The more I learn about touch therapies, the more I see that the intention behind the touch is as powerful, or more so, than the exact location of the touch. Whether it’s the more informed touch of acupressure, or the caring hand on the shoulder of a loved one, touch is both validating and healing.
I had just returned home from a seminar in California, in the summer of 1986, when a patient scheduled who needed the best of what I had just learned in the four day course. I was anxious about remembering it all and getting it right, so I gave the instructor, Paul Dennison, a call and expressed my concerns. After he reminded me of what I already knew, his wise counsel was, “Just do it with love”.
‘Just do it with love’, what a concept? When we bring a loving intention to any form of therapeutic touch, it always works better. Less head, more heart.
Love is a biological signal. John Lennon, said it a bit differently, but the gist is that love is essential and it transforms. When we touch with love …. and patience, and respect …. our heart produces an electromagnetic signal that communicates safety to ourselves and to those in our care. The HeartMath Institute can measure that signal to about seven feet.
The power of touching in a conscious way that signals safety, whether it’s self-help acupressure, Energy Psychology tapping, or some other subtle energy technique, is that ‘safety’ is the signal to the rest of the system that we can now turn off our defenses and turn on our healing responses.
Conscious touch is an epigenetic signal that leads to more desirable biochemical and emotional balance. Since the effects are cumulative it’s best to be regular in your practice. So let go, trust in the process, and ‘do it with love’.
Dr. Templin offers online courses and consultations, and sees patients personally in his office in Lakeland, Florida. You can learn more about his course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! here.
Steven Templin, D.O.M., Dipl. Ac., is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, specializing in MindBody Medicine. He is a certified META-Medicine Health Coach and nationally certified acupuncturist. He shares the underlying science and more importantly, the practical tools for resolving the unconscious energetic and emotional roots of illness. In his online course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! he provides training in Self-Regulation skills, that include Bio-Energetic Focusing, HeartMath and Energy Psychology techniques, Energy Medicine modalities, and Gastrointestinal repair for enhanced immunity, mood, and mental clarity. Dr. Templin is in private practice in Lakeland, Florida, at the Natural Medicine Center of Lakeland.
Steve is a retired Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, and HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner with over 35 years of clinical experience in Energy Medicine, Energy Psychology, and Biofeedback.