Touch: Profound, Miraculous and Curative
By Sue A. Hannon, C.M.P., O.M.C.

This past November (2007), as I reflected back over the last 18 years of being a massage practitioner, I contemplated what I wanted to write in a Christmas letter of “love and gratitude” to each client who I was scheduled to see in December. My gratitude runs very deep for my clients because, obviously, without them I could not “practice” massage therapy – something that positively and creatively “makes my heart sing”. Even more importantly, my clients have taught me so much not only about the human touch but also about life and living. I had come to realize that everything I had done up to the point of becoming a massage practitioner was in “preparation” to sharing my “gift of touch”. Little did I know, in the beginning, that not only would the clients give me the opportunity to share my touch with them but they would also “teach” me that it’s not just knowing the “right” manipulations that make a massage session effective and/or relaxing. It’s also my energy – my love, my joy, my passion - behind the manipulations as much as the manipulations themselves that make the massage a powerful experience! It’s also the client’s comfort and confidence in the therapist. A client’s trust and confidence in me are two of the most profound “gifts” each client gives to me – something I never take for granted. Being blessed with clients from all walks of life, I have learned so much about life and its simpleness and complexities, about seizing the moment and living life to the fullest, about taking risks and pursuing adventures, and about courage, strength and recovery. All that which my clients have taught me over the years could be an article in itself but that isn’t really the message of this article. This article is meant to be a reminder of the benefits of the powerful healing and rejuvenating effects of a loving, caring, compassionate, altruistic human touch.

Leo F. Buscaglia describes what I know about the human touch – “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” From the very beginning of my massage therapy practice, my goal and my mission has always been to help people get off the “fast track” not to “fix” anyone of anything per se, so my approach is unique in that my sessions are two and a half hours long. With each new client, I remind them at the very onset of the massage, that this is “their” time. I ask them to tell me if my pressure is too deep or not deep enough; if they get too warm or are not warm enough; and if they like the music or not. Because it’s their “time”, I also make a point of giving them permission to talk or fall asleep and snore, if they are so moved to do so. This longer session not only gives my clients a chance to slow their mind down (even turn their mind “off” if they so choose) but it also helps slow down the central nervous system at the same time.

It is said that a massage can be more restful than a nap of the same length of time. It’s because not only has your physical body slowed down but your central nervous system has slowed down as well. Often when we sleep, our central nervous system keeps racing on the “high octane” (high intensity impulses) created by the stresses of life, anxiety, fear, worry, even excitement. Slowing down the body and the central nervous system at the same time, such as in the course of a massage, is a very potent combination for affecting our whole being!

It is my belief that healing is an “inside” job which requires turning inward and taking a “pause”, a slowing down, from living life on the run in a hundred different directions at once. My goal within the course of a massage session is to facilitate that “pause in time” for each individual to do just that. Some might be under the impression that massage is only useful for physical healing of aches and pains of the body, and of course, that is very true. But massage also “relaxes the mind, revitalizes the spirit and nurtures the heart”. “Relaxes, revitalizes and nurtures” ~ three very healing words for mental stress, aiding spiritual rejuvenation and offering emotional support. It’s remarkable, perhaps magical, what happens from when I begin a session and end it two and a half hours later! In the course of receiving a massage, we not only get a respite from life on the run but we also transition into an opportunity to create a space for natural healing. From relaxing and feeling nurtured, not only can the body be revitalized, but the mind, emotions and spirit as well. During a focused massage where the attention is on creating a space for self-awareness, body awareness, self-appreciation, a re-awakening of self-love and inspiration does “have the potential to turn a life around”!

“Touch” is a “gift” we all have to give and to receive. The healing power, rejuvenation and awareness it creates within each of us are nothing short of profound, miraculous and curative! My hope is in reading this article you are reminded that slowing down and taking a “pause” from life and it’s many stresses and challenges can be as simple as scheduling a massage. Often during that “pause” in the course of a massage, the “stresses and challenges” of living can turn into “opportunities and blessings” for your body, mind, emotions and spirit to relax, revitalize and re-awaken to a greater self-love!

Lovingly,
Sue Hannon, C.M.P.


Sue Hannon is a certified massage practitioner, a Reiki Master, and an Ordained Ministerial Counselor. She offers a two and a half hour Swedish/therapeutic massage, a one and a half hour customized Swedish/therapeutic massage, Reiki sessions and ministerial services such as wedding ceremonies, funerals and baptisms. She can be reached at (920)-983-0120.