20th October 2023 TTouch by Anita Hytha
There are many somatic self-help techniques that can be very beneficial for promoting physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Even easy-to-learn practices can help to improve many aspects including heart coherence, awakened mind, to override fear with gratitude, to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote balance within hormonal system. Fortunately, some of the basic self-help techniques can be easy-to-learn and perform, like the Tellington TTouch-method.
During the October SIHA presentation, Anita Hytha from Austria shared her experiences with the Tellington-TTouch method, in her work as a nurse. Anita also conducted a mini-workshop, explaining how to perform some of her favorite TTouch techniques.
As a healthcare professional, Anita has worked as a nurse for over 30 years and has been a Tellington TTouch Practitioner since 2016. Gentle touch, according to her experiences, can be a game-changer in caring for patients and is also useful as a self-help technique to restore balance, reduce pain, fear, and stress.
What is Tellington TTouch?
Like many others, Linda Tellington-Jones was inspired by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais´ Awareness Through Movement method. Before signing up for the Feldenkrais training in 1976, Linda had created a massage therapy for horses. Later, after learning the Feldenkrais way of hands-on work, she developed her own method -a system of circular TTouches, lifts, and slides for the training and care of horses and other animals. While teaching TTouches to animal owners, the same techniques were practiced by owners on each other to understand what their animals were experiencing. Later she developed her technique for human beings, called TTouch-for-you, and nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals followed her workshops, using TTouch (the first T stands for trust) in clinical practices, including post-fracture swelling, wound healing, and the management of edema, pain, and anxiety. The results have been positive, and there are a few published research trials that provide scientific evidence of the potential value of using hands-on therapy in the field of healthcare.
Here one of the TTouch techniques that Anita explained during the mini-workshop:
The "Heart Hug"
Take a deep breath.
Place your hands on your chest.
Relax your body and pay attention to your hands.
Take a moment to connect with the heart area.
Move the skin in a circle and a quarter and start by 6 up in the direction you prefer,
in the tempo you prefer, between 1 -3 seconds.
Then pause, rest, take a deep breath and repeat the Heart Hug.
Every time you do the exercise, do it mindfully.
You can also think of something in nature for which you are very grateful...a tree, a flower, your pet, sunset...or you can say a prayer.
Do this for a few minutes and notice the changes.
Thank you again Anita for this inspiring and useful presentation!
For those interested to learn more, there is a possibility that SIHA will organize workshops during the Zone 4 meeting in April 2024 and that Anita may give a presentation as well.
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