By Suzette Hodnett, M.S

A Gallup poll asked Americans what they wanted the most. One answer dominated the list: “A happy family life.” But in our high-tech and fast-paced society, we are often disconnected from those we love the most, making the wish for a happy family life more difficult to realize.

Stress is no longer an occasional event but a way of life. Our lives run “pedal to the metal,” often stuck in high gear. Husbands and wives have become strangers in their own homes. Divorce is on the rise. Some children turn to drugs. Others, juggling activities and homework, suffer from stress-related disorders. How do we reverse this strong current of tension and disconnect amid our fast and furious lives?

Could it be that the answer to our modern dilemma is as old as time itself? Touch Communications Home Massage says “YES” and is bringing massage—the oldest healing therapy known to man—back into our daily lives.

To achieve a happy family life, experts agree that we need to communicate with each other more, not only via our speech but also with the healing vocabulary of loving touch. Touch is our first language. Whatever our age or stage in life , the gift of touch can make us feel protected, appreciated, and validated, letting us know that we are loved, understood, and forgiven. Home massage brings this healing gift into our homes.

WHAT BETTER PLACE THAN IN OUR HOME?

There is a resistance in many of us to learning and practicing massage at home. We will nod and agree that it is a great idea. We may even acknowledge to both the giver and the receiver. Yet we also feel a certain reluctance to touch.

Maybe in childhood we were never touched, and so massage feels foreign and uncomfortable. What better place than in our own home with the people we love and trust for us to discover and share the healing benefits of touch?

Maybe in childhood we were touched the wrong way, and now we are afraid the same thing will happen again. What better place than a private and safe home environment to heal through the loving, appropriate touch of someone we trust?

Maybe we tell ourselves that we don’t have time because of our busy, hectic lives. But home massage is easy and can be done in the convenience of our home. Massage, shared with our loved ones, brings us calm, balance, and an opportunity to rest and recharge from our stressful lives.

Maybe we are uncomfortable with our bodies. We think we are too fat or too thin.

We don’t want to feel vulnerable. What better place than in our own home to begin to feel at ease with our own unique bodies and so gain a sense of comfort in our own skin?

Maybe we are uncertain how to teach our children about proper and improper touch. What better place than in our home, through shared massage, to open the lines of communication and make touch a household word and natural part of our vocabulary?

Maybe we are too uncomfortable touching another person. With home massage, we can finally give loving touch to our trusted friends and family. Nurturing massage is a gift of healing. What better place than in our own home to share this natural connection with each other?

OUR HOME IS WHERE WE FIRST LEARN TO TOUCH

Massage is now accepted by the general public and the medical community as a valuable adjunct to effective health care. Certified massage therapists with hundreds of hours of training and years of experience are providing relaxation and rehabilitation to everyone from infants to the elderly. But by limiting massage to our infrequent visits to professional massage therapists, the many healing gifts of massage are sadly under-used. Now the healing benefits of massage – stress reduction, pain management improved immunity, and emotional well-being—are in our hands through home massage.

Home massage, done with the people we already know and trust, is fun, easy to learn, and effective. Home massage is based on three important, tried-and-true principles: creating a safe place of honor and respect, encouraging the art of massage, and taking the mystique out of massage techniques. Following these principles returns us to our natural ability of healing touch.  With home massage, the healing benefits of massage are not confined to the massage table. There are a myriad of applications in our daily life for people of all ages and all situations to connect with each other through the art and techniques of home massage.

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Massage gives us a way to experience touch for long enough duration to allow healing of unlimited potential. As insurance and medical costs rise, home massage is an excellent hands-on technique that allows us to take responsibility for our own health and reduce our need for doctors and drugs.

Home is where we first learn to touch, and yet touch is often neglected means of communication with our family members. When touch through massage becomes a regular and natural part of family life, touch becomes a household word. Parents feel comfortable talking to their children about improper touch and children become receptive and willing to be part of the discussion. Families learn to honor and respect each other through their experience with home massage and report fewer fights, less time watching television, improved health, increased relaxation and renewed emotional connection.

When words fall short, when words can’t soothe, and when words are not enough, the power of touch through massage can heal your mind, body, and spirit. We encourage you to learn Touch Communications Home Massage. Experience it. Allow the magic of healing touch to weave into the very fabric of your life. You will be glad you did. Suzette Hodnett, M.S, also co-founded TCHM and has more than 20 years experience as a licensed psychotherapist and Tai Chi Sandan instructor. She currently works as a Life Coach. With fellow TCHM co-founder Jackie Skloan, CMT, she offers retreats, lectures and workshops nationwide to promote relaxation, connection, and healing power of touch. Chuck Fata was a nationally certified massage therapist and co-founder of Touch Communications Home Massage Inc. He taught professionally at the Santa Monica School of Shiastu and the California College of Physical Arts as well as massage workshops and retreats for non-professionals.

Suzette Hodnett and Chuck Fata  are the authors of Home Massage: Transforming Family Life Through the Power of Healing Touch.  You can read about the book here on OM Times at: omtimes.com/2011/11/home-massage

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For more information about the book or to read an excerpt, please click on the book cover or to go findhornpress.com.