Why are my hands so warm?
I never knew the answer to that. But I get asked a lot.
Some research I recently came across shows that there might be more to ‘healing hands’. James L. Oschman (Energy Medicine) writes that infra-red radiation is common in the hands of therapists, probably due to an autonomic nervous system response to the attention the therapist is focusing there, opening local blood vessels causing the warming, and so on.
Another staggering fact I learned: It was always assumed that the heart, being the biggest electrical device in the body, produces the greatest amount of electromagnetic field (EMF) in the body. And for most people that is true. However, studies done on the hands of therapists, shows that their hands produce a magnetic field a whopping 1000 times stronger than the heart. (Don’t panic, it’s still quite a low amount, 1/1000 gauss.)
Furthermore, this magnetic field vibrates at Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) between 1 to 30 Hz, and oscillates up and down this frequency scale, but averaging 8-10 Hz. Apparently, this ELF frequency is extremely favourable for the therapeutic effects in the targeted tissues of the client. This is well known in medical circles as well where ELF machines are being used in some rehab therapy now. Apparently devices can now be bought off the shelf for home use.
All of this may go some way to explaining why such a light-touch therapy can have such profound effects, from a technical point of view anyway. I’d like to think there’s a little more to it.
I doubt if healers are born with these capabilities. More likely it is something anyone can acquire with the appropriate amount of practice and focus. A little, I suppose, like someone who becomes proficient with a musical instrument, their bodies, hands, ears and brain become entrained to that activity.
The thought-river
“Here is a new spiritual practice for you:
Don’t take your thoughts so seriously.”
Eckhart Tolle
When thoughts drop away, and most of them are past or future based, then you come into the Now. Eckhart also said:
“You are never more essentially yourself than when you are still.”
When you are ‘still’ you are in the Now - that’s where you meet the real you.
I think that’s what many people enjoy about bodywork. It is an opportunity for their mind’s to become still, quiet, present. Not comatose, not ‘out of it’. Actually the opposite of that – completely in it. In the present moment, in the Now, without much thought, but very aware. At those moments you experience the real, deeper aspect of yourself.
Its a peaceful, healing place to go.
But then afterwards thoughts start up again.
Our thoughts are not us. Yet sometimes we are subject to a never-ending ‘river of thoughts’ - these are the root of our stress.
Making a conscious decision not to judge everything as good or bad, will save us a lot of mental energy. And will reduce the number of thoughts we have by some margin.
If your thoughts are causing harmless bliss and happiness, then go for it.
However, we intrinsically know that having fewer negative thoughts would be healthier for our mind. Some people try meditation to ‘stop their thoughts’ – a good move, but a different emphasis will help. Meditation may calm our mind but may not stop the thought river. The good news is that we can actually use the thought river as a tool during meditation to get calmer. What?!
How? First don’t try to stop thoughts. It’s like trying to dam a river, no matter what you do, that thing is going to overflow at some point, and you’ll become less calm, more stressed and more exasperated in the process.
The secret is to create awareness of the thought-river. Create some separation if you can. Become a spectator of the river of thoughts. Just watch them come and go, take care not to engage with them, because any one of them could take you down a rabbit warren before you know it. Twenty minutes later you’re wondering, how did I get here?
If that happens it’s no problem. Just gently come back to awareness of the thought river, letting each one come, then waving as it passes on down river.
You don’t have to meditate. You can do this awareness practice in regular life as well, brushing your teeth, eating, trying to sleep, waiting at the traffic lights – just consciously come back to that awareness, witnessing state (especially helpful when driving).
Going into nature somewhere is a good place to engage with what’s around you and so give you something pleasant to take notice of instead.
This awareness practice is calming and will, in time, reduce the size of your thought river, to a stream, a creek, a trickle ...
However, some thoughts are biggies. No matter what you do they won’t go away. They cause negative emotions to arise. Our body gets tense, pains develop, sometimes chronically. Drastic action is required!
That’s next month’s topic.
Until then – Peace!
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With caring and kindness,
Rhys Dwyer
If you know anyone, from kids up who maybe struggling with body-held tension, energy levels, stress, anxiety, or choices, then please ask them to check me out. Bodywork and present moment awareness may just make a big difference.
Note that bodywork is always complementary to prudent medical care.