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system to counteract the pull of the scoliosis and to supplement treatment. 2. CREATE AN ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY A key element to working with special needs children is to form a working alliance with the parents or other family members (grandparents are great allies). Having family members replicate some of our session work at home is a critical component for success. The repetition of interventions deepens the repatterning process on multiple levels, from bone to neurology. When protocols are reiterated daily, the body finds a new way of being and has difficulty reverting to obsessive and destructive patterns that are historically ingrained. By educating and empowering parents to treat their children and be an integral part of the process, you give them the tools to affect change. Cathy was able to utilize those tools during an outing with Sophie and some other children to a museum. The experience was starting to overstimulate Sophie, and her body protested loudly that she could not tolerate so much input. Cathy took Sophie aside and proceeded to use the calming techniques I had taught her. Within minutes, Sophie's nervous system came to peace and she was able to enjoy the rest of the day with her family and friends instead of heading into a full emotional and physical meltdown. The reenforcement of treatment at home creates a seamless fabric of lifestyle change that wraps the nervous system in a glove of harmony, smoothing away the wrinkles of distortion from internal and external stressors. When children are exposed frequently to new coping mechanisms, their awareness of the behavioral options available to them expands exponentially. This is sensory and kinesthetic learning and it speaks dramatically to their growing minds and bodies. They are no longer Subtle Energy Interventions These suggestions are for massage therapists and all healthcare practitioners, as Clearing the Mind Hold the base of the occiput with one hand and cover the forehead with the palm of the other hand. This settles the mind and keeps it from jumping around like a mischievous monkey. Cradling the Ankles The practitioner places one finger on the outside of the ankle and another finger on the inside of the ankle, just under the ankle bone. Thus the ankles are cradled in the practitioner's hands. This relaxes contracted muscles while simultaneously balancing adrenal function. This application is helpful for overtired muscles and overtired bodies that cannot wind down or soften to rest. All four fingers will resonate with therapeutic pulse. The Integrator Restlessness of all kinds, including jittery, jerky body movements can be soothed by holding the base of the big toe while simultaneously holding just below the wrist bone. This can be done easily by standing or sitting first on one side and then on the other side of the recipient's body. Holding these areas stimulates integration between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, sending a signal of coherence to the nervous system. The Oval This application is particularly effective for adolescents. Ask the recipient to rest in a comfortable position. Direct him or her to envision an oval of protective and balanced energy that moves down the front of the body and up the back. Beginning at the top of the head, use a calm voice to guide awareness slowly from the forehead to the toes, halting wherever there is resistance or obstacles, staying with the resistance until it releases, and proceeding down the front of the body to the big toes. Then energy moves up the back of the body in two lines, from the base of each big toe, all the way up the back to the top of the head where energy then cascades again down the front. This oval of energy is continuous. It is aligned with the breath that helps the circulation of the protective field. This can be done for as long as necessary. It is an excellent way to fall asleep and is also a sure cure for panic and over-activation under stressful circumstances. Palming the Calves The practitioner places the palms of her hands on the calves of the young client's legs. This stimulates a deepening of the breath and an overall sensation of calm and ease. The practitioner may feel a resonant pulse building in the palms of her hands. well as parents and other family members. There are no contraindications for any of these treatments and they can be done for as long as both therapist and recipient are comfortable. These interventions can also be used as self-care practices. connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 37