Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68165
THE PRINCIPLES OF COMFORT TOUCH The therapist applies broad, even pressure to the back of the client. BROAD The fifth principle of Comfort Touch is broad. In general, contact is made with broad, even pressure. This optimizes the feelings of soothing warmth, comfort, and connection. While the pressure may be firm, the broadness of contact prevents the likelihood of injury or discomfort. Let the entire surface of your hand make uniformly even contact with the client's body. Imagine your hand is melting into the person's body. Your primary contact with the client's body is through your palms, with the digits gently wrapping or resting on the body. As you touch different body parts, adjust your contact so that it is as broad as possible. "Listening" with the palms of your hands, your contact is deliberate and firm, never pinching, poking, or ticklish. Image 5 demonstrates the use of broad, contact pressure on the back of the client. ENCOMPASSING The sixth principle of Comfort Touch is encompassing. Let your touch surround the part of the body you are touching. Be aware of the space between your hands. Hold the person in that space. While this principle describes a technique, it also describes an attitude. Encompassing touch contributes to a feeling of wholeness and connection. The giver of Comfort Touch holds a nurturing presence, which allows the client to feel cared for and acknowledged as a worthwhile human being. As you touch your client with both hands, let your hands conform to the shape of each part of the body. For example, as you hold the person's hand between your own, let your hands wrap around that hand, molding to its shape. Likewise, as you hold the person's arm, your hands wrap around the arm, applying an even, broad pressure as they conform to the shape of the arm (Image 6, page 53). "It possesses a simple beauty since it articulates not just a method, but a way of being with those in physical, emotional, or spiritual distress." Patrick Davis, MA, LMT When touching a large area, such as the back, let your touch acknowledge the shapes and contours of the body. One client described it this way: "It is like receiving a hug to every part of the body." Encompassing touch conveys a feeling of acknowledgment, safety, and support, in much the same way a parent would hold a child (Image 7, page 53). Exercise 4. Giving, Receiving Comfort Touch (into center, broad, and encompassing) Practice this exercise with a partner. Let your partner sit in a chair. Place a chair beside your partner and sit so you are facing your partner's side. With your thumbs parallel and pointing upward, wrap your hands around your connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 51