Often, we think getting better requires doing something unfamiliar, whether it’s changing our dietary habits to include unpronounceable veggies, trying out crazy poses in a yoga class, or incorporating a “strong-tasting” herbal tea into our daily routine. But, sometimes our instinct has been helping us heal all along. As children, we instinctively grab onto our banged-up funny bones and other “boo-boos,” and that instinct stays with us. Whether it’s a headache or chronic pain, our touch is still familiar and comforting as adults. And, at every age, we’re drawn to the company of our animal companions. We curl up with the family dog when we’re feeling down or get out on our horse to forget about our health and feel the wind in our hair.

These instincts are actually doing more than just providing comfort or distracting us from a health-related concern, health practitioners point out. In the next pages, Judy Lynn Ray explains the “medicine” of hands-on healing through a modality called Healing Touch. And, Denise Anthes shares some health benefits you might not have known your “best friend” could bring.

Hands-On Help From
Healing Touch
Judy Lynne Ray, LMT, MS, helps you learn the fundamentals of Healing Touch therapy and find out when in your life it might work for you.

Your mom has the flu, someone you love is going in for surgery, and you feel a sore throat coming on. What do these situations have in common? First, they can all be helped, and, second, they can all be helped with a gentle, hands-on process called Healing Touch, a type of vibrational medicine.

In vibrational medicine, the focus is on the body’s series of frequencies (or vibrations). Virbrational medicine’s approach is to help these frequencies come into balance and stay in balance in order to achieve and maintain optimal health. If the body’s frequencies are imbalanced, the immune system can become unable to function normally. When that happens, illness, discomfort, depression and any other expression of a weak link in a person’s health—like the flu and sore throat mentioned above—can result. There are dozens of vibrational modalities, including homeopathy, magnetic field therapy, acupuncture and aromatherapy.

Healing touch (HT) is one type of vibrational medicine. It’s an “umbrella” modality that encompasses a number of energy-based modalities, including the work of both Brugh Joy and Barbara Brennan, among others. Healing Touch is a hands-on approach to balancing vibrations and uses touch in the process to influence the energy system, thereby restoring comfort and wholeness to the body, mind and spirit. The therapy is a way of using the hands to facilitate the body healing itself. On some fundamental level, all healing is self-healing. Whether a shaman, psychotherapist or traditional or holistic practitioner facilitates a healing response, it’s up to the intelligence of the body to do the healing. Take a broken bone, for example. No matter how skillfully a surgeon or orthopedic doctor performs the bone alignment, the wounded body must do the actual mending.

Healing Touch can meet a variety of needs throughout the various stages of life. In pregnancy, HT can be used to keep mom-to-be comfortable. Once the baby is born, a gentle “hands-in-motion” technique of HT can facilitate sleep for infants. And, of course, there are the aches and pains of life at all ages, including the emotional and mental ones. A technique called “mind clearing” uses gentle hands-on application around the head, neck and shoulders to restore focus and relaxation. Used with other techniques, mind clearing can assist the elderly with significant symptom relief from Alzheimer’s. Some of the most striking results of Healing Touch are seen with post-surgical clients, a fact that explains why HT programs are being incorporated in hospitals and clinics throughout the country. Asheville’s Mission Hospital currently incorporates a Healing Touch program.

Healing Touch can also blend with other healing modalities. If you already do massage, polarity or acupuncture, for example, you’re doing some energy work, even if you’re not consciously aware of it. But Healing Touch becomes a significant asset when there are contraindications for other modalities. Even a broken bone, a recent surgery or a head trauma can handle the gentleness of this type of energy work, done off the body when necessary.

Anyone can learn the methods of Healing Touch. No experience is necessary except a desire to help others. HT students include doctors, nurses, massage therapists, caregivers, mothers and teachers—anyone who wants to facilitate comfort and healing for themselves and others. The most frequent statement I hear from my students is “I just felt drawn to learning this!” Training in the therapy is offered in a certified program endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Association. And, all you need is a Level 1 certification to provide HT to help friends and family members relieve headaches, nausea, flu, stress, anxiety and other ailments. A number of students use this level of learning as a springboard to changing their current focus and embarking on a lifelong journey as a healing practitioner.

Judy Lynne Ray, LMT, MS, is a certified Healing Touch practitioner and instructor and combines her experience in energy work, massage, aromatherapy and psychotherapy to provide a healing hand to all those willing to participate in their own healing journey. She is also the founder and director of the Beyond Surgery Program and is the educational director for the Healing Touch Buddies Program. For more information on Healing Touch or related programs, call 828-553-8146, email Judylynneray4@yahoo.com, or visit www.HealingTouchInternational.org or www.BeyondSurgery.net.

Horses, Hounds and Health!

Denise Anthes speaks about the health benefits animals can bring their human companions of any age.

Humans and animals have a long history of interdependence. Originally, animals were domesticated as sources of transportation, labor, food, clothing and companionship. It’s easy to see why their domestication went beyond work to companionship, as their unconditional love can help us to feel comfortable and happy; our hearts and minds respond to them automatically. Animals are non-judgmental and not materialistic—they don’t seem to care if we are large or small, healthy or ill, what color our fur or feathers are, or that, heaven forbid, we don’t have any! Animals also often serve as ambassadors for socialization. Like human infants, their mere presence encourages interaction. Admiration, curiosity and the desire to touch or hold them can stimulate conversations among total strangers.

So, it makes sense that scientific studies are beginning to support what animal lovers have noted for eons: living and working with animals results in many health benefits for human owners. The mind-body-spirit connection is clearly shown in these interactions. Psychological benefits include an enhanced sense of well-being, safety and self-esteem, in addition to expanded communication and social skills. Physical benefits of heart rate and blood pressure regulation, increased exercise, enhanced healing and strengthened immunity have been documented. And, emotional/spiritual aspects include less depression, distraction from stress-inducing environments, and an increased feeling of community. Many benefits, such as touch or tactile stimulation, seem to impact all these categories, and all benefits can be seen across the ages.

Having animals as members of our families can have important impacts upon our children. Age-appropriate chores and parental praise foster self-esteem. Three-year-olds can help fill Fifi’s water or food dish. Teenagers can get some exercise and interact with others while walking the dog around the block. And, busy parents can share their reading time responsibilities by having their child also read to the family dog or cat; studies show increased vocabulary and reading scores as a result of children reading to their animal companions.

The “sandwich generation,” or those with multiple care-giving responsibilities for parents, children or grandchildren, can take a break from stress-inducing situations by spending a few minutes petting the cat. This interaction has been shown to enhance the immune system and decrease heart rate and blood pressure during times of stress.

Hospitals and hospice centers have incorporated animal therapy with resulting increased relaxation and healing [See Life’s Leaders on page 62 for information about area animal therapy programs]. Service animals (typically dogs, birds or monkeys) assist people with visual, hearing, physical or cognitive issues. They’re trained to meet the unique needs of their human. Some help with safe transportation, while others help with dressing or chores. Even more impressively, some assist by correctly predicting seizure activity, warning the human ahead of time. Studies are looking at the usefulness of sensing danger signals with diabetic clients, too.

Because senior citizens can benefit from contact with humans and animals, it’s also common today to find eldercare facilities with “resident” animals. The presence of an animal can provide a more home-like atmosphere. Touching and petting also improves orientation to reality, helps shift the focus from self and illness, and calms agitation in Alzheimer’s patients. Medical rehabilitation centers find that recovery time decreases, range of motion increases, and both staff and patient moods improve when animals are part of the treatment plan.

Let’s not forget that humans are also there for animals in many ways. From rescue organizations to animal first aid and low-cost neutering, we help animals to help us. So, let’s give our animal friends a big hug of thanks for helping us to live healthier lives. And if you don’t already have the pet you’ve been hoping for, be sure to slip this article to your friend or loved one as a bit of encouragement!

Denise Anthes offers animal communication workshops and private sessions. She’s a contributing author for Critter and Carolina Bark magazines, and she can be reached at 828-275-5949 or www.aheathyconnection4all.com.

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