The AWARENESS of a HEALING-HELPER through THERAPEUTIC TOUCH.

     Some time ago I was asked to write something about my work and it took me some reflecting to put into words what my work had become in the last years since I started to teach Therapeutic Touch.

      I started in the early 80's to lecture and teach Therapeutic Touch (TT) as I had learned it at New York University. Originally I concentrated on teaching this method to health and helping professionals exclusively, because I felt that these individuals were the ones that could profit the most form this knowing. I realized even then, that there was a difference between myself and most of my fellow students, mostly nurses and body workers with some therapists intertwined and even a priest or two. For them Therapeutic Touch was an initiation into the natural paranormal realms of time and space.

       In my later research to evaluate what the long term effects of becoming a Therapeutic Touch practitioner are, I have discovered that this awakening method is conducive to many transformational phases in those individuals. Most are motivated to meditate on a regular basis and in addition become sensitive on many other transper­sonal aspects of their being. TT for most of them, is the beginning of a new awareness of their inborn human potentials and a desire to explore themselves on the inner more fully.  

       For me on the other hand, Therapeutic Touch was a completing of a phase of my life. I had been meditating regularly since the early 70's. I had spent all those years studying Spiritual Science. By the time I learned Therapeutic Touch I had a very solid foundation of knowledge of what I think the phenomenal world is all about. At that moment I had directed my attention to the study of philosophy and psychology to better integrate my esoteric understandings into the then existent system. For me the experience of TT was an act of going `from believing to knowing'. What I believed is that we are `Beings of Light' that consist of different vibrational bodies, esoterically referred to as the `aura'; through the practical experience of TT, I was able to know this truth via the use of my hands. Had I had clairvoyant sight at the time, this might not have been a question for me; but in my case this was not so.

Learning Therapeutic Touch changed my life, it enabled me to move from a rather reclusive studious life into the more public role of a teacher.  TT become the platform to teach what I know about the phenomenal realities with a concrete practical method, that has in our current time space reality a `scientific' validation. As I become more comfortable with practicing Therapeutic Touch and observed the results that these treatments brought about, I too gained more confidence in its deep transformative effect. The results were not always what one expected, but changes there were, in some cases subtle long term changes become evident after a time.  

       At the same time the workshop was evolving and it become apparent that this method was more than just a healing modality, it is a philosophical framework that validates the natural realities of our being in time and space. The many components that make up this framework become tools for living in fuller awareness of the true nature of our being. Therapeutic Touch as I teach it becomes a practical vehicle to open people up to the realization that they are `Beings of Light' with multi-layered, multi-frequencied `Bodies of Light'. My participants experience this reality by using their hands to feel the different frequencies expressed within the individual `light bodies'. They learn that these can be trans­formed while they, the practitioners are in a `centered state'­ (focused on the inner self) and have the awareness of practicing `conscious intent'( knowing what they are doing and doing it with intention). Becoming a healing-helper can be a way of life, in every life.

       With this understanding that Therapeutic Touch provides and the practical experience of the method it is possible to awaken the intuitive sensitivities of our being. To learn to understand how our energetic structures function, what they are for and how and what we perceive energetically. How we are affected by others ener­getically and how we affect others. Through Therapeutic Touch I am able to awaken individuals to the dynamic energy interchange which is the basic natural reality of our presence here in time and space. With the use of guided imageries my participants are able to access through felt experiences many of their inherent human potentials  

       The attitude that the practice of Therapeutic Touch requires is one of `uncondi­tional love'. In my workshop I focus on helping my participants become aware of the basic prerequisites that are necessary to at least arrive at the understanding what the state of unconditional Love is. Self love being the main ingredient. We work on becoming aware of how we can arrive at self-love. Obviously in the four days that my workshop runs it is only possible to awaken an understanding in my participants. However through the loving atmosphere that I try to provide, changes do take place in a gentle way. After all the practical sessions are about healing through love. And in the end effect becoming `aware' is a healing in itself. So I could say that although my participants come to me to learn how to help in the healing process of others, through the learning they end up healing themselves as well as the others. 

       In time I realized that my workshops should not be exclusively for health and helping professionals, since the awareness of this dynamic energy reality is something that each human being can profit from no matter what walk of life. The practice of Therapeutic Touch helps us understand that there is continuous energy exchange between individuals no matter what the cir­cumstances. We are consciously unbeknownst to most of us affected by the positive or negative vibrations from out fellow humans all the time. Whether we are in a place of work, recreation, transpo­rtation or at home. The human energy exchange can affect our mood and our attitude. And our attitude affects our health. 

       In a work environment if we have an unhappy or angry co-worker this individual can radiate negative vibrations like a radio antenna. The negative vibrations will affect our attitude towards this individual and the general office atmosphere will be affected. Just as a happy well adjusted individual can make everyone in his/her vicinity feel well. In addition we are energetically affected by positive or negative movies, writings and art or music. We are constantly subject to the energy manipulations of others in our environment. The health and helping practitioners are a particularly vulnerable lot since they spend the most time in interaction with highly anxious or upset people. 

        Sensitive individuals up to now have not understood their energy receptor systems, and are consequently unable to manage on the `average the energy intrusions that they are subject too. Through the understandings and the experiential awareness awakened by learning Therapeutic Touch, the individual learns how to protect him/herself against these intrusions.  That is why I feel that Therapeutic Touch as I teach it, is an invaluable tool for better living for any one and everyone. Whether it is used overtly in a practical way interwoven into a profession such as medicine, nursing, body work, psychotherapy etc.; or covertly in awareness of what I call `conscious intent' while being in a `centered' state to affect the energetic environment for the greatest good of everyone in the home or the work place, under any circumstances.  Becoming a conscious `healing-helper' is moving towards the practice of `Unconditional Love' which allows us to live out our soul purpose in time and space as `servants of love'.

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