Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68175
VIEW THE DIGITAL EDITION AT MASSAGEANDBODYWORK.COM TO SEE A VIDEO CLIP DEMONSTRATING THIS TECHNIQUE. 1A.1 1A.2 1A.3 STROKES 1A.1, 1A.2, AND 1A.3: The dominant hand begins by moving perpendicularly over the anterior foot, turning with fingers pointing proximally as the palm engages the foot. The hand then scoops laterally and moves distally alongside the fifth metatarsal until the fingertips are in their original starting position. wealth of subjects with which to perfect the new technique. It has now been approximately 10 years since that initial experience and I still use antianxiety foot massage for client pain and anxiety today. THEORY BEHIND THE WORK Antianxiety foot massage was inspired by Lloyd Glauberman's pioneering use of Hypnoperipheral Processing, a form of dual induction sensory overload. Glauberman's technique utilizes two stories that play simultaneously, one in each ear; the second story is delayed in time by approximately one minute or so. Initially, the person attempts to listen to both or tries to concentrate on just one, but fails as the logical part of the mind becomes overloaded, after which a deep state of relaxation ensues. It was the delayed overlapping and simultaneous delivery that inspired me to create a touch-related counterpart. To induce hypnosis, overload techniques are often employed to confuse the mind. With these techniques, the key is to overload a person's normal processing rate, thereby creating a level of confusion. The main intent is to disengage a person from willing herself to do anything, to disable her from having a fixed conscious process occurring, both of which usually limit trance development. The techniques used to promote disorientation can be temporal referents, external or internal spatial referents, surreal imagery, conceptual disorientation, and/or verbal overloading. Perhaps the most crucial element involves the delivery style. Special attention must be made to utilizing a style that is meaningful enough to simultaneously develop and maintain a person's attention. The effectiveness of these techniques comes from the inability to let go of constant thinking. Since touch has not traditionally been involved in producing a hypnotic- like state, it is interesting to consider what the mechanism of induction entails. Basically, the practitioner absorbs a person's attention with the initial stroke sequence that culminates in the addition of the second hand, providing a similar pattern that is delayed in time, much like a musical canon or echo. Confusion is instilled by directing their attention to the changing patterns, always followed by the second hand. This plays with each brain hemisphere, dominant and nondominant. The delivery style maintains a slow, rhythmic pulse that must be captivating. This level of interest is enhanced by subtle and gradual changes in touch elements corresponding to area, texture, 1B STROKE 1B: Once the dominant hand has completed the aforementioned series, the nondominant hand then begins to mimic the same stroke as the dominant hand continues. It begins, however, once Stroke 1A is nearing completion with the dominant hand, as it moves distally toward its original starting position. It should appear as a visual musical canon, one hand always following the other, a half step behind. This is repeated a minimum of 10 times. connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 55