Note on Being a Designated Patient

By Barbara Janelle M.A.

First Published In Touch, Vol. VI, no. 2, June 1994

At the 7^th Annual Retreat, several participants declared themselves “Designated Patients.” This meant that they were only to receive TT . . .

It was very difficult for me not to work during the Retreat; however, by the second day I was reveling in the experience of feeling myself regaining physical energy and balance. It is difficult to describe the quality of energy and clarity that I left the retreat with, but it is almost like a memory of wellness reinstated. And it continues, despite my return to my normal schedule, where every second is accounted for twice over.

I came to the Retreat

So tired–deep exhaustion

Mary S. said, “Why not be a patient?

But you must not work!”

Could I do that? Not work? Not do?

Simply Be!!

So difficult–but a lesson of life for me

Grounded this weekend.

Saturday morning, I chose Penny Birrell

to lead the treatment on me.

Martha Hoey-Weston joined us, the first day

to observe, the second to participate:

Powerful, loving, competent team.

And I moved, from doing to being

From exhaustion to renewal

The energy-being me–with a greater sense

of wholeness, of peace and

of joy.

Note:

Receiving TT is inherent to learning the skill because it helps one to recognise the impact of the work; this develops a practitioner’s confidence in TT. In addition, there seems to be a transfer of skill as well as energy that occurs in receiving TT. I observe that practitioners who receive TT regularly are more effective in doing TT (see “Brian’s Team”).

The holistic approach maintains health rather than focusing on “fire fighting”–waiting until illness has set in before doing anything. I would love to see a study done where all the members of a community receive one-on-one work, once a week for a year. I would wager that medical bills and work days lost to illness would decline significantly.

As TT practitioners, we must walk our talk of holistic health by receiving some kind of one-on-one energy or body work each week. This can be almost any kind: TT, Reiki, Healing Touch, Shiatsu, Massage, Trager, Feldenkrais, Cranial-Sacral, etc. –BJ 2/99

Barbara Janelle. “Brian’s Team.” First Published In Touch, Vol. VIII, no. 1, March 1996