THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION:

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

by

Denise Prokop Vecchio

A SENIOR THESIS

ill

GENERAL STUDIES

Submitted to the General Studies Council in the College of Arts and Sciences

at Texas Tech University in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

BACHELOR OF GENERAL STUDIES

_Approv,ed

DR. SUSAN KASHUBECK Department of Psychology

.Co, Chair o~ The&!~ Committee

b}f"EsTifER0WEEKES

Department of Health, Physcial Education, and Recreation Co-Chair of Thesis Committee

Accepted

DR. DALE DAVIS Director of General Studies

DECEMBER 1997

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PCS'-5 rs

Cop' <^ I would like to thank Dr. Susan Kashubeck, Dr. Esther Weekes, and

Dr. Dale Davis for all of their support, patience and direction in the

construction and completion of this thesis.

I would like to thank my parents, who supported me emotionally,

mentally and physically as weU as finandally. They were "wholly" there for

me to experience one of the greatest transcendental periods of my life.

I would like to thank my husband, Stephen Vecchio, who patiently

pushed me to complete this circle. He is also responsible for helping me to

attain my aspirations of becoming a Registered Massage Therapist through

financial and family-related support.

I wish to extend my appreciation to Rachel Phelan, R.M.T., my

Swedish Massage Therapy instructor, who integrated the spiritual

connection with the "whole" experience.

I would like to thank David Sloan, R.M.T., my director, mentor and

friend for befiiending me, teaching me and behoving in my work.

I appreciate the message that was indirectly sent to me from Robin

James via Wendy Seldon, that certain projects begun must be completed

before other endeavors can be successful.

And last but not least, thanks to httle Miss Sage who continually

teaches me the art of patience and that some things are worth the wait.

u

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

LIST OF FIGURES iv

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND CONVENTIONAL

MEDICINE 6

m . MODES OF MIND/BODY INTERACTION 14

The Impact of Thought and Language on Health 14 Stress and Its Biological Functions 17 Irrational Stress Response 19 Power of Touch 22 Connective Tissue 25 Tissue Memory 28 Evolution of Imbalance 29

IV. MASSAGE THERAPY

Historical Developments 32

Current Conditions 35

V. SPECIALIZED BODY-WORK THERAPIES

Theory and Practice of Rolfing 39 The Hakomi Method 43 Reflexology 45

Reiki 49

VI. CONCLUSION 52

REFERENCES 55

u i

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Visualization of what the connective tissue of the body is like 25

2.1 Example of the major body segments stacked like blocks 40

2.2 Example of poor posture compared to an anatomically correct posture 40

3. Chart of the reflexive points on the hands 46

4. Chart of the reflexive points on the feet 48

5. The Reiki Symbol 51

IV

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Health is not just the absence of iUnoss, but is the result of a balance

obtained physically, mentally and spiritually. life demands such a balance in

order to exist; for every summer there is a winter and for every spring a fall.

Nature does not have a choice about removing itself fi'om the natural balance

of hfe. Man/woman, who has been given the abihty to choose and know, has

too often chosen to ignore and disrupt the natural rhythm of his/her life and

hve in disharmony with his/her own body. Thus, dis-ease is created and is the

resulting force behind actions that oppose the healthy flow of life.

Through the research I have put into this thesis and through hfe

experiences, I find over and over again that there must be a balance of aU

three areas (body, mind, and spirit) for a healthy equihbrium to be achieved

in life. While attending school at the Massage Institute For the Health of It

during the summer of 1996,1 had the opportunity to meet several interesting,

diverse and searching individuals. Among this group was a Roman Cathohc

priest, ordained eleven years, who was in Dallas for the summer seeking

treatment at the Environmental Health Center. The largest area of

concentration in his hfe was obviously spiritual imtil he developed

environmental toxidty. Introducing himself to his peers, he revealed that

through his commitment to his (jod he had neglected the physical aspect of

his being imtil that part demanded his attention in a most abrupt and life-

threatening manner. As treatment for his condition he sought, and continues

to seek, traditional and non-traditional methods. The alternative approaches

led him to the imderstanding of how unbalanced his hfe had become and how

essential it is for himians to develop the mind, body and spirit as one. His

new- fovmd physical awareness strengthened and initiated growth in his

spirituahty. His mental facilities were enhanced through the work and

studies that he performs as the Patriarch of his church. He has now

incorporated into his "job" the need to extend his new imderstanding of hfe to

those he works with.

My original thesis question was "How does massage therapy

incorporate mind-body interaction to facihtate the healing process?' Now I

would phrase it thus:(^ow does massage therapy incorporate mind-body-

spirit interaction to facihtate the healing process?" Whether a health

practitioner chooses to acknowledge all three areas in his/her profession is an

entirely individualistic matter. Even more important is whether the dient

seeks such a balance. Proving that there is a mental and physical aspect to

humans is an easily researched area and is less disputable. Since the role of

the spirit as a fundamental component to health and well-being is such a

personal and controversial matter, I have chosen to place emphasis on

mind/body interaction with the role of spirit to be understood and/or

interpreted individually based upon the reader's own convictions and behefs.

Whenever I have come across sources that place emphasis on the spirit role, I

will indude this information in order to give complete acknowlec^mont to

that source.

"How does massage therapy incorporate mind-body-spirit interaction to

facihtate the healing process?" This question lends itself to the idea that an

interaction does occur between the mind/body, and that the mind and the

body play an interactive role in disease, iUness and health. The mind/body

connection is the underlying basis for certain areas of research that differ

fix)m traditional and sdentific methods, and creates new paradigms of

thinking in health. These areas of research are commonly referred to as

"Holistic Health," "Altemative Medicine," Treventive Medicine" or "New Age

Medicine."

This paper opens with the behefe and theories that the altemative

viewpoint is based upon. Chapter II addresses some of the main differences

between altemative and conventional medicine. The intention here is not to

compare altemative vs. conventional medicine in terms of which is better, but

to simply make the distinction. Many areas of holistic health strive to work

in conjunction with sdentific medicine; therefore, conventional medicine

should not be viewed as the opposing force. I had a very successfiil experience

with this combination in my own hfe.

I chose to put my prenatal care in the qualified hands of Brenda

Woods, C.N.M. (Certified Nurse-Midwife). The difference between a Midwife

and a Nurse-Midwife is that a Midwife generally works only out of the home

and uses only natural, non-medidnal techniques in the care of his/her

patients. A nurse-midwife works in conjunction with a hospital and a medical

staff of doctors and nurses. The role of the doctor is minimal in the actual

dehvery; he/she is just available if medical attention is needed. The nurses

are present to operate aU the medical equipment and monitors that a regular

midwife does not use. I found the experience of using a nurse-midwife to be a

grand display of how s)niergistically traditional and non-traditional methods

work together.

Chapter HI emphasizes and vahdates the powerful interaction that

occurs between the mind and body. This effort begins with the role that

language, thoughts and actions have upon the physical state of the body. This

is an important step in the development of this thesis since many areas of

altemative medicine behove that language, expression, emotions, and actions

all have an impact on the state of a person's health. Altemative medicine is

carefid how it uses its language with regard to how suggestible the mind is to

information.

Chapter m defines stress and its effects upon the body. Stress is a

natural and necessary fimction of the body that can damage the body when it

does not complete its cyde or is inappropriately apphed as in the case of

anxiety. Prolonged and irrational stress responses and their effects upon the

physiological mechanisms of the body are behoved to mediate the influence of

disease and iUness. The fact that individuals can bring stress upon

themselves is helpful in understanding the mind/body connection. Chapter

EH also goes into further detail about irrational stress responses.

Induded in the modes of mind-body interaction is the power of touch on

the mind-body which is explored through the aid of case studies and extensive

research on the part of medical professionals. This section goes into great

detail about the effects of tactile stimulation upon the mind/body mechanism.

The importance and role of the connective tissue to the body's state of

being follows the power of touch. The connective tissue or fasda is dearly

physical in nature yet it has deep ties to the mental fimctions of humans.

This section details the connective tissue fi:om a physical and tangible sense

with its ties to the mind detailed in the section on Tissue Memory. Tissue

memory is the body's way of storing memories and emotions in the physical

and chemical makeup of the actual body as well as the intangible regions of

the mind.

The final section in Chapter HI explains how humans evolve to a state

of imbalance and poor health and what paths and patterns serve to imbalance

them. This is not to say that aU people are in need of repair, but there are

obviously those in need or the health care industry would not exist. From the

varying fields of health care, subsequent sections detail some altemative

methods.

In this hght of these earher chapters, this thesis espedaUy explores the

use of massage therapy as treatment for disease and illness in Chapter IV,

which traces the history and progression of massage throughout time to its

present day apphcation. Massage therapy is the basis for most forms of body

work, and massage training is required in order to perform other spedahzed

techniques. Massage therapy is identified for what it is and then expanded

upon through the indusion of more specific forms of body work induding;

Rolfing, Hakomi, Reflexology and Reiki.

CHAPTER n

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

The term "altemative medicine" might raise the question, "an

altemative to what?" The answer is that it is an altemative to conventional

or western allopathic medicine. Altemative medicine is also referred to as

"holistic health" and it is the definition of the word "holistic" which gives

meaning to this health care approach. Holistic comes fi:om the word "holism"

which is defined bv Webster's Encvdopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the

Enghsh Language as, "the theory that whole entities, as fundamental

components of reahty, have an existence other than the mere sum of their

parts" (1983, p. 677).

It is the opinion among biologists that "the fundamental character of

the hving thing is its organization" (Lewis & Lewis, 1972, p. 46). Biologists

feel that an understanding of the co-ordination among parts cannot be found

in the analysis of the parts alone. The Lewises dte biologist Ludwig von

Bertalanffy, of the University of Alberta, who argues that even the most

thorough examinations are incomplete if they do not take into accoimt the

comphcated system in the hving whole (1972). Hohstic healtii bases its

practice on the idea of hohsm, and considers the mind to be a fundamental

part of the whole. This marks the greatest difference between holistic healing

and conventional medicine.

Conventional medidne is firmly rooted in Cartesian thinking. Rene

Descartes, a French philosopher, viewed nature as two separate realms: that

of mind and that of matter (Dossey, 1982). In this way of thinking, the

material universe operates hke a machine according to the mechanical laws of

nature. The body of a healthy person is hke a dock that is operating correctly,

whereas the parts are broken in a sick body. Sir Isaac Newton completed

Descartes' mechanistic view of nature. Thus the Newtonian model of the

universe dominated aU sdentific thought fi-om the second half of the

seventeenth century to the end of the nineteenth (Dossey, 1983). Despite

advances in altemative theory, Newtonian and Cartesian theories still

dominate the modem medical framework. Conventional medicine does not

adhere to the idea of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. This

is evident in the use of spedalization by medical doctors. Spedahzation is the

localization of disease and illness within the body. The body is treated

symptomatically piece by piece. In conventional medicine, when an illness

occurs, the symptoms are first determined and then a part or parts of the body

are pinpointed as the causes of the ailment. Treatment is then administered

to the body part or parts in question.

Lamb (1974) feels that spedalization among doctors firagments the

patient when the spedaUst becomes so involved with the organ of his/her

spedalty that the patient as a whole is ne^ected. The actual "bod} '̂ is treated

in segments without consideration of the full body system, which indudes the

mind. Marilyn Ferguson comments, "every part of the body is a different

doctor's turf* (1980, p.266). If there is a problem with the eye, then an

optometrist is sought. If a person suffers fi:om mental trauma, then a

psychologist may be the answer. However, in contrast, holistic health does

not just treat the eye in isolation from the rest of the body and mind. As

Ursule Mohnaro explains, "mind, soul, and body are interdependent

reflections of each other and... one of the three cannot be abused separately

without harm to the total" (1971, p. 19). A simple example of this would be

that when a person ingests into his/her body potentially harmful agents such

as alcohol and drugs, the mind is affected.

Dossey (1982) explains that westem medical training is based on logic,

reasoning and mathematics, and the human body is studied much hke a

machine in shop dass. According to this school of thought, disease is the

result of a malfunction in that machine, and it is the job of physidans to

localize the problem and exterminate i t . This explanation does not mention

anywhere the indusion of the mind as part of the human machine.

This view is possibly no fault of conventional medicines alone. The

roots of medical sdence developed in a manner that did not search for a

fundamental nexus that ties the parts of the human body together.

Conventional medicine evolved through the careful study and dissection of

cadavers in an attempt to understand how the human body functions. A

cadaver is not a hving system and does not provide a student of medicine with

a complete knowledge of how the human mind^ody works. Cartesian

thinking allowed for anatomic dissection. This was acceptable with the

church since no harm could come to the soul if the soul was not connected to

the body (Dossey, 1982). Dossey feels that this view may have once served

sdence, "but now can only be maintained; by the most rigid and dogmatic

inflexibihty" (1982, p. 14). He describes the traditional set of guiding

prindples as the "modem medical model" or the "molecular theory of disease

causation," which inspires doctors to always be looking for a specific reason or

molecule that is acting up. Dossey once firmly held to this model and way of

thinking, but experiences led him to question his method of practice and

attempt to bridge the gap between the views of altemative and conventional

medicine.

Dossey (1982) detailed an experience he encountered with a coUeague's

patient in which there was nothing medically wrong with the patient other

than the fact that his health was deteriorating and he appeared to be dying.

The patient finally told the colleague that he was under the curse of a hex

that was concocted to deplete his health and eventually kill him. The

colleague could see his patient's behef in the curse as the only describable

reason for his deteriorating health, so he dedded to conduct an experiment

with the aid of Dr. Dossey. Dossey was skeptical of partidpatingin the

experiment for the sake of ludicracy and his reputation, but he agreed to do it

anyway. One night after hours, the colleague and Dossey met with the dying

man and told him that they had found a reversal cure for the hex that had

been placed on him. Success of this cure depended on a lock of hair, a brightly

burning blue chemical and the patient's sworn oath never to speak of the

ritual lest the cure be reversed. So the colleague bumed the lock of hair in the

bright blue substance and chanted some nonsense as the man and Dossey

watched. The next day, the man was feeling so good and appeared to be in

such good health that he was allowed to be released firom the hospital, which

he was allowed to do without giving the shghtest explanation as to why he

was better.

l ^ s experience enhghtened Dossey to the powerful impact the man's

state of mind had upon his physiological condition. This realization forced

Dossey to question and change his own philosophy and practice of medicine.

From that point on, he was no longer able to consider health care in terms of

the physical alone. Even though he worked to "bridge the gap" between

altemative and conventional medicine by accepting a more holistic approach

to health, it appears that he did not fully adopt the idea of mind^ody

interaction in disease and illness. Dossey (1982) behoved suffering to be

physical in nature with the occasional interference of psychological events.

This interference is a reahty that is termed "psychosomatic." Rehance on this

phenomenon as the only means of explaining the mind's contribution to

iUness underestimates the power and influence of the mind's interaction with

the body. If a doctor or qualified health practitioner is of the holistic view,

then he/she must consider aU of the components when administering

treatment. With this imderstanding, holistic health would be neghgent in

treating illness if it just directed treatment at the parts instead of the whole.

To make the distinction between holistic and aUopathic medidne

dearer, Ferguson (1980) provides readers with a comparison of the two

practices. For example, conventional medicine focuses on pathology and

disease, whereas altemative medicine looks at prevention. The Westem side

makes a rigid separation of physical and emotional problems, whUe the mind

and body are regarded as one to the altemative. The conventional way

creates an asymmetrical relationship between an aU-powerful physidan and a

submissive patient, whUe an altemative healer seeks to attain a level of

mutual tmst and respect through communication with the patient.

Holistic health is a medical approach based upon a different way of

thinking. Hohstic medicine views the mind/body as one mechanism or

process. The mind and the body are not two separate systems, but they are

integral parts that cannot be separated. Hohstic medidne also views disease,

illness, and health as processes that act upon the mind/body process.

According to this way of thinking, healing must be experienced by the entire

system; hence the term "holistic." Ferguson behoves that "...health and

disease don't just happen to us...but are active processes issuing firom inner

harmony or disharmony, profoundly affected by our states of consdousness,

our abihty or inabUity to flow with experience" (1980, p. 257). She feels that

the recognition of disease and illness in this way carries with it personal

responsibihty and opportunity. For example, if we are partidpating in the

process of disease, either consdously or unconsdously, then we have the

option to choose good health instead. In this viewpoint, we become actively

involved and directiy influential for the events and outcomes of our hves.

John Selby and Manfred von Luhmann (1987) reiterate this point with the

opinion that we are, by nature, partidpants in the ongoing flow of hfe. '

Viewing health, disease, and the mind/body as processes takes the

focus off symptoms and localization. To the holistic health practitioner,

disease and illness are not seen as some external invading factor but more as

an internal physical process with a non-physical companion. The two can

operate together to communicate to dients the areas of imbalance in their

hves. Understanding health fi'om this viewpoint helps control the

10

degenerative effect of disease and illness on human hfe. If a health

practitioner can communicate to an iU patient that his/her illness is not a

tragedy, but that it can be a turning point in life, then optimism can dominate

the Ghent's state of mind. A positive attitude aUows people to keep their

spirits lifted about the condition of their health. Having a positive attitude

towards one's health in times of sickness is very benefidal to the recovery

rate.

Through implementation of the altemative viewpoint, disease and

iUness become opportunities for health and transformation. The presence of

iUnoss creates an opportunity for change. Change and transformation are

critical to the ongoing flux of hfe. Some dients of Selby and Luhmann (1987)

reported that their ailments were blessings to them because the iUnesses

alerted them to areas of disharmony within their hves. Based on these

testimonies, Selby and Luhmann feel that "Illness, properly utilized, can be a

passageway from one period of our hfe to a new period of better balance"

(1987, p.2). The title of John Harrison's book. Love Your Disease: It's

Keeping You Healthy (1984), adds to this point. It imphes that disease alerts

us to the condition of our health and influences us to improve it.

Harrison behoves that "disease is both self-created and self-cured"

(1984, p. 1). People loam to be sick and they can learn to be weU. It might

seem absurd to say that a person creates his/her own diseases. This idea,

once again, views the individual as the responsible party for his/her own

health. Harrison quotes a patient, Norman linslay, as saying, "|My disease]

went away of its own accord; because I had no further use for it" (1984, p. 1).

This is a profound statement in its imphcation that Norman's disease was

something that he needed in his hfe. The occurrence of the disease created a

turning point in Norman's life. The disease was the critical factor that

brought about transformation, and when its job was done, the disease ceased

to be. Dossey (1982) describes disease as a natural disturbance that brings

11

people to new levels of intemal richness by offering them the chance to evolve

to a new and higher level of psychological complexity. He explains that

disease is not a tragedy, but rather an initiator of human survival

mechanisms such as the immune system. The good and seemingly bad

occurrences in hfe have served and continue to evolve humans and animals

ahke into greater survival modes that ensure the endurance of the spedes.

It seems that those who are in favor of one type of health practice or

the other support their choice in opposition of the other. It is almost hke a

rehgious decision. What makes a person choose to seek out an herbalist or a

massage therapist in times of sickness and health? A person makes such a

decision because she or he is open to explore that method. Once behef and

trust are estabhshed through the experience of positive results with a method,

then that is the method that is sought in times of need. I personaUy seek

altemative methods in my regular health maintenance and also in times of

sickness because I behove that my body, mind and spirit are aU interactive

components in my state of health. Therefore, I am drawn to a health care

system that adheres to and administers treatment hohsticaUy. (However, if I

get shot, please dial 911!)

No intentional attempt is made at discrediting medical sdence and its

contribution to health care; the purpose is simply to make a distinction

between the two practices dearer. According to James Redfield, Eastern

mysticism and Westem sdentific studies are links on the same chain of the

world's evolution (1997). Maybe, in time, this separation wUl become

integrated. Ferguson (1980) explains that in this century medical schools are

undergoing paradigm shifts in order to put more humanity into treatment.

The paradigm shifts involve the indusion of the holistic viewpoint into the

conventional medical community. Anthony Robbins (1986) states that

sdentists are discovering that health, vitahty and depression are decisions.

12

Incorporation of such discoveries can greatiy serve to shift the practice of

conventional medicine.

I would hke to indude some information given to me by a registered

nurse and a certified 2nd degree Reiki practitioner. She explained to me tiiat

in order to maintain registration, nurses must accumulate 30 hours of CEUs

(continuing education units) each year. The National State Board of Nurse's

aUows Reiki training to count for 8 of those 30 required CEU's. The lady

worked in ICU at a hospital, and she used Reiki on her patients there. Reiki

is energy work. (Chapter V explains Reiki in more detail.) This information

surprised and thriUed me in that it indicates the breakdown of such rigid

separations among conventional and altemative methods.

As this chapter has sought to show, hohstic health's usage of terms

hke health, disease, iUness, mind and body has different contextual meanings

than conventional medicine's use of these same terms. In fact, the way in

which a holistic health practitioner speaks of health sounds different from

that of a medical doctor. The reason for this is due to the conunon behef in the

altemative health arena that thoughts and words heavily influence the state

of health - the topic of the next chapter.

13

CHAPTER m

MODES OF MIND-BODY INTERACTION

The Impact of Thought and Language on Healtii

A new vocabulary emerges with this growing holistic emphasis in

health care. Along with this new speech is the importance of what and how

something is stated. This is not just important on a professional and ethical

level, but supports the behef that our language can be detrimental or

benefidal to the body.

Ferguson (1980) explains that the body is very hteral in its

interpretations of what we say. For example, continual usage of a phrase hke

"pain in the neck" is behoved to be assodated with spinal and neck

discomfort. This possibUity emphasizes how powerful our thoughts and

expression of those thoughts reaUy are. The connection between the mind

and body is strengthened through the idea th^t thoughts, by way of languagi^^

and expression, make their way into the physdcaTrealm by acting upon the j ,

body.

The Lewises (1972) refer to this idea as "fixation' or "symbolism." Their

area of interest is psychosomatic disorders and the characterizations of such

diseases. In fearful situations, a person's body experiences a number of

physical reactions in response to the stress. These physical reactions indude

changes in heart rate, musde tension, blood pressure, and body temperature.

(The next chapter on stress response goes into fiirther detaU on these

physiological reactions.)

The Lewises (1972) feel that psychosomatic diseases are characterized

by the specific accentuating of one or more of the physical reactions to stress.

The specific reaction that people focus on and centers their attention towards

becomes a symptom. For example, a person becomes fiightened and takes

notice of an irregular heartbeat and then becomes uncontroUably preoccupied

14

with this reaction by centering his/her attention and anxiety towards the

heart. Such a fixation can affect the function of that organ. Often, an organ

is directly related to the emotional conflict because the organs can

symbohcaUy express the conflict. For example, a person who experiences

continual problems and seemin^y acddental mishaps with his/her eyes may

not want to "see" the truth about his/her hfe or a situation.

The Lewises comment, "figures of speech show the natural tendency to

focus on just one part of a reaction" (1972, p. 89). For example, a fiightened

person may describe how he or she feels as "weak in the knees," "scared stiff,"

or "breathless." The repercussions of such destructive use of speech are

beheved to result in weak joints, tension, physical inflexibihty, and

respiratory problems, depending on the phrase used.

Semantics is the study of meanings in language. Symbols and words

derive meaning by their capadty to correspond directly to things in the world

(Hermans, Hubert, & Kempen, 1993). Reasoning makes a connection among

symbols and words. S5Tnbols and words can come together through reasoning

and aid in the communication of bigger ideas. Louise L. Hay (1984) behoves

that people choose the thoughts they think and that they can dioose to think

either positive or negative thoughts, thus creating the direction of their life.

If it is true that thoughts can shape a person's hfe, then the power of

thought is strengthened if put into words or action. Often a person wiU think

of his/her ailments in the negative sense. For example, an overweight person

may continuaUy think and say, "I wish I was not fat." To speak, pray, or wish

in this manner only serves to reinforce the negative undesired situation. Not

only is it important to think and speak in the positive sense, but also to think

and speak in the present tense. The phrase, "I wish I was skinny," provides

the wisher with just that, the wish of being skinny and not the actual

fuMUment of weight loss. The affirmations, "I am skinny," or "I release the

need to be fat," teU the mind to begin creating that which "is" or at least to

15

interpret what it sees as such. AU matters are relative and are situation-

specific to the individual. The present moment is aU that matters in terms of

one's abihty to control and change one's hfe. To say, "I wUl be skinny" is a

reahty that exists always in the future lying just out of reach. The mind is so

obedient that when it receives messages in the present tense it communicates

that message to the body so that the body may be. For example, if a person

feels iU and thinks and/or speaks that he/she is dying, this message is

communicated to the body. The body wiU hkely experience degenerative

health from that thought.

This is the prindple and the basis for the effectiveness of affirmations.

Affirmations are present tense, positive statements about the self that

positively assert or confirm weU-being. Affirmation therapy comes in the form

of repetition of an affirmation ^propriate to one's ailment. The repetition is

necessary in order to replace old, negative and degenerative thought patterns.

These old, destructive pattems were repeated until they became a habit and

way of hfe for the individual; so must the positive replacements become a

habit. WiUiam Bates (1940) explains that anything is an effort until it

becomes a habit, and once that thing is a habit it is no longer an effort. A

person who desires to create new healthy habits must make the effort to

create that new way of hfe. If one wishes to be in good health, one must

affirm that desire in thought, word, and action. No doctor can make a person

change, as that is the sole responsibihty of the individual.

Hay (1984) explains that an incredible power and inteUigence is within

people that is always responding to their thoughts and words and that

learning to control the mind with consdous choice of thoughts ahgns people

with this power; The important thing here is that the mind is not in control of

the person, burthaTthe person is in control of the mind, and that when the

person takes control of the mind, he/she is taking control of his/her life (Hay, I

1984). The present moment is totaUy under one's control. The term

16

"grounded" refers to hving in the present with fiiU body/mind experience of

that moment.

Old emotions and feelings, compounded by stress, remove us firom the

present because their roots are in the past or the future. The past is in the

past; the only thing that can be done about past thoughts and actions is to hve

out the experiences that they caused (Hay, 1984). Some people are so far

removed firom the present and fi:om obvious present body sensations and

feelings that they are psychologicaUy existing in some past or future time

(Heckler, 1984). Stress and its negative effects upon the body serve to remove

a person from the present moment. The next section details the biological

function of stress.

Stress and Its Biological Functions

In the altemative viewpoint, health is a governing harmony: a

harmony made up of a psychological and somatic balance where the mind and

body are viewed as a matrix. As defined by Webster's Encvdopedic

Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, a matrix is "that which

gives origin or form to a thing, or which serves to endose it" (1989, p. 884).

When stress acts upon this matrix, both the mind and body are subsequentiy

affected. An understanding of the concept of stress helps to make the

mind/body connection dearer.

Stress is not a problem in itself; it is a natural and necessary function

of the body. Stress, in the simplest terms, is the body's natural intemal

response caused by the apphcation of a stressor. A stressor is a stimulus that

induces bodily or mental tension. The stressor can be a real danger creating

fear, or it can be an individual's misinterpretation of a danger created by

anxiety. Anxiety can also be defined by the terms apprehension, tension, and

uneasiness, as formulated be the American Psychiatric Assodation (1972).

17

Fear and anxiety are simUar in that "they refer to an unpleasant feeling state

accompanied by various physiological changes in our bodies" (Kleinknednt,

1986, p. 17). The difference is that fear is a response to a dear distinct

stimulus, whereas anxiety is a simUar response, but the stimulus is imdear,

ambiguous, or pervasive (Kleinknednt, 1986). When stress acts upon the

body, whether it be a real emergency or an anxiety attack, the body reacts.

Both fear and anxiety ehdt the same physiological reactions to stress.

There are two primary biological systems that are activated by stress:

the autonomic or involuntary nervous system (ANS) and the endocrine

system. The brain is responsible for the vital bodily functions of heart,

respiration, and blood vessel diameters, and also regulates emotions such as

fear, hate, passion, rage and euphoria (PeUetier, 1977). An integral part of

the brain is the hypothalamus. Both the ANS and endocrine system are

controUed by the hypothalamus. This key component is responsible for stress

reactivity, body temperature, and hunger. It is also a pleasure center and the

primary activator of the ANS (PeUetier, 1977).

The ANS is prindpaUy responsible for the physiological activation that

occurs during the stress response. "The ANS assodation is where the

mind/body hnk is best understood" (Fritz, 1995, p. 82). The ANS mobilizes

the body's resources to deal with stressors. These stressors indude both

physical and mental ones, each causing the ANS to automaticaUy initiate a

complex series of neurophysiological and biochemical changes in the body

(PeUetier, 1977).

The hypothalamus also plays a central role in translating neurological

stimuh into endocrine processes during stress reactions. The hypothalamus

and pituitary gland (which is the master gland) both release hormones

carrying specific messages to other endocrine glands. When this happens, the

heart races, body temperature rises, and oxygen consumption increases

(PeUetier, 1977).

In terms of stress, "the hypothalamus dearly seems to respond to

emotional/psychological stimuh from the cortex" (PeUetier, 1977, p. 53). The

limbic system is related to emotional behavior and is mainly responsible for

outward expression of emotions. The hmbic system is closely connected with

the hypothalamus.

Another system that rehes on the hypothalamus is the immune system.

Responses in this system constitute a person's prindpal defense against

microorganisms. The hypothalamus is obviously "a critical link in the chain

of events through which psychological stress produces a physical reaction"

(PeUetier, 1977, p. 53).

The body systems previously discussed are assumed to "operate at a

healthy levd of tolerable non-pathogenic stress" (PeUetier, 1977, p. 39). This

healthy equihbrium is continuously upset by a wide variety of psychological,

physical, and environmental stressors. When this happens, the imbalance

results in activation of one or more of the physiological systems. A system is

said to "dysfunction" when it becomes activated for prolonged periods of time.

The body is then vulnerable to strike into a degenerative progress toward

disease (PeUetier, 1977). This paper is spedficaUy interested in prolonged

stress as the result of irrational thinking and anxiety in response to perceived

threat.

Irrational Stress Response

Irrational stress responses, when stimulated in excessive habitual

amounts, create problems and decrease functioning of the autonomic,

endocrine, and immune systems. This is how anxiety and tension reach the

point of becoming a disorder. A person's mental state is what determines

his/her level of anxiety and tension. Now, determining whether the perceived

threat is real or not is an individual matter. A person may experience the

stress because a real threat is present, or a person may experience stress due

19

to a perceived threat. For instance, if a person has a gun held to his/her head,

it is likely that he/she wiU become afraid and start to experience certain

physiological reactions. The cause of the fear is obvious, but what if a person

experiences the same physiological reactions to a hght wind blowing in his/her

face, or to a long hne at the grocery store. These scenarios are obviously not

life-threatening situations and do not logicaUy require a stress response. The

Lewises describe anxiety as "a nameless dread, a looming sense of imminent

destruction" (1972, p. 114), whereas fear is a consdously recognizable real-life

threat.

Individuals who suffer from anxiety often try to avoid their tension

through conversion reaction. Conversion reaction is the act of placating the

anxiety into the body in order to create obvious physical sjnnptoms. The

anxiety is converted into actual physical symptoms that are easier for the

individual and others to identify (Lewis & Lewis, 1972). The Lewises explain

that the act of placating is consdous, but the reasoning behind the anxiety is

unconsdous and, "unless the underlying emotional causes are reheved, it

generaUy cannot be reversed" (1972, p. 116). In conversion reaction, symptoms

can appear almost anywhere in the body and can even take on the form of

complex diseases. Lewis and Lewis give the example of a writer who is under

pressure to express him/herself on paper and commonly experiences writer's

cramp (Lewis & Lewis, 1972).

Stress-related problems arise for two basic reasons: 1) a person

develops the habit of responding to minor stressors as if they were real major

stressors; 2) the body fails to recover from the stress response. A body

responding to a dear distinct danger wiU most likely return to normal when

the danger is no longer present. A body responding to an irrational danger is

doing so because the mind of that body perceives a danger for no rational

reason. Therefore, if the danger is not dear-cut then the mind/body has no

distinct cut-off point to end the stress response. As stated earher, a person's

20

mental and emotional states are what mediate his/her level of anxiety and

tension. When stress is compounded by mental and emotional states, a

person's rate of recovery is also impeded. Thus a person is capable of

modifying his/her own physiology and anatomy through his/her mental state.

The mental state is expressed through emotions and feelings. For instance,

the emotions of depression and grief are found to inhibit the immune system

(Selby & Luhmann, 1987).

Once a disease or iUness has set in, the mental state and the stress it

generates continue to affect the body by determining its abihty to get weU. As

Selby and Luhmann explain "a person's dominant emotional states,

prevailing thought pattems and attitudes, diet and movement habits, and

underlying spiritual atmosphere play vital roles in influencing one's rate of

recovery" (1987, p. xvi). Stress disrupts the biochemical processes that lead to

recovery. Certain mental processes, namely fear, resentment and denial,

serve to maintain a disease or illness. It is hke feeding fire with fiiel in an

attempt to put the fire out. Ferguson's view of this interaction of stress,

emotions, and the body is highly technical.

Ferguson (1980) describes health as dependent on the body's abihty to

make sense of and transform new information in the environment. New

information can come in the form of stress. Often, ailments are the result of

unresolved stresses of the body. A viscous cyde of mind/body pathology occurs

when a person's rigid mental processes contribute to the tight pattems the

body gets locked into. Robbins (1987) explains that the body or physiology is

made up of one's posture, breathing pattems, musde tension, and tonahty.

Whichever leads, body or mind, the other wiU foUow in forming one's state of

being. Robbins (1987) also explains that an emotion such as depression wiU

not only express itself in the way a person thinks, but also can be dearly

identifiable physiologicaUy. He describes emotions as "a complex assodation,

a complex configuration of physiological states" (1987, p. 152). People's bodies

21

represent and display unresolved stresses to the extent that their bodies

become waUdng autobiographies of the stressors in their hves (Ferguson,

1980).

This understanding of how one's emotional state affects the body is the

basis of several massage therapy techniques, which wOl be defined in a later

chapter. The next section introduces the role of touch in the health and weU-

beingoflife.

The Power of Touch

The skin is the largest and most exposed organ of the body.

Stimulation and nourishment to this organ come in the form of strokes,

touches, caresses, hcks and cuddles. As Juhan Deane explains, "the raw

sensation of touch as stimulus is vitaUy necessary for the physical survival of

the organism" (1987, p. 50). Consider babies: (This is a subject about which I

am gaining "first hand" knowledge since the arrival of my daughter. Sage, on

August 2, 1995.) it is common knowledge that babies hke to be held, cradled

and rocked. To what extent is the handling of a baby in these ways more of a

need than a want?

This need was identified in 1915 by James H.M. Knox Jr., of John's

Hopkins Hospital, in his observation of the infants in a Baltimore orphanage

with a high infant to caretaker ratio. Ninety percent of the infants died

within a year of admission due to inadequate physical interaction despite

adequate medical care and proper nutrition (Juhan, 1987). The infants were

the victims of a disease caUed "marasmus" (a Greek term for wasting away).

More simply put, the infants died of loneliness and inadequate sensory

stimulation. Those infants who survived the first year uniformly showed

signs of mental and physical retardation. When the staff was increased, the

mortahty rates dropped, as did the number of retardations (Juhan, 1987).

The results dearly demonstrated that no amount of food or medicine could

22

produce a healthy chUd if touch was absent. These infants were not

malnourished but sensory deprived, although the symptoms of each condition

are similar. This confirms that a baby who is woU-fod does not constitute a

baby who is aU weU (Juhan, 1987).

Brown (1978) identified the importance of touch during infancy in her

artide "Rock-A-Bye your Baby," which discussed some cultural differences in

the handling of babies. Brown felt that most babies in the westem world hve

in a plastic world with aU the devices of "convenience" for handling a baby. It

seems that our culture is one of such personal convenience that it has

removed us from our very nature. Brown (1978) reports that in non-western

countries, babies rarely leave their mother's side. Various cultures have

developed ingenious devices for strapping the baby to their bodies such as

hipshngs and papooses.

Brown (1978) did a cross-cultural study of 49 cultures on the

correlation of the handling of a baby during infancy to the violence rate

among adults. She found a dear correlation between lack of physical

affection during infancy and the high degree of adult crimes such as physical

assault, torture, and mutUation of victims. For example, in Bah the baby is

carried with the mother during aU her waking hours for the first two years of

hfe. Not so coinddentaUy, "the Balinese were identified as one of 22 non­

violent cultures noted for an almost complete absence of violence and hostihty

in adults" (Brown, 1978, p. 321).

Juhan (1987) discusses Dr. James Prescott, a developmental

neuropsychologist of the National Institute of ChUd Health and Human

Development, who reported on this study that deprivation of touch early in

hfe results in abnormal sodal and emotional behaviors later in hfe. He feels

that tactile deprivation is directly related to violence and rage, and that lack

of physical pleasure results in expression of physical violence. He behoves

that rage is not possible in the presence of nurturing touch. Such studies

23

indicate what a profound effect physical "touch" has on the mental and

emotional state of a person.

SimUar findings have been found with laboratory animals The

assumption exists that in pregnant animals a hormonal secretion occurs

which provides the mother with nurturing instincts. Juhan (1987) details a

study done with lab rats that were fitted with wide coUars that prevented the

rats from hcking themselves. These rats did not "nest" (create suitable hving

space for the young), and their mammary glands only grew 50% of the normal

rate of rats who were not fitted with coUars. Licking is an animal's dosest

approximation of tactile stimulation, and if deprived of this natural instinct,

normal functioning does not occur. Juhan (1987) expresses the fact that the

mouth is the most germ-ridden part of the body, and it is for this reason that

humans do not use the mouth to dean things. However, in animals, the act of

hcking creates a stimulus of intemal fimctioning that is far more important

than the removal of a httle surface dirt, thus overriding the danger of oral

bacteria.

To correspond with this finding, a study was done with rats in which

one group was handled and cuddled whUe the other group was left in

isolation. The group that received touch were more relaxed and yielding

when picked up as opposed to the isolated rats, who became tense and often

hostile when touched. The handled group was also found to develop at a

faster rate than the deprived rats. (Juhan, 1987)

Another animal study was done in the 1950's by Harry Harlow, head of

the Primate Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. In this experiment

baby monkeys were put in cages, each containing a surrogate wire mother

and a surrogate terry doth mother. Some of the surrogates produced mQk

and some did not. Later, after the babies were given a chance to acquaint

themselves with the "mothers," a stressor in the form of a noisy toy was

introduced into the cages. The monkeys condusively dung to the terry doth

24

mothers for security regardless of whether that mother produced milTf or not

(Juhan, 1987). Apparently, the feel of the softer "mother" made the babies

feel more secure.

I breast-fed my daughter for 17 months, and through personal

experience and research on the subject of breast-feeding, I have found the

opinion of professionals and other nursing mothers ahke to be that the nursed

baby receives nourishment not only from the mother's mUk, but also from the

dose physical contact between mother and chUd. Juhan (1987) reminds

readers that in healthy situations when chUdren or pets are upset they are

often cuddled and stroked to calm them. How often is the upset adult cuddled

and stroked instead of medicated? Why not touch aU, big and smaU? The

next section detaU the connective tissue of the body.

Connective Tissue

Connective tissue, or fasda, is made up of fluids and fibers and serves

to separate and hold the skeletal musdes in position. The connective tissue, or

fasda, which surrounds the entire musde sometimes extends beyond the end

of the musde fibers to form a tendon that attaches the musde to bone. The

fasda also serves to attach musde to musde in the form of broad, fibrous

sheets caUed aponeuroses (Hole, 1978). The fasda is part of a complex

network that extends tightly throughout the entire body (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. An example of what the fasdal network of the body is hke.

Source: Deane Juhan, "Job's Body: A Handbook for Bodywork," 1987.

25

Numerous blood vessels and nerves pass through the fasdal layers.

The fasda tightly endoses groups of musdes, blood vessels, and nerves into

compartments (Hole, 1978). In healthy connective tissue these compartments

serve to contain diseases, infections, and toxins, and to keep these destmctive

agents from spilling over into surrounding tissues and organs (Juhan, 1987).

The body wiU expel destructive agents as part of a normal process. If the

connective tissue is weak or if the protective chemical properties of the fasda

are disturbed, then these weak compartments contribute directly to the

spread of disease and infection, as in the case of cancer (Juhan, 1987). The

strength and chemical makeup of the connective tissue is directiy affected by

the chemistries of diet, hormones, disease, and stress occurring in the body

(Juhan, 1987).

Healthy fasda is characterized by a flexible fluidity, whereas injured

fasda is hardened. In cases of hardened connective tissue, the goal of a

practitioner, spedficaUy a practitioner of deep tissue work such as Rolfing, is

to make the connective tissue more fluid and less gel-like. This is achieved by

increasing the fasda's capadty to aUow toxins to flow through the fasda and

be flushed fix)m the body. This function of the fasda creates thermal energy

(heat). The most effective means of increasing fasdal energy levels comes in

the form of direct pressure and stretching (Juhan, 1987). Ways in which this

energy is increased is through the warmth of the practitioner's hands to create

thermal energy. The acts of pressure, motion, andfiiction aU create thermal

energy. Squeezing, stretching, and contorting connective tissue creates a

deansing, flushing effect, simUar to ringing out a sponge or stirring up a bowl

of water that has mud settled at the bottom (Juhan, 1987). Hardened fasdal

tissue inhibits circulation, so any toxins or sediment that is trying to be

flushed from the body may become locked into the hardened tissue. When

this tissue is softened up, any deposits are also stirred up and are better able

to be recirculated and excreted. This is the "muddy water" previously referred

26

to. This sediment may also reflect the emotional results that are described in

the section on tissue memory.

Connective tissue manipulation flushes toxins and wastes out of the

interceUular fluids and into the blood stream, where they can be eliminated

from the body. This deansing toxic release created by Bodsnvork can often

make a person feel nausea, as if he/she has a hangover. These brief periods of

discomfort are justified by the resulting long-term improvements. This is an

example of how altemative methods treat the core of the problem and not just

the symptoms of pain and discomfort. The actual source of the problem is

activated and expressed from the body, sometimes unpleasantiy, thus

reheving the body of the actual problem and aU assodated symptoms.

Deep tissue work not only creates positive structural changes, but

creates healthy alterations in metabohc processes as weU. Deep tissue work

affects the body's mechanical, chemical, and physical composition. Every ceU

of the body is supported by coUagen fibers. "CoUagen is the major structural

protein of the body^ (Hole, 1978, p. 133) and when these fibers are present in

abundance, they create the dense connective tissue of the body (1978). There

is nowhere on the body that manipulation can occur without affecting the

connective network (Juhan, 1987). Juhan (1987) explains that mental and

physical elements of the body are interconnected, which on the one hand gives

body work its power (and on the other hand dictates the limitations of each

individual bodywork technique). Therefore, dynamic results can occur for a

dient, both structuraUy and behavioraUy from such body work.

Through bodywork, the therapist aids in establishing and introducing

new movement pattems to the body by educating or reeducating the body.

New pattems can not be introduced and utilized until old maladaptive habits

are removed. The prerequisite for musde retraining is rdaxation (Juhan,

1987). A relaxed musde is in its optimum state of effidency and is able to

27

perform its fiUl range of use. A tense musde must relax before it can contract

and work again effectively and effidently.

In condusion, as Juhan notes, "it is the simple truth of the matter that

our minds and thoughts exist in our skin, our joints, and our musdes just as

surely as they do in our craniums" (1987, p. 275). The next section explains

the mechanisms by which the body converts experience into physical and

chemical properties of the body.

Tissue Memory

The concept of "tissue memory" is based on the premise that memories

store in the body as woU as in the mind. This idea is also referred to as "body

memory", "ceU or ceUular memory" or "somatic memory." Tissue memory is a

pattern of construction that reflects how the musdes "remember' events such

as abuse, injury, illness, shock, fear, and anger in a pattern of tension

(Knaster, 1994). The body tissues can be viewed as a secondary storage

fadhty for the brain. Knaster (1994) brings up the fact that the brain,

nervous system and skin aU arise from the same embryonic layer. The

assodation between the skin and central nervous system is evident in the

concrete anatomical and physiological connections from each system's

development out of the ectoderm. Juhan explains, "the skin and brain

develop from exactiy the same primitive ceUs...and throughout hfe they

function as a single unit, divisible only by dissection or analj^cal abstraction"

(1987, p. 35). The skin is directly affected by the intemal states of mind and

physical health. This explains how the body and mind can perform similar

functions. Knaster dtes liana Rubenfeld (originator of Rubenfeld Synergy

Method for Integration of body, mind, and emotions): "the skin, musdes, and

nervous system record aU the memories of how we are handled from the

womb aU through hfe" (1994, p. 47). This is the reason deep tissue work such

as Rolfing eUdts the emotional releases as the tissues are being worked.

28

Knaster (1994) explains that under the right conditions a memory can be

triggered by ahnost anything that engages even one of the senses that were

involved m the original experience. Knaster (1994) dtes the findings of John

E. Upledger, D.O.:

the tissues retain memory of the position the body was in when an injury or acddent took place. The "energy of injury" penetrates mto the tissues to a depth determined by the coUision versus the density of the tissue, (p. 50)

The energy from the injury is a foreign entity acting on the body part; and if

the body cannot release that energy and aUow for normal healing ,then the

body stores and compacts that energy . The human body seeks to survive, and

in order to minimize the area of damage the body compacts the energy into a

compressed area known as an "energy cyst" (Knaster, 1994).

Knaster dtes Saul Schanberg, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and

biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, as dedaring,

"memory resides nowhere, and in every ceU. It's about 2000 times more

comphcated than we ever imagined." (1994, p.47) The complexity and

intricacy of the mind/body connection can positively serve to take an

individual to higher levels of existence or negatively rob that individual of a

comfortable healthy existence. The next section outlines the degenerative

path of the mind/body connection.

The Evolution of Imbalance

Postures develop and maintain through a learning process much hke

learning to ride a bike. This development begins when a frequentiy repeated

mental event becomes a tendency. Thus the person creates potential cause for

the mental event to become a physical reahty. If the tendency is acted out

and foUowed through long enough, it becomes a habit, and a habit exercised

long enough becomes a bit of personal identity. Postures develop as a result of

these repeated gestures, and sustained postures become fixed structures

29

(Juhan, 1987). This idea gives a more profound meaning to the

understanding of body language and reiterates the assertion of Ferguson

(1980) that people are walking autobiographies of the past and present events

of their hves. The past becomes buUt into the framework of the body, thus

affecting both general appearance and behavior pattems.

Every time this process takes place, whether it be good or bad, sensory

engrams are formed which serve as templates for body responses. An engram

is, a hypothetical change in neural tissue postulated in order to account for

persistence of memory" (Webster, 1989, p. 251). For example, the process of

learning to walk produces an engram for which the act of walking can be

reproduced. In traumatic events, emotional or physical, engrams are

produced in the form of memory cysts (discussed previously in the chapter on

Tissue Memory).

The formation of a habit has both mental and physical components.

Grood and bad habits are processed in the same manner, eUdting the same

two physiological responses: 1) the adjustments of the lengths of the musde

spindle fibers; 2) the adjustments of the tension loads on the golgi tendon

organs (Juhan, 1987). The golgi tendon organs connected to the musde

spindle fibers serve to, "stimulate a reflex with an effect opposite that of a

stretch reflex. This reflex helps maintain posture" (Hole, 1978, p. 422). The

musde tendon fibers and golgi tendon organs are responsive to weight, motion

and repetition as weU as to mental states (Juhan, 1987). Anxiety drives these

processes into high gear, whUe depression lowers these processes. Hence, the

mere act of quietly becoming anxious about something creates activity in the

mind and the body.

Due to the interaction of the mind/body, bodjrwork serves to reahgn

behavioral pattems as weU as structiiral pattems. Bodywork produces new

engrams for the body to use, replacing the old mal-productive engrams. This

is not suggesting that body diseases can be rubbed away like a magic lamp.

30

Each case of disease and iUness is situation-specific and requires its own

spedal combination of treatments to bring about recovery. A complementary

treatment to bodywork would be meditation. Meditation is the mirror image

of anxiety: that is, it is the expression of the absence of anxiety or, in other

words, serenity. What anxiety does to damage the body, relaxation

techniques serve to heal and aid proper body functioning (Juhan, 1987).

Relaxation techniques require proper use of breathing. Breathing is

the most essential element of being present centered. Breathing orients one

with reahty and acts as a constant link between the mind and body, keeping

one from drifting out of the present moment (Selby & Luhmann, 1987). This

understanding is the basis for techniques such as Tai Chi and Yoga.

Chapter IV explains the development and use of massage therapy as

treatment for health matters from early time periods to present day practice.

31

CHAPTER IV

MASSAGE THERAPY

Historical Developments

Massage is and has been used as one of the most instinctive and

natural ways to reheve pain and discomfort. Touch as a healing method

developed from many different origins. The history of massage therapy is

marked by cydes of progression and regression dating back to 2000 B.C.

Medical hterature firom the Egyptians, Persians, and Japanese can be traced

back to 500 B.C. In 460 B.C. massage made its mark in Greece during the

days when the Greeks glorified the strength and beauty of the human body.

Hippocrates of Cos (460-377 B.C.) performed the art of anatripsis, "to rub out,"

which combined the medical benefits of massage with the chemical properties

of oils to aid the sick and maintain the weU (Fritz, 1995). He introduced the

methods of traction and stretching, both of which are stiU used in therapeutic

massage today.

The Greeks passed the art of massage on to the Romans in the time of

Juhus Caesar (100-44 B.C.), who was daily pinched aU over for the rehef of

neuralgia and for prevention of epileptic attacks (Fritz, 1995). The Roman

physidan, Aulus Comehus Celsus (25 B.C.-50 A.D.), is credited for his

compUation ofDe Medicina, an eight-book series with seven books dedicated

to the preventive and therapeutic use of rubbing, exercising, bathing, and

anointing (Fritz, 1995). De Medicina was rediscovered during the Middle

Ages by Pope Nicholas V. (1397-1455 AJD.). The Middle Ages saw a dedine in

the acceptance of massage when oi^es and unediical behaviors arose. The

use of massage went underground as folk medicine in the East at this time.

(Fritz, 1995)

The development of massage in the West came firom this Eastern folk

medicine, often associated with supernatural experiences. TTiLs deviation

32

from a more sdentific approach tainted the practice of massage and brought

on the persecution of the church for doing the work of the devU (Fritz, 1995).

Vahdation of massage in the East retumed with Per Henrik Ling

(1776-1839) and his development of Swedish massage for the treatment of

disease. l ing developed an integrated program of active and passive

movements modeled after the positions and movements of Swedish

gymnastics (Fritz, 1995). As a teacher of fencing, Ling observed "that

habitual movements interfered with the development of desired movements,

and that development of a skiU depended on mental mastery of habit" (Fritz,

1995, p.6). Through this observation, in 1814, Ling developed medicinal

gynmastics involving systematic body movements. For nearly twenty years,

the Swedish medical community bitterly opposed Ling's system for his lack of

medical training and his use of poetic and mystical language (Fritz, 1995).

For this reason it is important that "massage be explained in the medical and

sdentific terminology of the day" (Fritz, 1995, p. 7). Dr. Johann Mezger

(1839-1909) of HoUand brought massage into the medical community and

coined correct terminology for the various manipulative techniques used in

massage today.

MeanwhUe in the West, spedficaUy the British dties, Chicago, and

New York, massage was given poor repute by the exposure of questionable

sexual stimulation in "massage parlors." It was during this time that an

inconsistent system of education existed. This led to the development of The

Sodety of Trained Masseuses in 1894. E i ^ t women recognized the need for

rigorous standards and modeled their program after the medical profession to

develop academic prerequisites for the study of massage (Fritz, 1995). This

group later became the Chartered Sodety of Massage and Medical

Gymnastics.

Then Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) used massage in his early treatment

of hysteria. This along with WUhehn Reich's use of massage as a

33

psychological tool brought massage back into the foreground. Alexander

Lowen, an American psychiatrist and a student of Reich, developed

Bioenergetics. Bioenergetics is a systematized approach that deals with

suppressed emotions by the body. The theory behind this type of bod5rwork is

that suppressed emotions create a protective armoring in the body, locking the

body into rigid, maladaptive pattems of use. (Fritz, 1995)

In the early 1900's, Randolph Stone, an American physidan, developed

"polarity therapy," which works with the body's magnetic field to regulate the

physiological systems of the body. The 1900's saw an increase in the

development of various types of bodywork. Bonnie Prudden is credited for

popularizing "trigger point therapy", which is the apphcation of direct

pressure on prescribed points on the surface of the body which trigger other

areas of the body which correspond to the point under pressure (Fritz, 1995).

Dr. Dolores Kreiger and her "therapeutic touch" has brought more awareness

to the use and effectiveness of energy work in nursing. Dr. MUton Trager

introduced the Trager method, commonly referred to as "rocking". Dr. Trager

came up with this neuromuscular approach when his wife was in the hospital

suffering with severe bums from a car acddent. He could not touch her to

comfort her or do anything to ease her suffering. He instinctively began to

rock her whUe she was lying in her hospital bed. The act of rocking, hke

rocking a baby to sleep, is very relaxing and stirs the fluid in the inner ear

canals responsible for balance. Combining rocking with other massage

techniques such as efifleurage increases the effectiveness of the effieurage,

because whQe the body is being rocked, it is neurologicaUy impossible to hold

on to existing body pattems. (Fritz, 1995) The goal would be to get the body

to temporarily let go of a maladaptive partem so that the underlying musdes

can be retrained into more effident pattems of response.

In the late 1940's and early 1950's, James Henry Cyriax, orthopedic

surgeon an St. Thomas' Hospital, pubhshed Textbook of Orthopedic Medicine,

34

detailing how pain can be the result of dysfunctional connective tissue. This

is the foundation of soft-tissue manipulation today. (Fritz, 1995)

The humanistic movement of the 1960's spUled over into the medical

community, revahdating the benefits of touch on health and weU-being. This

is the most recent revival of massage, which has continued to thi.s day (Fritz,

1995).

Current Conditions

Today, the profession of massage therapy is legalized with proper

credentialing and hcensing, is carefiiUy defined, has a dear scope of practice,

and is bound by ethical conduct. The educational requirements for massage

therapy differ from state to state. The state of Texas requires that any

practicing massage therapist completes 125 hours of Swedish massage, 75

hours of anatomy and physiology, 20 hours of health and hygiene, 15 hours of

business practices and ethics, 15 hours of hydrotherapy, and 50 hours of

internship. Upon successful completion of the schooling requirements, the

student must take and pass a written and practical exam th rou^ the Texas

Department of Health in Austin. Maintenance and upkeep of registration is a

continuous requirement of any therapist who wishes to continue practicing

massage therapy.

Any attempt at an adequate definition of massage must be indusive of

all the methods used. The standard and acceptable definition of therapeutic

massage is stated thus:

The sdentific art and system of the assessment of and the manual apphcation to the superfidal soft tissue of skin, musdes, tendons, hgaments, fasda, and the structures that he within the superfidal tissue by using the hand, foot, knee, arm, dbow, and forearm through the systematic external apphcation of touch, stroking (effieurage), fiiction, vibration, percussion, kneading (petrissage), stretching, compression, or passive and active joint movements within the normal

35

physiological range of motion. Also induded are adjunctive extemal apphcation of water, heat, and cold for the purposes of establishing and maintaining good physical condition and health through normalizing and improving musde tone, promoting relaxation, stimulating circulation, and producing therapeutic effects on the respiratory and nervous system, and the subtie interactions between aU body systems. These intended effects are accomplished through the energetic and mind^ody connections in a safe, non-sexual environment that respects the dient's self-determined outcome for the session. (Fritz, 1995, p.23)

The scope of practice details the boundaries within which a massage

therapist may work. Most of the hterature defines the scope of practice by

what cannot be done. "No one but the physidan has the legal right to perform

any act that falls within the parameters of a medical hcense" (Fritz, 1995,

p.24). The simple imderlying prindple is that

a person may not dispense therapeutic or medicinal advice concerning the effect of his or her services on a specific disease, ailment, or condition unless he or she has adequate training, knowledge, and experience to ensure that the advice given is sound and rehable (Fritz, 1995, p.24)

The scope of practice for massage therapy needs to fit alongside the

boundaries of professionals in the fields of chiropractic, dentistry, medicine,

nursing, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, pediatric medicine,

psychology, and cosmetology without infringing upon the boundaries of these

professionals (Fritz, 1995).

Any health care practitioner is bound by a code of ethics. Ethics and

boundaries are based upon an individual value concept. A massage therapist

should be respectful and nonjudgemental. If a therapist has certain

prejudices that prevent the therapist fix)m touching a dient in respectful and

nonjudgmental ways, then it is the responsibihty of the therapist to refer the

dient to someone else for professional care. The "right of refusal" is the

36

dient's right at any time to refuse the massage. likewise, "disdosure" is the

therapist's right to refuse to work with anyone as long as the reason is

explained to the dient. For example, if a dient has ADDS and the therapist's

brother died with AIDS, the therapist has the right to explain his/her feelings

to the chent and refer that dient to the proper health care professional. (Fritz,

1995)

The relationship between the therapist and dient needs to be one of

trust, understanding and confidentiahty. The therapist is obhgated to give aU

appropriate information to the dient so that the dient can make an informed

choice to have a massage and understand what to expect. This is "informed

consent." There must be dear communication about how the session wUl

progress and what the outcomes wiU be. It is important to provide a safe

environment for the chent that ensures their privacy. The dient who is lying

undressed under a sheet on the practitioner's table is in a vulnerable

situation. It is the responsibihty of the practitioner to make this dient feel

safe. The therapist should ask permission before laying his/her hands upon

the dient. The therapist may choose to place his/her hands upon the dient's

back over the sheet and hold them there for a moment in order to greet the

body and acquaint it with the therapist's touch. The state of Texas does not

require that the dient be fuUy draped during the massage; this is an

individual decision. Many therapists establish their own strict work codes

and may insist upon draping and refuse to work with anyone who wishes to

be uncovered. Draping procedures need to be explained prior to the massage

and need to be part of the dient's informed consent. A good therapist is able

to pick up signs that a dient is uncomfortable or uneasy with the session.

One due is whether dients choose to remove their under garments or not. A

chent who is looking for lower back work and has had several massages in the

past may be more likely to remove everything in order to receive fuU benefits

from his/her session than is the person who has never received a massage

37

before. Once again, the therapist needs to take aU factors into account and

taUor each session to meet the needs and comfort levels of each dient. (Fritz,

1995)

The relationship between the therapist and cUent must always be one

of professionalism. Due to the intimate nature of the field, the relationship

should not be confused with sexuahty. Some people confuse touch with sexual

contact if they do not have much experience being touched in a loving,

nurturing, or therapeutic manner. A dient who is looking for sexual

treatment is in the wrong place, but if a dient is simply not used to non­

sexual touch, oftentimes this confusion is bjT)assed when the therapist creates

deep relaxation for the body and works on painfiil knots and trouble spots.

The body becomes aware that the purpose of the touch is to help it and that

therefore, sexual feelings may be dismissed. (Fritz, 1995)

Due to the structure and design of the human body, it is possible that

during a session a chent might become sexuaUy aroused. The abdominals,

lower extremities, buttocks, and genital area are fed with sensory information

from the lumbar nerve plexus and sacral nerve plexus (Fritz, 1995). When

working in the surrounding areas, nerve signals could stimulate the genital

region. This is obviously no form of sexual misconduct and needs to be

handled so that the dient feels no embarrassment or shame towards natural

body functions. Sexual responses are usuaUy short hved and are quickly

replaced as the massage continues to communicate deep relaxation (Fritz,

1995). Sexual issues may be easUy diffused by the therapist's professionalism

and creation of a safe environment.

Therapeutic massage is as extensive as, but limited to, its definition.

Massage therapy is the foundation for more advanced and spedahzed forms of

bodywork such as Rolfing, Hakomi, Reflexology, and Reiki, aU of which wiU be

described in Chapter V.

38

CHAPTER V

SPECLALIZED BODY-WORK THERAPIES

The Theory and Practice of Rnlfin|n;

Rolfing, or Structural Integration, is the technique of connective tissue

manipulation that was perfected by Dr. Ida P. Rolf, formerly an organic

chemist with the RockefeUer Institute. The term Rolf, and aU forms of it, as

weU as the term Structural Integration, are trademarks of the Rolf Institute of

Structural Integration (Roger Pierce, 1978).

The Rolfing technique is deep intense tissue manipulation that takes

place in a series often sessions normaUy spaced one week apart. The goal of

Rolfing is to reahgn the body's major segments ~ head, shoulders, thorax,

pelvis and legs -- along a vertical axis. In the course of the ten sessions, the

Rolfer works his/her way down the body from the head to the feet so that aU

the body segments are treated. It is important to work aU of the segments

instead of just the obvious areas of discomfort, because when an imbalance

exists in one of the segments, an imbalance exists in aU of the segments. The

major segments can be viewed as blocks that, ideaUy, should be stacked

evenly on top of each other (See Figure 2.1). If one block is off center,

consequentiy, the entire body becomes disorganized (See Figure 2.2). For

example, a stiff neck and a head that is slumped forward is the result of

possible tilt in the pelvis, which may in turn be a result of locked knees or

ankles that turn in and do not properly support the weight of the body at the

base. The problem does not just he in the neck and shoulders and must be

treated at aU points of imbalance (Pierce, 1978).

39

Figure 2.1. Visualization of the body with the major segments as stacked blocks.

Source: Roger Pierce, "Rolfing," 1978

Figure 2.2. Comparison of poor posture to an anatomicaUy correct posture.

Source: Roger Pierce, "Rolfing," 1978

Reordering of the major segments balances the left and right sides of

the body. A balanced body is one that is in a resting state of preparedness for

responses of aU kinds (E*ierce, 1978). A balanced body is one that can

accurately respond to and recover fix)m stress. When a body responds, it

becomes unbalanced through its response movements and then ideaUy

returns to a state of balance, which is its resting state. When a body responds

and does not come fiiU drde to an action of completion, imbalance sets in.

When the body is out of ahgnment, the force of gravity becomes a

burden and a destructive force to the body. A graceful relationship with the

field of gravity is maintained when the body's weight disbursement remains

dose to the vertical axis. The average person has shortened his/her body by

letting the body weight shp out from the vertical axis. Examples of this

imbalance can be seen through a head that' is slumped forward, sag^^ng

shoulders, a buttocks that is carried up and out, or apparentiy different

lengths of legs with one hip higher than the other. As if this is not a problem

40

in itself, these pattems of imbalance are reinforced by the body in that after

years of habit, they feel comfortable and natural (Pierce, 1978). The body

takes on the habit of misahgnment.

The development of sldUs depends on the mental mastery of a habit.

What efforts cause a body to take on bad habits? Pierce (1978) explains that

from a purely mechanical viewpoint, the connective tissue that envelops the

musdes and that gives the body shape is remolded by apphed force, resulting

in distortions of the fasdal tissue. The apphed force is primarily repeated

pattems of self-use in sitting, sleeping, walking, etc. If a person's pattems of

self-use are ineflfident, the pattems set or fix themselves in tiie fasdal

network as unbalanced pattems of structure. The muscular and skeletal

systems take on ineffident weight-bearing functions. These systems are not

aUowed to perform their jobs correctiy. If a musde's function is to contract in

order to create movement, but that musde is forced into a continual or

habitual state of contraction without release, then that part of the body gets

locked into the contracted position inhibiting its range of motion. The musde

takes on the role of a bone by holding the incorrect body position in place, so

that the fasdal tissue of that musde eventuaUy becomes hard and inelastic

like a bone. When the fasdal tissue hardens, circulation of blood vessels

running through the fasdal network become restricted. Examples of this

hardened fasdal tissue are the "knots" that can be felt on a person's stiff and

aching neck.

Lewis & Lewis (1978) report that both the mental and physical

activities of the body depend on alterations in the body's tissues. What this

means is that mental and emotional states are directiy linked to the body's

tissues in addition to the obvious physical connection. This fact is recognized

by the Rolfing technique and is an important factor in the theory and practice

of Rolfing.

41

Chronic tension in the body carries with it an emotional load. Pierce

(1978) explains that muscular tension and emotion are two aspects of the

same organic pattern. He gives the example of a young cluld who feels

threatened by a parent and shrinks away with his/her head down, shoulders

raised, and chest cavity depressed in an attempt to bury his or her self and

escape the threat. The chUd's escape posture becomes his/her normal pattern.

The emotional tone of the threatened chUd locks into the pattern as weU. If

the pattern is not released and is carried on through the chUd's life, the

emotions assodated with the onset of the pattern carry on too. This emotional

load inhibits appropriate emotional responses to other stimuh.

When a person is undergoing Rolfing treatment, he/she may experience

physical pain due to the deep tissue manipulation aimed at restructuring

his/her body. He/she may also go through the release of the emotional pain

assodated with the physical pain. The physical reactions and characteristics

of a person's body and the assodated emotions that are appropriate for a

survival response oftentimes get permanentiy locked into a person's

framework. This happens because the systems of the body faU to recover from

the temporary stress response. People carry predispositions in their locked

frameworks to react to future stimuh on the basis of a past survival mode.

WhUe "Rolfing' certain parts of the body it is common for a person to recaU

specific traumatic episodes assodated with a part of the body. This is why the

actual physical changes in a person's structure are often accompanied by

changes in behavior and personahty after the Rolfing treatment. If a person

has held on to a past behavioral response pattern because that response was

locked into the physical makeup of the body and that part of the physical body

is readjusted then the person may be able to release old response pattems and

adapt new more productive ones.

42

The HakoTTii Method

The Hakomi Method is a technique based upon the mind/body/spirit

connection and is grounded in the recognition of the diversity and tension in

the world today. "Hakomi" is a Hopi word that means "how I stand in relation

to the many worlds" (Kurtz, 1990, p.3). It is a treatment that has been

developed with a spedal relevance for our time. Kurtz (1990), founder of the

Hakomi method, developed this technique in the mid 1970's as a culmination

of his study and experience in the areas of psychology, sdence, and

phUosophy, along with influence from the body-centered therapies (e.g.,

Bioenergetics, Rolfing, etc.), modem systems theory, and the Eastern

phUosophies of Taoism and Buddhism.

Kurtz (1990) describes Hakomi as a non-violent psychotherapy that

operates through the combined use of dialogue or naming, hands-on body

work, movement, and attention to sensation. The goal of an Hakomi therapist

is to help create "mindfulness" (a distinct state of consdousness in the dient)

and to aid that individual in turning inward towards the innate wisdom of

his/her own mind^ody. LogicaUy, this must be the goal of the dient as weU or

he/she would not be seeking Hakomi as treatment. The dient must also make

it his/her goal to be ready to remember pain and aUow him/herself a chance to

grow. The dient is an active partidpant in the process of change. Kurtz

(1990) refers to change as evolution and explains that in evolution there is

pressure. It is never a violent pressure or an inappropriately apphed force to

an unwUhng or unready individual. It is the job of any good therapist to

know when and where to apply force. Chent / therapist sessions are situation

specific and do not foUow a rigid stmcture. However, there are specific

techniques and training that a therapist must know in order to be able to use

the appropriate method at the appropriate time. The goal of Hakomi is to

contact and work with core material, to create a safe environment, and to

work towards the growth of the dient.

43

The Hakomi Method is based on five prindples, which are used to

sustain and evaluate method and techni(jue. These five prindples are:

1- Organidty: To look for and foUow the natural processes of Living Systems (hving systems self-organize, self-create, and self-maintain)

2- Mindfulness 3- Nonviolence: Reverence for Life 4- Mind-Body Holism 5- Unity: A Partidpatory Universe

As stated earher, a session is comprised of dialogue, hands-on work,

movement, and attention to sensation.

Dialogue begins with a discussion of the dient's history. The dient is

always encouraged to talk about any feelings or sensations he/she may

experience during a session. Verbal communication also comes in the form of

"naming," where the therapist draws attention to cues the dient gives,

verbaUy and non-verbaUy. Kurtz gives the example of recognizing moist eyes

and noting this with the simple question, "Some sadness, huh?' (1990, p. 7).

If this moment had gone unrecognized, the dient would likely hold back the

assodated feelings. The therapist's mindful awareness and attimement to the

dient creates an atmosphere of trust and compassion for the dient and open

the door to deeper work. AU this "talk" serves to deepen and stabUize the

experience, but it is not yet going for the core. Kurtz (1990) promotes a

psychotherapy that is not just talk, but involves experience as weU.

Experiences are evoked through mindful reflection on habits and core

organizations and by probing the dient. The therapist probes with different

techniques to bring the chent to the core material and the desired meaning.

The therapist wUl ask the dient to take notice of his/her reactions as the

therapist asks questions and makes statements. This serves to bring

attention to the present and root the dient in the experience of his/her own

body, or to use the words of Kurtz, "to create mindfulness". Hands-on work

and movement are unhke regular massage and the manipulation of tissues.

44

The therapist may simply put his/her hands on the dient and ask that he/she

remain mindful to sensations experienced. This is attention to sensation.

The therapist can assist the chent by "talcing over" a physical gesture. For

instance, if the therapist notices the dient holding his/her head, the therapist

can offer to take the weight of the head into his/her own hands. The purpose

of this is to aUow the chent to concentrate less on the work of holding up

his/her own head and more on the session. If reaching out to people is an

issue with a person, the therapist may ask the dient to reach out with his/her

arms and describe how this movement makes him/her feel. It is important

that the dient always remain mindful of the act that the therapist is taking

over in order to uncover meaning beyond just the pleasure of touch or

interaction. If a dient holds his/her shoulders up in a poor posture, the

therapist may assist the chent by restraining the shoulders in the poor

posture for the dient. This could also indude some PNF (Proprioceptive

Neuromuscular Fadhtation) work to reheve the tension, but the chent must

stay focused on the feelings and sensations that accompany the poor posture

to uncover the core.

The uncovering of core meaning is a precursor to transition and growth

and is accomplished by firustrating pattems of past dependendes and directiy

supporting efforts towards growth. Kurtz (1990) makes a comparison of the

dient/therapist relationship and its efforts to reach this goal to a mother and

her infant. The mother first nurses her infant and aUows him/her to be

dependent; then she weans and teaches him/her to feed hun/herself. As Kurtz

explains, "it is a combination of firustrating one thing and supporting another

that helps direct the path of growth" (1990, p. 112).

What I consider to be one of the reaUy wonderful things that must

result from an Hakomi session is that the dient leaves with a sense of self and

an awareness of his/her mind/body that can be used outside of the therapy

session.

45

Reflexology

Reflexology is a type of body work that helps to decrease or reduce pain

and normalize body fimctions through the apphcation of pressure to reflex

and pressure points. Reflexology primarily refers to the "reflexive" points of

the feet and hands. There are reflexive points found through out the body,

but this section wiU focus spedficaUy on the feet.

In 1913, WiUiam Fitzgerald introduced Zone Therapy to the U.S., a

therapy based upon the practice of Chinese acupressure. Reflexology is a

branch of these techniques (Connor, & McKim, 1978).

There are 72,000 nerve endings connected to different areas of the body

that meet in each foot. The two dominating theories for the practice of

Reflexology are: 1) that massaging the feet stimulates nerve impulses to the

corresponding areas of the body; 2) that massaging the feet activates energy

points along the meridian hnes detaUed in acupressure (Connor & McKim,

1978).

When a person is Ul with symptoms from colds, flues, and headaches,

certain reflexive points on the foot are found to be congested and painful and

feel gritty as if there are tiny partides of sand trapped under the skin

(Connor, & McKim, 1978). The gritty stuff is deposits of uric add and caldum

crystals, byproducts of incomplete metabohsm. When a body is out of balance,

proper digestion and metabolism does not occur, and these byproducts deposit

in the feet, blocking the nerve endings and interfering with the normal

fimctioning of assodated body regions (Connor, & McKim, 1978).

Reflexology serves not only to relax the body, but to crush up the grit so

that the body can reabsorb and excrete it. This is primarily achieved through

direct pressure to the troubled pressure points accompanied with overaU

massaging. The removal of toxins from the body can make a person fed

nauseous. The intake of plenty of fluids during this process is advisable.

Highly toxic individuals should only receive short treatments of about five to

46

ten minutes to prevent too many toxins from being released into the body at

once (Connor & McKim, 1978). .

There are several charts detailing which reflexive points correspond

with which areas of the body (See Figures 3 & 4). These charts wUl vary from

practice to practice as to the exact location of the reflexive points. A

practitioner should not diagnose sore spots as being specific problems (e.g.,

thyroid problems).

Lymph Drainage Bronchial

Back Muscles

-Sinus Area,

Thofacic . ., Adrenal^ /

Kidney

Lumbar-^ / [ ^^^p^aVf Utenjs / Prostate' '

-Original Ingham Method-

.Sinus Area,

Shoulder Arm

Diaphragm

Gail Bladder

Spleen

Waist Line-intestines-

Sigmoid Flexure Ileocecal Bladder

Sacr\jm / Coccyx' / Ovary/Testicle

Lymph Drainage Bronchial

Back Muscles^

Head Neck

-Cervical -Thyroid

-Adrenal '^^^Thoracic ^Kidney

^Pancreas 7V^ Lumbar

Right W m Up Xjtems / Prostate

Figures. The reflexive points of the hands. Source : Byers, Dwight C. International Institute of

Reflexology, 1983.

47

Pineal

Sinuses

Esophagus

Eyes

Ears

Shoulder/

Pineal

Sinuses

Esophagus

Eyes

Ears

iShoulder

Heart .

Spleen

Gall bladder

Ascending colon

Descending colon

Figure 4. Chart of the reflexive points of the feet. Source : Connor, L., & McKim, L., "Reflexology", 1978.

Reiki

Reiki is a gentie, hands-on, oriental healing art used to reheve stress,

reduce pain, and accelerate the heahng process (Rand, 1991). "Rei" refers to

universal energy, and "Ki" is the hfe force which flows through every hving

thing- people, plants, and animals. This universal energy is also referred to

as "chi" or "prana".

Reiki is merely a technique to balance the energy (the "Ki") of people,

plants and animals. Reiki is described as an activator, an energizer, a

releasor, an accelerator and a transformer. It works on aU levels of our being-

-physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual-to create harmony and balance.

Reiki works independentiy of any behef system.

Reiki is not dependent on a massage therapy background, and can be

done independentiy of such experience. As a certified first degree Reiki

practitioner ,and I would hke to explain this technique with more detaU. I

ahgn my practice of Reiki with Dr. Mikao Usui, originator of the Usui Reiki

System of Natural Healing (Rand, 1991).

Reiki is not a skiU that is learned, but is more hke an "attunemenf

which is passed on fix)m master to student. Any willing person may obtain

the Reiki attunements from a master. The lineage to which I belong only

recognizes three degrees. First degree is energy work which is only activated

through direct contact, or within a few inches of the practitioner's hands and

the redpient. Second degree aUows Reiki energy to be sent across time and

space. Third degree is mastership and the level in which a person may pass

on the Reiki system to others. Each degree is accompanied by certain symbols

which are like formulas. This is what is meant by "attunements". A student

is introduced and "attuned" to the symbol(s) for that degree and then is able to

activate the energy that resonates from that level. My greatest

understanding of the importance of symbols came to me when I understood

49

them as formulas. Activating and working with Reiki is merely an act of

intent. It is that simple, if my intent is for Reiki to flow, then Reiki flows.

In a Reiki treatment, the chent remains dotiied and sits or hes down in

a comfortable position while the practitioner places his/her hands on the

dient's body in prescribed positions. There are twelve positions, which are

commonly referred to as energy centers or chakras. These centers of the body

directiy correspond to the major glands of the body and the organs assodated

with those glands. A fiiU treatment that covers aU twelve chakras serves to

balance the hormonal functioning of the body (Rand, 1991).

Reiki is also very effective when apphed directiy to trouble spots, such

as bruises, bums, broken bones, etc. Reiki apphed directiy wUl accelerate the

healing process and reduce pain. It is not absolutely necessary that the area

in need be directiy treated because Reiki works by its own inteUigence and

goes where it is needed most. If a practitioner leaves his/her hands upon the

chent long enough, the dient's entire body wUl become fiUed with the Reiki

energy. Depending on the practitioner and the dient. Reiki energy is felt in

different ways. To some, it feels very warm; to others, it could be cold; some

may tingle or pulsate, whUe others have no obvious sensations (Rand, 1991).

The effects of Reiki can be very subtie, ehdting a relaxed meditative

state, or the results can be more dramatic. Some Reiki practitioners of my

acquaintance attribute miraculous results to some of their sessions. One

woman, who wiU be given the name Mary, had been working on a cat for

several months. The cat was previously in a degenerative health state from

cancerous tumors in its brain. After several months of continuous work, the

tumors eventuaUy worked their way out to the cat's nasal passages, where the

tumors could be removed.

The important thing to understand here is that Reiki is not an

egocentric type of bodywork. The practitioner is not the source of the energy

and is not doing the heahng. The practitioner is the conduit for the energy to

50

flow into him/her, out through his/her hands, and into the body of the chent.

Reiki is only as effective as the chent aUows it to be. Reiki fadhtates the

body's own natural abUity to heal itself as do most of the altemative healing

approaches.

This chapter has been induded because Reiki work involves physical,

mental, emotional and spiritual experiences within a treatment.

n

X Figure 5. 1st Degree Reiki Symbol

51

CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSION

Massage therapy incorporates mind/body interaction through physical

manipulation of tissues that have direct ties to mental faculties. When a

person receives massage therapy, the direct physical contad simultaneously

activates this connection. This viewpoint is prevalent among practitioners in

the altemative health arena. I behove it would be hard not to accept the

connection between mind, body and spirit when performing body work such

as massage therapy. During my massage training, the trainees were taught

about the physical composition of the body and tissues and how to manipulate

musdes to promote healing and relaxation. My training also prepared me for

the emotional and mental releases that so often come with physical release.

This information does not come firom a bunch of crystal rubbing star gazers,

but from the knowledge and understanding of the interconnection among

mind, body and spirit. As a result of my study and research for this thesis,

espedaUy concerning connective tissue, tissue memory and hands-on

experience, there is no doubt in my mind as to the powerfiil connection that

exists between these areas. The connections are as simple or complex as the

person.

I find that, when people are not ready to let go of old emotions and

pain, the knots in the fasda are equaUy as stubborn and resistive. I also find

that a simple phrase such as "your body is resisting therapy" can have a

powerfid impact on people's states of mind. It can also bring them to a doser

awareness of their trouble spots and possible non-physical components to the

problem. Massage therapists are not psychologists, and the job being

performed should not cross professional boundaries, but there is an extremely

dose and personal relationship that may be present between and dient and

therapist, and I thmk it is important that the therapist have sensitivity and

awareness regarding what may be going on. Obviously, state boards of health

52

feel the same, or they would not indude mind^ody interaction in the massage

curriculum. The importance of referral is also part of a student's training.

When in doubt, refer out. Anytime a situation is beyond a therapist's scope of

practice, the therapist is expected to refer a dient to the proper health care

practitioner. (Isn't networking wonderful?)

I would hke to share a story about a dient that came to see me with

sdatic nerve trouble. I was in the process of working her lower back, sacrum

and glutes when she began to question out loud possible reasons for the

sdatic flare up. She could not think of any strenuous activity or exercise that

might have triggered it. She mentioned to me that she was in the process of

deansing her colon with dietary supplementation and hydrodonics. I said to

her that it was my understanding from information that I have read about

colon deansing that the colon is said to be the "seat of emotions" and that

during a deanse the body rids itself of more than just toxic waste. During

fasts and deanses, a powerful healing process is activated, whidi imder

normal eating habits is otherwise not possible. She became quiet and said,

"You know, I bet the reason that my sdatic nerve acted up is due to a stress

response I learned as a httle girl when my father used to abusivdy spank me

until I was 14. I would dench my bottom in fear and antidpation every time

he would approach me. Now that I think about it, when I am under heavy

stress, I dench my bottom in the same manner. I have been under a smaU

amount of stress at work, and this may be a combination of psychological

factors and deansing releases." I was amazed at the darity with which she

detaUed her situation, and coinddentaUy (as if there is such a thing), the

sdatic nerve pain stopped.

I have had chents who have the "a-ha" experience at the same time a

big fasdal knot breaks up and dissolves. I am careful not to analyze a

situation or su r e s t why something is happening, but I find these experiences

53

to be so wonderful and amazing that I look forward to contributing to others

in their healing processes.

The research that I have put into this thesis has laid the groundwork

for the profession I have chosen. I would not have known how much if I had

not entered the field of massage therapy prior to completion of this paper.

The experience and work that I have compUed to this point have made it

possible for me to look at some of my original viewpoints and see how dose or

far I was. I can see my growth and maturity in so many areas, and I am

thankful to be in a position that aUows me to help others as weU as myself

54

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