Welcome to the resource page for students at the workshop in Wageningen in May.
At present there are links to two articles on the Six Forms of Touch and a video of the physical aspect of dancing touch going through most major joints in the body.
I aim to add a video of the ShaoYin Qigong in a short while.
Remember what Dancing Touch means. When you notice that one part of a person (physical or psychological) is predominantly active and another part is passive or held in relation to that part then the strategy of Dancing Touch is:
- To make contact with the passive/held part – maybe touching a bone in that area to give a clear sensation. Feel for any small movements that already exist and amplify these (Amplifying Touch). If you notice any muscles resisting the movement, use Valuing Touch with those muscles and see if they are ready to release.
- When the passive/held part feels that it knows how to move, keep contact and simultaneously contact the active/dominant part. Let the passive part lead the dance and help the active part to follow.
- When both are moving together, let go of the idea of leading and let both move together.
In the body, this form of touch is very useful to resolve internal conflict at joints. A common pattern is for the side of the joint that is nearest the centre of the body to be held or moving passively. The video shows techniques for helping the proximal side of each major joint to move and to join in the dance.
Dancing Touch is not only use at joints. You might notice that one half of the body (top or bottom, left or right) is dominant and the other is passive. You can use the same idea.
Dancing Touch theme is used to help someone become aware of unconscious patterns in their body or behaviour and show them how to loosen those patterns and experiment with new ones.
Examples in the behavioural dimension might be someone who is always saying yes to suggestions from others (i.e. their Large Intestine is not being used) / Someone who is always trying to control the situation / Someone who is always supporting others but not themselves. In each case you can creatively work with the person helping them to design experiments which gently break these habits and loosen them. Remember my basic belief that you don’t have to train someone in new habits, if you loosen the old ones then the wellbeing functions will spontaneously create new ones.