Its Your BodySummer 2012

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The Power of TouchIn a High-tech World, It Pays to Reach OutNora Brunner

High-tech can mean low-touch. Ensure you're getting the tactile connection humans require.

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In this Issue

The Power of TouchWhat Is Reiki?The Art of Aromatherapy

Physician and holistic health pioneerRachel Naomi Remen once confessedthat as a pediatric intern she was anunrepentant baby kisser, oftensmooching her little patients as shemade her rounds at the hospital. She didthis when no one was looking becauseshe sensed her colleagues would frownon her behavior, even though shecouldn't think of a single reason not todo it.

The lack of basic human contact in ourhigh-tech medical system reflects alarger social ill that has only recentlystarted to get some attention--touchdeprivation. The cultural landscape ispuzzling. On the one hand, we aresaturated in suggestive messages by the

mass media; on the other hand, thecaring pediatrician is afraid someonemight look askance at her planting a kisson a baby's forehead. What's wrong withthis picture?

Social NormsUnfortunately, touch has become, well,a touchy subject. Though there'sgrowing scientific evidence that

skin-to-skin contact is beneficial tohuman health, American social normsinhibit this most basic form of humaninteraction and communication.Despite our supposedly enlightenedattitudes, we Americans are among themost touch-deprived people in theworld.

"Touch deprivation is a reality inAmerican culture as a whole," writesReverend Anthony David of Atlanta."It's not just babies needing to betouched in caring ways, or the sick. It'snot just doctors and nurses needing toextend it. It's all of us, needingconnection, needing to receive it,needing to give it, with genuinehappiness at stake."

Distant, DisconnectedHow did we come to deprive ourselves sotragically? According to Texaspsychology professor David R. Cross,PhD, there are three reasons Americansdon't touch each other more: fear ofsexual innuendo, societal and personal

Massage helps boost self-worth and contribute to emotional well-being and connection.

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disconnection aided by technology, andthe fact that the ill effects ofnon-touching are simply not thatobvious and don't receive muchattention.

It's no surprise Americans are oftenafraid physical touching signals romanticinterest, which leads to the twin perils ofeither having our intentionsmisunderstood or wondering ifsomeone's gesture is an uninvitedadvance. This ambiguity is more thanenough to scare most people fromtaking someone's arm or patting themon the back.

The potential for the loaded gesture isfurther complicated by our litigioussociety in which unwelcome touch canmean, or be interpreted as, dominance,sexual harassment, or exploitation.People in the helping professions areregularly counseled on how to do theirjobs without creating even a hint ofambiguity. In one extreme example,counselors at a children's summer campwere given the advice that when kidsproactively hugged them, the counselorswere to raise both arms over their headsto show they hadn't invited the contactand weren't participating in it. Onewonders how the innocent minds ofchildren will interpret this bizarreresponse to their spontaneous affection.

Another reason for touch phobia,according to Cross, is that we live in asociety with far-flung families anddeclining community connections.Technology plays a significant role inthe way we communicate, and it seemswe move farther away from face-to-facecommunication with every newinvention. How ironic that the oldtelephone company jingle thatencouraged us to "Reach Out andTouch Someone" gave way to the slew ofelectronic devices we have today, allringing and beeping for our attention.While these devices were invented toimprove communication, some peoplewonder if the net effect is lower qualityin our exchanges of information.

While there is scientific researchshowing non-touch is detrimental tohealth, Cross says those negative effectsaren't obvious. The effects of a lack oftouch are insidious and long-term anddon't amount to a dramatic story forprime time.

"Humans deprived of touch are proneto mental illness, violence,compromised immune systems, andpoor self-regulation," Cross says. Soserious are the effects of touchdeprivation, it's considered byresearchers to be worse than physicalabuse.

Benefits of TouchStated more positively, science doessupport the preventive health benefits oftouch. For example, Tiffany Field, PhD,founder of the Touch ResearchInstitute, notes that in a study onpreterm infants, massaging the babiesincreased their weight and allowed themto be discharged earlier. Dischargingbabies earlier from expensive neonatalintensive care units could save thehealthcare system $4.7 billion annually.

In other research, scientists at theUniversity of North Carolina found the

stress hormone cortisol was reduced withhugging. Cortisol is associated withanger, anxiety, physical tension, andweakened immunity.

Massage therapy has been found usefulin reducing symptoms such as anxiety,depression, pain, and stress, and ishelpful for those suffering with a varietyof illnesses, including anorexia nervosa,arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, andstroke. While more research is needed,massage therapy has also been shown toreduce symptoms associated with alcoholwithdrawal and smoking cessation, andcan strengthen self-esteem, boost theimmune system, increase flexibility, andimprove sleep.

As a nation, we are still finding our wayin terms of increasing our touchquotient; but those who make their wayinto a massage therapy room are fartheralong than most.

Reiki balances subtle but vital energy.

What Is Reiki?Understanding Energy Work

The Art of AromatherapyEssential Oils Provide Healing and Balance

A type of energy bodywork, reiki(pronounced ray-key) relies on theancient belief in the life force energy,referred to as chi, that flows through allthings. This life force runs throughoutpathways in the body called meridians,nourishing organs and cells andsupporting vital functions. When thisenergy is disrupted by negative thoughts,feelings or actions, illness and diseaseresult. A reiki practitioner's hands hoverjust above a person's body, sensing theaffected areas and infusing them withpositive flow. This raises the energeticvibration and breaks up the negativity toheal, clear and restore the natural flowof the life force. The reiki practitioner,trained to access and serve as a channelfor the life energy, places his hands onor just above the client's body and uses apassive touch that some clientsexperience with warmth or tingling. Thehands remain in position for 3-5minutes, alternately covering 10-12positions over the body.

Thought to be Tibetan Buddhist in

origin, the practice of reiki is comprisedof three levels of training. Through thistraining, the practitioner learns how toaccess energy flow through the hands toheal. Completion of the third andhighest level of training results in thetitle of reiki master. Reiki is used toaccelerate healing, assist the body incleansing toxins, balance the flow ofsubtle energy by releasing blockages, andhelp the client contact the healer within.

According to www.reiki.org, reiki isbeginning to gain acceptance as ameaningful and cost-effective way toimprove patient care in hospitals andclinics across America. In an interviewon the website, Dr. David Guillion, anoncologist at Marin General Hospital inCalifornia, says, "I feel we need to dowhatever is in our power to help thepatient. We provide state of the artmedicine in our office, but healing is amultidimensional process. I endorse theidea that there is a potential healing thatcan take place utilizing energy." Formore information, consult your

bodywork practitioner.

Aromatic essential oils extracted fromherbs, flowers, resin, wood and rootshave long been a source of healing sinceancient times, aiding in relaxation,circulation and wound healing.However, the use of these medicinal oilsdeclined as the modern pharmaceuticalindustry developed. In 1928, Frenchchemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse revivedthe use of essential oils and developedthe art and science of utilizing naturallyextracted aromatic essences frombotanicals to balance and harmonize thehealth of body, mind and spirit.Gattefosse coined the practicearomatherapy.

Because aromatherapy's affect onemotional health, many massagetherapists and bodywork practitionersincorporate this noninvasive treatmentinto their practices. Dispensers or

diffusers filled with aromatic essencesmay be used to scent the massage room,and specific essential oils are used on theclient's skin during the massage. Becauseeach oil has unique characteristics andbenefits, the choice of oil or oils can becustomized to the client's needs andemotional state. Whether inhaled orapplied topically, aromatherapy requiresan understanding of how each essentialoil interacts with the body, as well as themind.

Many pure essential oils need to bediluted, as they can cause irritationwhen applied directly to the skin. Toguarantee safe and correct usage, consulta trained herbalist or practitioner.

The emotions listed below can be gentlyeased by one or a combination of thefollowing essential oils:

Anxiety: bergamot, cedarwood, clarysage, frankincense, lavender, patchouli,Roman chamomile, rose, sandalwood.

Fatigue, Burnout: basil, ginger,grapefruit, jasmine, lemon,peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood.

Stress: bergamot, frankincense,geranium, lavender, mandarin, neroli,patchouli, Roman chamomile, ylangylang.

Anger: jasmine, neroli, orange,patchouli, petitgrain, Romanchamomile, rose, vetiver, ylang ylang.

The Summer appears to be presenting itself in all its glory. Just as it is beneficial to take advantage of the longerdaylight hours, sunshine, and warmer temperatures, it is justas important to be mindful of your health by utilizing ahealthy brand of skin protection (paraben free), increasedhydration, and a healthy diet that supports increasedactivity.

With increased activity, muscles get a workout, thusincreasing the release of lactic acid. If you are finding thatyour activities are leaving you a bit sore, consider massageto work out tired muscles and to assist in moving out thebody's toxins. Or you can consider a massage just the "me"time you need to relax and renew.

Reiki-Massage Bodyworks

132 Pearl St., Ste. 101Essex Junction, VT 05452