmates and be worked on. What has been fascinating to me is that EVERYONE's touch is different. Two people do not give the same massage--even if they were taught by the same teacher, use the same strokes and work in the same order. Everyone's touch is different. What makes this so? I think part of the reason it feels so different is related to energy--emotional presence. If you work on your own muscles--you are both the giver and reciever--there is no engagement with another's energy or emotional presence. Our body registers the difference. When another person works on you--their person/presence--their "touch" impacts you. I am becoming fully convinced when you touch a body you touch a soul/spirit. Humans are not disembodied spirits floating around. Our spirit infuses our whole person--so that when you "reach out and touch someone" you are not just touching their body--but you are touching their essence.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Body Theology
What does it mean for women to be "made in the image of God"? This question was first raised in my mind about 2 years ago when the pastor of my church did a sermon series on "The Theology of the Body" gleaned from Pope John Paul IIs works by the same name. I don't agree with all the points made (I rarely do any more--grad school ruined me from ever agreeing with anything in toto) but it got the wheels in my brain turning. (Always a dangerous thing). Do our bodies actually reflect Truth...and if they do...what Truth do women's bodies tell?
It boils down to this...The Bible clearly teaches that man and woman were both created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Having grown up in Evangelical Christian circles--I have heard quite a bit about God--God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. By default--not on purpose, these teachings have been primarily about God as masculine given the pronouns we use (Father, Son....Spirit...not sure what category to place that one.) How do we know pronouns make a difference? Just start calling God "Mother" and see what happens in an evangelical group! :) I don't have a problem with understanding the "masculine" aspects of God....except that it doesn't help me understand myself and how I as a woman am also created in the image of God. What does THAT mean?
It was about 2 months ago that I was thinking about the above, and I realized that the "fruits of the Spirit" (i.e. the results of being transformed by the presence of God working within a person) mentioned in Galations 5:22-23 are primarily feminine characteristics: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." WHAT? How come I never heard a sermon on THAT? And speaking of the Spirit of God....isn't the Spirit also refered to as the Helper, Comforter, Advocate....need I go on? Where do children go to for comfort, help and advocacy when they are young...their MOTHER! Hmmmmmm. To be continued......
It boils down to this...The Bible clearly teaches that man and woman were both created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Having grown up in Evangelical Christian circles--I have heard quite a bit about God--God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. By default--not on purpose, these teachings have been primarily about God as masculine given the pronouns we use (Father, Son....Spirit...not sure what category to place that one.) How do we know pronouns make a difference? Just start calling God "Mother" and see what happens in an evangelical group! :) I don't have a problem with understanding the "masculine" aspects of God....except that it doesn't help me understand myself and how I as a woman am also created in the image of God. What does THAT mean?
It was about 2 months ago that I was thinking about the above, and I realized that the "fruits of the Spirit" (i.e. the results of being transformed by the presence of God working within a person) mentioned in Galations 5:22-23 are primarily feminine characteristics: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." WHAT? How come I never heard a sermon on THAT? And speaking of the Spirit of God....isn't the Spirit also refered to as the Helper, Comforter, Advocate....need I go on? Where do children go to for comfort, help and advocacy when they are young...their MOTHER! Hmmmmmm. To be continued......
Saturday, February 4, 2012
What's Your Energy?
Dear friends--so looking forward to the opportunity to connect you with each other and have everyone contribute to an on going discussion about how all these parts of ourselves interact. For those of you who are suprised by my blogging--I must admit I am just as surprised. It appears something inside of me has reached critical mass--I know enough about the three disciplines to BEGIN talking about it and trying to understand more. Please join me in this adventure....I welcome your thoughts, comments and insights!
Interesting topic of conversation in class last evening (thank you Eric!) regarding the impact we have on people. This impact is termed differently in various disciplines. In bodywork, this impact is often refered to as "presence," "energy" or "touch." It got me thinking abou the impact I have on others in various contexts: when praying for others--they often experience a sense of peace/or calm; when doing psychotherapy--people feel safe and open up quickly to me; when doing massage work in clinic--more than half fall asleep. Glad they don't fall asleep when I am doing therapy or praying.. :) Hmmmm. So....what is your energy?
Interesting topic of conversation in class last evening (thank you Eric!) regarding the impact we have on people. This impact is termed differently in various disciplines. In bodywork, this impact is often refered to as "presence," "energy" or "touch." It got me thinking abou the impact I have on others in various contexts: when praying for others--they often experience a sense of peace/or calm; when doing psychotherapy--people feel safe and open up quickly to me; when doing massage work in clinic--more than half fall asleep. Glad they don't fall asleep when I am doing therapy or praying.. :) Hmmmm. So....what is your energy?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Half-Way Done!
Well--not really half-way done. How do I know? I am however, half-way done with my LMT training program at the New School of Massage, Bodywork & Healing, in downtown Chicago. It has been mentally challenging--but also incredibly stimulating to my thoughts about integration of theology, psychology and somatic awareness. I am starting this blog as a way to begin recording my musings as I begin to work with people in the Bodywork field--and how I change as a result. So far in clinic--people are either relaxed after I have worked on them--or unabashedly fall asleep--with snoring included. Let me tell you--I count a good snorer as a very high compliment in bodywork--not so much in psychotherapy! Ha! What a great journey this is!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)