What actually heals you when you are hurt or sick? The doctor may set the broken bone, but the body heals the break. The doctor puts the stitches in the cut but the body heals the wound. Don't get me wromg, if I break a bone I want the best bone setter to get the parts back in line, but it is the nature of life to heal. It was Descartes who said, "I think therefore I am." as a definition of life. I propose "Does it have the power to heal?" as my way of defining life. One way to express this; "Mow the lawn and the grass grows, smash a chair and.... you need a new chair.". The greeks had an expression for this concept "Viz Medcatrix Naturae" which translates into "The Healing Power of Nature".
As a massage instructor and practioner of the art I am constantly amazed at how effective massage therapy is at relieving pain and not just managing it. I have however herd that this techique or that technique is better for this problem or that problem. So I set out to find out how massage therapy actually works. After all, as a massage therapist I didn't put anything into the body, nor did I take anything out of the body. Yet the clients time and again show dramatic improvement in range of motion, and report diminished if not complete reversal of pain. How can this be? I essentially did nothing but point to the area of discomfort and the pain went away. So what was I doing to bring about the cesation of presented symptoms?
After a few years of study and contemplation I slowly began to realize that all I was capable of doing was producing a little heat, offering a little pressure, stimulating the piezoelectric current, and stimulating the weak electromegnetic field. This simple elegant explanation, led me to the belief that all of us are working in the same base principals. How did these principals heal the the condition being treated? That took some work.
As stated earlier I wanted to know how the simple act of touching someone made them feel better. Here is what I found. As I touch a client, the touch becomes the dominant stimuli. Calling the attention of the client right to where I am pointing. Then the client reacts to that stimuli based on the sum total of thier experiencs. This can have a profound effect on the client. As the brain feels that stimuli and attempts to heal based on the principals of "Viz Medicatrix Naturae".
Now we see that it was sensational awareness on the clients part and that as the practioner I did nothing but quietly whisper to the reciever of touch "Hey right here". The body did the healing, not me, the client did the healing not me This is the magic of body work.
Damian O. Matthews www.sedonaschool.com is the assistant director of the Sedona School of Massage, certified massage instructor and LMT. He has been actively pursuing the art of adult education since 1995. He has a unique zeal for the information he shares and his lively group discussions foster an environment of mutual respect and learning. Damian believes that when a group of people come together to explore the realm of human potential that deep personal transformation can be the outcome. Throughout the course of his practice, Damian has had the privilege to address many different groups such as: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The Stowe Weekend of Hope Cancer Getaway, The Vermont Association of Realtors, and many more. Damian has the ability to meet each person where they are and invite them on a journey in to themselves. His hope is that by offering this training, more and more people will find peace now within their own life. In short, Damian’s presentations are highly informative, incredibly interactive, and just good fun. What else are you going to do with your time on earth?