12/03/2024
This is what I have been saying for years about bodywork and healing. As a Massage therapist I will not force myself into someone's tissue until it invites me in and as a yoga teacher I teach to slow down and move with feeling not force.We know that the nervous system governs our general state of being, yet the physical body is often neglected in the recovery process of trauma and chronic stress. 😰
Without internal safety, the mental & emotional components of recovery can destabilise the nervous system quickly and internal safety is almost impossible to find when you are chronically stressed or living with trauma. 🌪️
The scientific word for internal safety is homeostasis and one of the quickest ways to induce it is through physical touch with specific qualities. 👐
Deep in the layers of our tissue (fascial tissue), we have touch receptors (called mechanoreceptors) that when stimulated, can powerfully induce homeostasis by activating our parasympathetic nervous system. 🧬
The most recent scientific research tells us that the 4 qualities of touch that most effectively stimulate these touch receptors are slow, deep, wide & “shearing” (which we practically translate as oblique with “high-tack” contact, or in other words, pressure delivered on an angle with mild friction).
When the mind and nervous system is in overdrive with no off-switch or end in sight, bodywork and massage is a lifeline.
When used correctly, touch can be a powerful form of medicine. ❤️🩹 ~ Sarga Bodywork
