While sitting in the hospital with one of my loved ones last week, I was introduced to something that made my mind go crazy: The idea that a person's voice and touch, alone, could help relieve pain. In addition to that, it's something that registered nurses do full time, and it's encouraging to see. I really like to see main stream insurance companies and hospitals using and supporting nontraditional methods to heal people. Finally! Even the big bad insurance companies are understanding that you don't have to over-medicate everyone to get them better! Enough with my rant, lets talk about what "Healing Touch" is all about!

Healing touch is all about energy and how it sometimes can be out of balance. This energy is sometimes referred to as blocks. Healing touch works by activating hormones that are natural pain relievers. It does this by using breathing techniques which are also used in yoga and Pilate's type exercise regiments.

One technique they use is to breath through your nose. Carol Willie, a healing touch expert from Saint Joe's said "When you breath from your chest all the time it creates tension. We must teach people to breath using their stomach and out their nose to help release tension." Carol also said, "When we are in pain we get tight, we must relax the muscles so the endorphins can be released."

Healing touch also uses the power of visualization. During the sessions Carol said something to the effect of ‘Think of a place that you absolutely want to be at. The more that you use your senses (seeing, hearing, etc.) the more that it will be real in your mind.'

She went on to talk about other Hindu, Thai, Chinese practices and medicines like Chakras and Meriddians. She said there is an energy field that's outside of us, as well as one that is inside of us. When they are out of balance she can sometimes feel a vibration when placing her hands over the area. She believes in working on her energy from head to toe, and toe to head each morning to get balanced.She said this would benefit the average person because they average one thought per second about what is going on outside their body, but forget to think about what is going on inside of their own body.

I became a believer in the program once I asked her what she felt at my friends feet, if anything. She said, without having any background info on my friend, that she could feel a lot of energy coming from her right foot. Little did Carol know that my friend had nerve damage in that foot. There was no way she could have known because my friend was in the hosptial for a spinal fusion. Needless to say my jaw dropped and I felt like I had just witnessed the Psychic Gary Spivey tell me my future or something.

What do you think of alternative methods such as healing touch?