Therapeutic Touch

Tuesday's class was both interactive and refreshing. I really enjoyed Ms. Robinson's company and energy and think she did a great job of engaging the class in what could be an awkward subject for college students. Though she is the owner of a massage spa and practices a number of set techniques at her spa, she also talked to the class about practices and forms that she does not necessarily use but that are also known to have positive effects on the body. I thought the idea of the massage chamber to be intriguing. Both Ms. Robinson and Graham described the sensation after the chamber as "no sensation," and this made me think about touch a different way. People enter these chambers and receive massages to relieve ailments and stress. And many times, feeling must be lost in order to recuperate both physically and mentally.

 I think of it as a "re-set" of neurons, circulation and touch. When I volunteered to get a massage on Tuesday, I really did not know what to expect. I just knew it was not going to be any ordinary massage. The heat generated from the hands of my fellow classmates penetrated my skin and I believe loosened up the tightness in my shoulder. No real massage took place but the touch alone made the muscle feel better.

This form of massage, in which practitioners place their hands on or near their patient and manipulate the patient's energy field, is known as therapeutic touch. Though there is no scientific evidence that this form of massage therapy can cure cancer or other ailments, I can attest to experiencing some instant gratification as a result of it.