by Glenn R. Swift
Sometimes we just need a hug or a pat on the back to get us through a difficult time. The comfort of another person extending a hand can change our sad feelings into positive thoughts. When stress and fear overwhelm our minds, we can reach for another person for support. What happens when we receive devastating news of a cancer diagnosis? Can a fleeting human connection uplift our soul from an abyss of emotions and pain?
A strong bond does exist between our emotional health and our physical selves. An individual can transfer positive energy to a person in a weakened state. The power of the healing touch enforces the connection to the mind, body and spirit. A local organization of volunteers uses this human connection to help women treated for breast cancer navigate their journey to a cure.
Healing Touch Buddies, Inc. (www.healingtouchbuddies.com) is a nonprofit network of practitioners certified in the healing touch techniques. The certified volunteers assist women in relaxation and support before surgery and directly afterward. Education and instruction are provided to women to sustain themselves with the benefits of healing touch therapy through the radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
The healing touch is considered complimentary care to standard medical practices. A form of energy medicine, healing touch helps restore harmony and balance to the mind body and spirit. The whole body is treated with the goal of increasing the body’s ability to self-heal and to cope with stress when weakened by trauma. Imbalances occur when the body is subjected to the stress of a cancer diagnosis; the subsequent trauma of surgery; and the companion treatment of radiation and chemotherapy.
On a technical level, the imbalances disrupt the human energy field or chakras. A chakra is a focal point for the reception and transmission of energies in traditional Indian medicine. The healing touch is used on and around the chakras and major organs in the body to manipulate the energy into a balanced state. An imbalance in the human energy field can produce anxiety and depression. In Western medicine, we know that adverse physiological changes can lead to impaired immunity, increased pain levels and ultimately a slowed recovery.
For more information about Healing Touch Buddies services or to inquire about sponsorship, please contact Betty Ann Baker at (561) 741-1671 or email at: htbuddiesinc@cs.com.