Our hands are incredibly complex and precise instruments – and for massage therapists and bodyworkers in particular, the hands are fine-tuned over many years of repetitive use, to become highly effective instruments for healing and transformation.
A helping hand
Whether it’s an extremely gifted practitioner, or just a loving partner giving us a back-rub, there’s a feeling that comes over us when we’re being touched and cared for. It’s a warm glow that washes over us, and a particular type of ‘vibration’ that helps us to relax, let go and feel nurtured. The hands play a powerful role in this, being the point of contact at which energy and focus is transferred from the masseur into the body of whoever they’re working on.
Many traditional cultures have recognised that gentle touch is incredibly soothing to those who are tired, stressed or unwell. Our skin is our largest organ, containing millions of receptors that send messages along our nerves to our brains – and gentle touch has been been proven beyond all doubt to lower the heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. Touch works on all kinds of levels, releasing powerful endorphins, the body’s own feel-good chemicals, helping us to heal physical aches and emotional scars, and reducing stress, the body’s main source of disease.
To the matter at hand
Many of us overlook the innate power that lies within our fingertips. Our hands have their own ‘intelligence’ – and when we let the world go quiet, and connect with full focus and awareness, we’re able to truly tune in and benefit the health of whoever we’re touching.
We all have the innate ability to tap into an unlimited source of healing energy and direct it through our hands towards helping others – yet most of us unknowingly block the flow of this power, and live our lives never fully experiencing its full potential. Yet it’s easier than you think to raise your awareness – so here’s an exercise to help you develop your abilities, and turn your hands into magical instruments of transformation worthy of a comic-book superhero!
A hands-on experiment
- Place your hands gently on the shoulders, or over the heart or belly of your
willing subject. - Calm your thoughts, make sure you’re 100% present and begin to breathe
deeply into your belly. - Set your intention, by stating in your mind what you want to achieve –
whether it’s something really specific, or simply to nourish and heal. Most
importantly, fill your heart with love and compassion for whoever you’re
working on. - Visualise an endless ‘ocean’ of white light above your head – and with each
inhale, imagine pulling a beam of light from this ocean into your body, through
the crown of your head and down into your heart. With every exhale, send this
light out along your arms and hands, into the body of your partner. - As time passes, you may find that your hands begin to warm up, or even
tingle. Stay here for some time, breathing and visualising all the while, and
letting energy flow through you until you feel like it’s time to gently remove
your hands. Allow your partner to rest here for a while before they open their
eyes.