Practice the most common and basic
CLOUDED LEOPARD TTouch
on your own arm. Think of a clock face with 6 o'clock always closest to the ground. Using
the pads of the first three fingers, gently move the skin in a clockwise circle around to
6 again and on to 8/9 o'clock. The thumb should rest still to balance and the movement is
made only with the fingers. Lift and move to start another circle. It is essential to keep
your hands relaxed and as you learn, sometimes you can be concentrating so hard that your
fingers can become a little tense and start 'digging'. Remember to breathe - it's easy to
forget and hold your breath when you are concentrating and that stiffens the whole body.
The pressure needs to be only sufficient to move the skin gently. Avoid sliding over the
skin as this can be really irritating - care needs to be taken with long coated animals or
the human head (well assuming it's got hair!) If you have a friend or partner who is
prepared to help, you can obtain useful information on how you are progressing. Get
feedback of how it feels if you don't complete the circle or press too hard or don't
breathe evenly - it can really help to improve your technique.
The basic circles can be practised all over the body and have different
animal names, dependent on the part of the hand or fingers is used. Clouded Leopard uses the pads of the first
three fingers, Aboloni uses the
palm of the hand, Bear uses the nails, Raccoon uses tiny circles with the finger tips, there are many more. The size of
the circle is dependent on how loose the skin is in a given area. Remember to move after
each completed circle. It can be very irritating if you continue to circle on the same
spot.
When you feel ready to work with an animal, pick a quiet time so that you
can make a connection with each other. It helps to gently rest your other hand on the
animal to connect the circle of yourself with the animal. Begin with a flat hand
exploration of the body. Try to be very aware of what the animal is trying to show you. If
it is not comfortable with a certain area it will move from your hand, respect that and
make a mental note that you need to work sensitively with that area and that it is DEFINATELY NOT where you should start.
Find a nice, safe, comfortable area on the body to begin your circles. As
the animal becomes more relaxed TTouch the sensitive area fleetingly and quickly move back to the 'safe' area,
almost before the animal realises what has happened. They quickly understand that you will
not push them past their comfort zone and relax to your touch. Prepare to take time and
maybe a few sessions building confidence in you. If the animal is extremely sensitive,
work for a couple of minutes and give time out, then work briefly again etc. |
