Smells and Bells

I really enjoyed listening to guest speaker and masseuse Elizabeth Robinson. I enjoyed the grounding activities she walked and talked us through and I really was engaged and quite captivated by the way she so naturally could read the room and seem to know what to do about it. I remember when I first had that thought as she was speaking, I realized that that is a skill and knowledge I want to have as I progress after college to become an elementary school teacher one day with my own classroom. I am very passionate about teaching, specifically in regards to the youngest of students. In elementary years, these humans are truly piecing together what is their perception of what, to them, is a brand new world, and they want to do it in all the ways that they can. For this reason I believe incorporating and appreciating aspects of all the senses in learning is an important value all teachers should have. When Elizabeth asked the class about our experiences with touch/massage in school I menti...

When talking to our class, massage therapist Elizabeth Robinson, briefly discussed and demonstrated acupressure.   Acupressure can help immune support, tension, circulation, pain reduction, balance of the body, and emotional healing.   It uses what traditional Chinese medicine calls Chi, which is a human energy that is at certain junctions or points of the human body.   When these points are stimulated with pressure by a finger or tool, endorphins are released as well as increased blood flow, causing relaxation and healing.   Relaxation and increased blood flow also allows the releasing of toxins, which allows for a healthier body.   Similar to acupressure, acupuncture uses these junctions on the body as well; placing needles at these points to encourage chi and blood flow. A few years ago I has severe tendonitis in my foot and when western medicine was no longer working, I turned to acupuncture.   A family friend worked with me...

Anyone who has met my dad would be surprised to know that some of his closest friends are women who practice all kinds of movement and touch therapy. His friend Celine is a massage therapist in addition to being certified in reiki. I grew up with her making house calls and giving my family different soaps and products for healing and wellness. His other friend Traca is a yoga instructor and energy healer who works with both of us to strengthen our bodies and spirits. She told me about Kripalu, a yoga and wellness center in Western Massachusetts, and encouraged me to go. And so when Elizabeth Robinson came into class, saying I was excited was an understatement- this was material that I was very familiar with and excited by. I have always been a big supporter of the healing power of massage and reiki, and have hoped to incorporate these more natural remedies into my own practice after college. Kripalu in the summer Elizabeth Robinson's passion for JourneyDance surprised me b...

In Deepest Sense: A History of Touch by Constance Classen the book explains the historical use of touch as a means of healing in the middle ages. Religion and spiritual ideals were closely related to health practices during that time. For example, monasteries often functioned as medical centers. The book described many healing practices some of which were later disclaimed. However among these practices were methods that still carry relevance today."Surgeons were advised to have 'light hands', expeditious in operating, lest you cause the patient pain." While "Physicians, the 'medical masters' might prescribe tactile treatments ranging from cupping to massage to hot baths" (49). Classen also spoke of different practices that relied on superstition or trickery. For example she referenced the German physician Franz Anton Mesmer "who postulated the existence of a universal magnetic fluid that can be felt not seen" and he worked to channel and...