Getting in touch with BCST

Power of Touch

On a rough day, when your grandmother looks you in the eyes, holds your hand and says, ‘Don’t worry, everything will be alright.’ or a loved one caressed your face and said, ‘We’ll deal with it together; or even a hug from your best friend has the power to soothe you, uplift you and make you feel heard, held and supported. That is the power of touch and to say the least we need it. We seek comfort, connectivity and security through touch. Even looking, responding and speaking is touching, but from a distance. Touch of course is tactile, but it is equally vocal and facial.

The body is emotion - an amalgamation of pleasant and unpleasant ones. Humans, primates and many other species learn to feel safe and build trust through touch. Michelangelo said, “To touch is to give life.” Touch conveys a message, it reinforces empathy, sympathy, care and happiness. A sense of touch brings you back to the present, connects you back to your body with greater sense of connectedness and awareness.

Why Touch?

Embryological and physiologically, our strongest sense is that of touch. Tiffany Field, et al in their study on power of touch has said, “The largest fetal “organ,” and the first to develop, is the sensory-rich skin, or the sense of touch. By the 30th week of fetal development (10 weeks before birth), neurological structures and pathways are developed sufficiently for the fetus to perceive pain.”

Further in her research Tiffany Field found that preterm newborns who received just three 15-minute sessions of touch therapy each day for 5-10 days gained 47 percent more weight than premature infants who’d received standard medical treatment.

In Touch with Mum

Many studies have documented that pregnant mothers have shown a great degree of relaxation when they were touched or massaged through their pregnancy.

Touch is an important element in the relationship, attachment and bonding between the mother/caregiver and the baby. The amount and quality of physical contact between the mother/caregiver and the baby is essential to their relationship. Studies have proved that babies who received enough touch and attention from their caregivers have had better growth rates, reduced signs of stress, better sleep, expression of emotions and sociability and much more. As they grow, their learning abilities, resistance to disease, exploratory behaviours and attitudes underlined by a strong sense of support and safety make them resilient adults.

Science of Touch

Research conducted by Neuroscience research confirms that touch activates the brain’s orbito-frontal cortex which is linked with feelings of reward and compassion. A warm touch is said to calm cardiovascular stress, activates the great vagus nerve, triggers release of oxytocin, relaxes the neuromuscular system et cetera. There is an abundance of research on the science of touch which can promote health and balance in the functioning of all body systems. It wouldn’t be too far to say that a gentle and a safe touch is possibly an antidote to brain signals of danger and threat.

BCST - A Gentle Touch Therapy

Touch is a language and in Biodynamic Craniosacral Treatment we listen to the language of the body with our hands. The biodynamic touch is gentle, safe and non-invasive. Tronick EZ has explored that “...certain forms of touch, such as gentle holding, might convey the message, you are safe, whereas other forms of touch, such as poking or jabbing, may convey the message, you are physically threatened.” The skin is the extension of the brain and the central nervous system - almost acting like an external nervous system. By touch, through this external nervous system, the therapist gets an understanding of the internal nervous system, of emotional health, of physical structures and alignment, of health and vitality in the body.

A pair of trained hands has the skill to locate health in the body and staying with this health through the body's connective tissue network, it acknowledges for any patterns of imbalance, structurally or functionally. A recent research concluded by Swedish scientists tells us that there are specific receptors in the connective tissue in the body that responds only to a gentle touch. These receptors are called interoceptors which are present in the myofascial continuum. Many scientists now consider fascia as an organ by itself. So when a gentle touch is applied on the body, these receptors get stimulated in the whole body making the treatment holistic and not just local by treating a specific part of the body or a condition. In the biodynamic view it is said that the source of the pain may be in a completely different and even opposite area or direction in the body. A light touch creates a sense of safety for the body-mind continuum and propels reorganisation in tissues, fluids and energetics using the body’s vital force.

Not just physical ailments, this therapy helps with mental and emotional trauma. Montagu A, said, “Although touch is not itself an emotion, it’s sensory elements induce those neural, glandular, muscular, and mental changes which in combination we call an emotion.” The treatment is greatly about bringing balance at deeper levels and layers and moving towards greater and holistic health and harmony.