Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/87297
ENERGY WORK true story experience without judgment. This places the practitioner in the position of witness, the most powerful gift we can give to our clients. In the silent space of acceptance and witnessing, clients often experience insights into their lives, including any unfinished business. As a therapist, you must also examine how you feel about interacting with a terminally ill person. Have you considered your own beliefs around death and dying? Are you fearful of dying? Have you recently experienced a loss? Are you able to interact without judgment? Can you work in an environment that may be emotionally charged? Are you able to function as part of a team, caring for someone and handing off the pieces that are better handled by another team member? Self-care for the therapist is vital during this process. Working with clients with whom we resonate can stimulate our own issues. Having Anna C. Palmer, RN, RPP, RPE, is certified in hospice and palliative care nursing, and has been a student and practitioner of energy healing since 1995. She is an instructor of polarity therapy at the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit www.dragonflypolarity.com or email annacpalmer@yahoo.com. Edith was 94 years old and had suffered from depression for most of her adult life. I was invited to her home to help her with sleeplessness. I did foot reflexology and worked with the long lines of her body to open the chakra center that expresses the element of water and tends to be blocked when we experience depression and sadness. At the end of her session, Edith commented how wonderful she was feeling; her chronic feelings of depression had lifted. I later found out from her son that for the remaining two weeks of her life, Edith's depressed feelings did not return. someone to talk to, receiving bodywork, and establishing rituals to clear yourself before and after a session are some ways to maintain care for yourself in what may be a very emotionally charged situation. Polarity therapy is a gentle and effective modality for working with clients at the end of life. As therapists, we know that health is always present in the body. Working within a hospice setting offers an intimate, rewarding experience of supporting the natural processes of life as our clients let go of the physical body. Polarize the following areas: • Hold the tips of the toes and polarize Great Toe to Great Toe, Second Toe to Second Toe, Third Toe to Third Toe, Fourth Toe to Fourth Toe, and Fifth Toe to Fifth Toe. • Contact cuboid bones on both feet and hold for one minute. • Hold both heels in the palms of your hands for one to several minutes. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 113