I have recently started the complex task of building a new website. This presents me with all sorts of challenges that result in me burying my head in the sand!
However as I began to write the copy for it, I discovered some joy in reflecting on what I might want to say about my work, my inspiration and love of what I do.
Remembering a wonderful tutor
And one thing jumped out at me in those reflections, a lesson I learned from one of the most gifted people I have ever met. Art Riggs is a massage therapist who has been teaching people all over the world since 1988. His message to us was this; that we should develop our touch and continue to do so forever. I loved this message because it was so simple (and yet so hard!). Touch is the one thing that transcends whatever bodywork we do. We can learn all sorts of modalities but the finesse of our ability to touch is the enduring essential element. Imagine how many times you have used it yourself, instinctively rubbing something that hurts or comforting someone with a gentle hand.
A brief anatomy of the hand
There are 27 bones in the hand and wrist operated by an intricate web of muscles and fascia, bound together with numerous ligaments and tendons. Not to mention the nerves and blood vessels. It’s amazing. For instance, when considering treatment for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome, you begin your search at the neck. This is where the nerves exit the spine and make their journey down to the hand.
Touch
My hands are the tools of my trade. They enable me to carefully explore the soft tissue of my client. To seek out areas of strain, knots, tension, and to soothe. They can moderate their depth of pressure dependent on what I find, listening to the tissue beneath and changing what they do as required. Great comfort can be gained from massage, working on a physical and emotional level, providing a space for the body to heal through touch.
So something wonderful came out of the terror I felt at beginning my website journey, I got in touch with what is important to me in my work….my touch. With my teacher’s guidance, his simple message will inspire my continued learning as well as my work. It will last a lifetime.
