Filed under: Graduate Testimonials
 by Juliana Santillanes
Touch is the mother of all senses and is the most receptive sense. In her book Touch, Tiffany Field describes how touch is the earliest sensory system to develop in all animal species. The same embryonic cells that build the nervous system, spinal cord and the brain also give rise to the layers of skin, which is highly developed when the human embryo is less than an inch long at two months gestation. Touch signals take an immediate path to the brain and travel faster than pain signals. This is why even in ancient times the use of heat, ice, and rubbing have all been applied to override physical pain and to relieve discomfort. Tiffany Field quotes the Dictionary of the Russian Language: “In reality all senses can be reduced to one- the sense of touch. The tongue and palate sense the food; the ear, sound waves; the nose, emanation; the eyes, rays of light.” Touch is more recently becoming a focus for in depth studies as it and the skin have been overlooked on a large scale for so many generations. Now western science is waking up to the tremendous benefits of touch in human development, and the necessity to stimulate and care for the body’s largest organ: the skin. People of all ages significantly benefit from therapeutic touch and nurturing skin-to-skin contact. If we look to most indigenous cultures in Africa, Asia, India and South America we see rich examples of the benefits and daily practice of skin-to-skin contact with infants, pregnant women, children, adolescents, adults and elders. The huge fear in our country of inappropriate touch leads to a lack of safe and loving touch. By taking extreme measures to assure no one is touched inappropriately, few are openly being touched in a healthy and positive way. Frances Carlson articulates this dilemma: “What I think we don’t understand in this culture is that withholding touch from children from fear is as physically and emotionally harmful to children as harmful touch is.” In our western society of ‘untouchables’ we are slowly breaking out of the narrow mindset and shaped reality that touch is either violent or sexual. Touch is almost a bad word in our culture, and most people are so afraid of a lawsuit that they are cautious about any touch at all and impose rigid boundaries. Meanwhile, babies are not being held or picked up to be comforted, teachers are not allowed to touch, hug and embrace their students, and even in some daycares there is a ‘no touch’ policy. This has a major influence on how those babies develop and how well they are able to thrive if not in an affectionate, secure and safe environment. Senior citizens also suffer from a lack of skin-to-skin contact, as they are not often touched in retirement homes or hospice care. In fact, they are shown very little respect compared to many other cultures where the elderly are held in the highest esteem and reverence. When touch is most needed and beneficial it is not readily and naturally available in our country, especially for the very young and the very old. Touch is essential in each stage of human development, from the very first moments of life through to the last. Lifespan massage supports a person as she moves through many stages and is delivered to the next phase of growth and opportunity. I will be addressing some of the main stages in a lifetime and how each greatly benefits from touch, beginning with life in the womb. In her book Vital Touch, Sharon Heller writes: “Even before the fetus can hear, the vibrations of the mother’s heartbeat creates a gentle rhythmic pulsation of movement against the fetus’s skin.” One study shows that the fetus responds to touch stimulation as early as twenty weeks when the mother’s feet are massaged. Another source researching human development reported that the embryo begins to display whole body reflex movements in response to touch at five weeks and is less than an inch long. As I place my hands on the mother’s sacrum in the first weeks of her pregnancy, I embrace and meet the life inside. As the baby grows and slowly descends toward the birth canal, my open palm slowly compresses the base of the spine and engages the head of the conscious and active baby within the womb. Both mom and baby share the same nervous system, the same level of stress hormones, the same breathing and so on. Massage supports both systems to calm and find a shared balance as their two heartbeats bounce off one another, never ceasing to communicate. The baby and mom both benefit from touch during the pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period, as those are the first stages of the infant’s life and the woman’s entrance into motherhood. When a pregnant woman receives prenatal massage she is able to be present to herself and her growing baby, and finds relief from most physical and emotional discomforts she experiences. While taking deep, full breaths as she receives educated nurturing touch, the woman’s hormones begin to balance and her systems move in the direction of homeostasis. A pregnant woman has very high levels of estrogen, levels comparable to one hundred years menstruation all at once. She must gain a clear perspective and seek balance in a time of extreme fluctuation and growth as her body supports new life. I have observed a huge range of circumstances, as each woman and each baby are unique. I have observed some clients who feel more balanced during pregnancy than at any other time in their lives: less headaches, better sleep, lots of energy, consistently happy and good feelings all around. Other clients have trouble walking, trouble eating, moving, sleeping and even smiling. No matter the complications or circumstances of the pregnancy, whether they are thrilled or devastated to be pregnant, I have observed one common thing- touch helps comfort and support women as they move through the incredible dynamics of their pregnancies, whether it is for the first time or the tenth time. When a pregnant woman is stressed, the blood flows out towards her limbs instead of to her heart and uterus directly affecting the vitality of her baby. Massage helps support optimal circulation, digestion, and sleep by calming the nervous system and supporting the physiology of gestation. The baby learns to relax and discover peace in the womb as his mother receives a nurturing therapeutic massage. Not only does prenatal massage promote relaxation, it contributes to shorter, less painful labors by reducing complications, medications and interventions, including the need for epidurals and cesarean sections. Massage continues to support both the mom and her baby during the labor and then after the birth, as the mom enters the postpartum period and the baby is adjusting to new life outside of the womb. The touch that benefits the mom in turn directly benefits the baby during all three stages- prenatal, labor and postpartum. Studies show that receiving postpartum massage helps rebalance the woman’s body and hormones after pregnancy, reducing postpartum depression and anxiety. Prenatal and perinatal touch also improves infant well-being by encouraging nurturing maternal touch. Infants thrive when their caregivers learn to communicate with them nonverbally through their first language: touch. Learning infant massage has tremendous benefits for both the baby and his parents, and creates a foundation for a life long bond that continues to evolve. All babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact, no matter what the baby’s particular situation is during the pregnancy, birth and first weeks of life. Infant massage helps strengthen and regulate the baby’s circulation, breathing, digestion, and nervous system. Infant massage creates the foundation for the baby to bond and have a secure attachment to one or more caregivers, which ultimately helps him develop into a strong, confident and independent person. Premature and drug exposed babies have the most significant number of benefits from touch because they need extra care and support, but even the healthiest of babies greatly benefit from skin-to-skin contact. A 1980’s study conducted in Florida by Tiffany Field, showed that “stimulated pre-term neonates averaged a 47% greater weight gain per day, were more active and alert during sleep/wake behavior observation, and showed more mature habituation, orientation, motor and range of state behavior on the Brazelton scale than control infants.” Sometimes, premature infants can only tolerate a hold where a palm touches their body without movement, whereas others can eventually handle a more rigorous full body massage that lasts 10-15 minutes. These babies involved in the touch study were discharged from the NICU several days sooner and their quality of life greatly improved, yet despite these results that particular hospital did not adopt the program. Infant massage offers a new approach to communicate love between parent and baby. If a baby is colicky or inconsolable for long periods of time, this can frustrate his mother to the point that she begins to feel helpless and sinks into depression and exhaustion. Certain massage techniques and routines can help relieve the baby and prevent colic symptoms; likewise it helps empower the mom to have a strategy to help her infant. Infant massage is a wonderful time for mothers and fathers to bond with their newborn with loving touch and eye contact and to learn to respond to the baby’s cues of engagement or disengagement. Touch in the first stages of life lay the foundation of learning as well as how one gives and receives healthy, positive touch through out one’s lifetime- as a child, adult, parent and so on. Children need touch and cannot survive without it. When children learn and experience healthy touch, it is both empowering and beneficial. Hans Axelson developed the Peaceful Touch program in Stockholm, Sweden over fifteen years ago, which integrates healthy touch into preschools and elementary classrooms. Axelson developed this program based on research which revealed that “nurturing touch for children elicits a similar response as breast-feeding does in babies, releasing oxytocin, the feel-good ‘cuddle hormone’, which promotes empathy, calmness and concentration.” Oxytocin also facilitates social interaction and cognition. After teachers have been trained in the Peaceful Touch program they are able to introduce touch to their students, and daily practice how to lovingly touch each other with awareness and respect. Many studies have shown that healthy touch decreases aggression and anxiety in young children, which is observed both at home with parents and siblings, as well as in the classroom with their teachers and peers. The Peaceful Touch revolution has inspired many similar programs to develop all over the world, and it has been adopted in most preschools in Sweden and parts of Europe. The Peaceful Touch program teaches children about boundaries and the importance of showing respect through their hands, which leads to less hostility and frustration, and invites a calm attentiveness. Children need to be touched and if they do not have positive, healthy touch in their lives they will replace it with more negative forms of touch. In an article titled ‘Reducing Aggression with Touch’, Frances Carlson states: “The need for touch is as valid a need as the need for food and water…When children are aggressive, other children will often return the aggressive touch. It may hurt, but it fills the role of skin-to-skin contact.” It is critical that children are given a choice about touch. Even with infants, their massage begins by asking permission by making eye contact and cooing sounds with the baby. Massage is not something that you do to someone, but with them. Frances Carlson later writes: “Any touch given a child should also be welcomed by the child. Children have a right to their own bodies and the privilege to accept or reject touch as each sees fit.” Throughout the massage children are encouraged to check in with themselves about what feels good or unpleasant, and are encouraged to communicate their experience. Babies are also communicating about which strokes they like or dislike, and it is a matter of his parent reading and hearing his non-verbal cues. Children in the Peaceful Touch program are learning to use their voice and be in control of their own bodies. In doing so, they are empowered and more in tune and aware of their bodies and boundaries. In a 2007 MTJ article written about Axelson, they say the results are clear: “Healthy touch helps foster attachment; decrease aggression, depression and anxiety; and helps children identify healthy touch so they are less vulnerable to abuse and less likely to be prematurely sexually active.” These results continue to benefit these children as they grow into adolescents and young adults and are discovering a wider independence and opportunity to make choices. Touch continues to improve the growing child’s communication among parents, friends and teachers. Adolescents sometimes have difficulty understanding and being understood, and touch has shown to be a healthy form of communication and path towards clarity. Studies have shown that teenagers who are aggressive, bulimic or who have attention deficit disorder greatly benefit from regular massage. Healthy touch helps balance the fluctuating emotions as well as calm and regulate unbalanced systems. Massage helps calm a busy mind and nourishes both body and emotions as a person grows and consciously attempts balance in light of life’s unpredictable ebb and flow. As women continue to evolve and surpass their childbearing years, they enter a new stage of life: menopause. I have heard that men also go through a kind of menopause as well, but for the sake of simplicity I will be writing about women. Moryt Milo writes in her article entitled: Massage Eases the Journey Through Menopause, that: “Women worldwide are turning to natural, healthy solutions for the physical changes and discomforts that accompany menopause. Massage relieves anxiety, irritability and fatigue; lessons the pain of headaches, cramps and tension; and helps women reconnect to their bodies and honor the profound changes they experience during this phase of their lives.” The power of touch never weakens or loses vitality as a means to naturally support and acknowledge change. One report stated that up to four thousand women a day enter menopause, and to counter the traditional western solution offering hormonal supplements, anti-depressants and sleeping pills, others are offering and requesting the primitive solution: touch. The greater a woman’s stress, the greater are her menopausal symptoms. Massage addresses a wide spectrum when it comes to relieving perimenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms, while certain pharmaceuticals address one or maybe two symptoms yet include a list of side effects. Touch facilitates relaxation and communication and has shown to help people achieve higher quality of rest and well being throughout the process of aging. In some cultures the elders are held in the highest esteem and shown deep respect, which is not the reality or tradition of our American culture. There is a lot of depression among our elders, which Tiffany Field relates to touch deprivation. In her book Touch, Field goes on to write about studies done with senior citizens, or as she calls them: volunteer ‘grandparents’. “They first massaged the infants for a month, and then received massages for a month… these grandparent volunteers benefited more from giving massages than from receiving the massages. Their emotional states and their self esteem improved, as did their lifestyle habits, including drinking fewer cups of coffee per day, making more social phone calls, and taking fewer trips to the doctor’s office.” Even senior citizens who have a small lap dog or cat to pet are less depressed due to the consistent touch that is mutually enjoyed. Field goes on to say that the volunteer grandparents felt more useful and valuable for being able to help and show love to abused infants. They are more valued and feel valuable when touch becomes apart of their lifestyle verses feeling unwanted and helpless. The benefits of touch are unending and continue to support life in all stages. The benefits at any one stage of life apply to the other stages, offering comfort and relief from tension and pain in body, mind and heart. No matter the situation, the stress and contentment, the change and transformation, the healing quality of touch will honor both giver and receiver and sustain a more loving and affectionate culture. What an honor and human right to touch and be touched. You may contact Julianna at References *Field, Tiffany: Touch *Heller, Sharon: The Vital Touch *Cutler, Nicole: How Massage Eases Menopausal Symptoms Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies July 2007 Article *Milo, Moryt: Massage Eases the Journey Through Menopause Massage Magazine 2001 *Carlson, Frances & Nelson, Bryan: Reducing Aggression with Touch Dimensions of Early Childhood Fall 2006 *Fall 2007 Massage Therapy Journal Article on Peaceful Touch |
Filed under: Graduate Testimonials
by Juliana Santillanes I moved back to Alaska soon after graduating from the Scherer Institute over two years ago with the Class of Adventure. I remember my first introduction to prenatal massage with Elizabeth Rose and feeling my heart being pulled. I became certified a year later in Bodywork for the Childbearing Year with Kate Jordan and began my focused study on pregnancy. Soon after that I began working at the Anchorage Women’s Clinic in one of the main hospitals in Alaska. The OBGYN clinic adopted the massage therapy program along with counseling services a couple of years ago to offer a more complete healthcare package to their patients. I have had the opportunity to further develop the massage therapy program, and in the last eight months the clinic supported me to pursue two more certifications: one in Pre and Perinatal Massage Therapy with Carol Osborne Sheets, and to become an Infant Massage Instructor through the Loving Touch Program. In addition to working with pregnant clients and teaching parents infant massage, my practice continues to expand to include a variety other patients of the clinic. These include teenagers, pre and postmenopausal women, women who suffer from depression and anxiety as well as the employees and medical staff of the clinic. My fellow Scherer graduate, Monica Garcia moved up to Alaska a year ago. She recently started doing massage at the South Central Foundation, a nonprofit out patient acute care clinic affiliated with the Alaska Native Medical Center. The South Central Foundation’s vision is a native community that enjoys emotional, physical, mental and spiritual wellness. With a team of acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists, Monica works exclusively with Native Alaskans and American Indians. Their goal is to provide high quality care, and to empower their patients to take responsibility for their own health by providing health education classes, and a wellness center that offers exercise programs, yoga and pilates to help meet the needs of the individual. We are both in rare positions to provide healing quality touch in medical settings, and our respective clinics support continuing education and provide full benefits. Scherer graduates have a unique opportunity to guide the direction of massage therapy in Alaska, and to offer healing quality of touch to a diverse and open culture. Even thousands of miles away, we continue to feel the love and support of Scherer, and recognize the unique quality of our education. Monica and I work with a diverse clientele of people who are new to touch, and we feel that Scherer gave us the skills and sensitivity to establish a connection and build trust. The immense beauty of the land, mountains and water feeds our inspiration and supports a healthy lifestyle. Massage therapy is in its early stages of development up here and could greatly benefit from the loving touch and leadership of Scherer Graduates. Anchorage is an international city and there are wonderful opportunities in many directions, including working in rural and urban environments. We hope to continue to strengthen the connection between the land of enchantment and the land of opportunity. |
Filed under: Graduate Testimonials
Kim Gibbs is a 2008 graduate from the full-time massage certification program at Scherer. She has gone on to assist in many of the bodywork classes, reaching senior assistant status in the Connective Tissue Bodywork. Kim is also the Outreach Coordinator for Scherer’s community volunteer massage program. In everything she does at the school, Kim is a talented inspiration to students and staff here at the school.
It hardly seems possible that it’s been two years since my massage career began at the Scherer Institute.
As an older student, I felt challenged by the idea of heading back to school. One of my considerations in deciding which school to pick was the performance of a school’s graduates, not only on the National Certification Examination, but in their professional practices. I felt I needed all the help I could get academically and as a professional therapist in business for myself. The pass-rate was impressive, obviously, but more important to me was how the school maintained positive relationships and referrals with its graduates. My choice was clear and I was on my way, application in hand.
While at Scherer, I was introduced to many different modalities (Polarity, Shiatsu, Healing Quality of Touch, Cranial Sacral, Reflexology, Swedish Massage, and Connective Tissue Bodywork) that have helped me find a focus in what I have continued to study and incorporate in my work today.
The structure of the academic courses allowed me to really understand the material based on my individual learning style which was a tremendous help. The instructors supported and also inspired me to keep learning more and to be constantly curious while honoring the wholeness of each person, the best gift ever!
Looking back at this extraordinary education, I wonder how it was possible to receive so much information and rich experience in six months at Scherer. Of course I wanted more and have continued to be involved with the school as an teaching assistant ,tutor and Outreach Coordinator. Each day I feel gratitude in having the opportunity to remain involved with Scherer’s misson and legacy.
Santa Fe School of Massage - formerly known as Scherer Institute of Natural Healing 