Today I gave a Bio-Touch session to my suffering mother. Six years ago I learned this touch-healing technique because I craved to have some measure of control in situations where loved ones were suffering. You see, I didn’t know about Bio-Touch when my daughter had viral meningitis and the doctor-prescribed pain medications weren’t relieving her terrible headaches. I was helpless to do anything for her then; I could only be frustrated and frightened until she recovered on her own.

Mom is 95 years old, and up until recently has been fairly healthy. Unfortunately, though, over the past months she’s become frail and exceedingly thin, despite eating well. Congestive heart failure has caused her feet to swell and her breathing to be more labored. So she was placed on oxygen and in hospice care a few weeks back.

Then three days ago, she fell and broke her shoulder. The doctors at the hospital could only do so much—she isn’t a good candidate for surgery or the rehabilitation that would follow. So her shoulder and arm were wrapped for stability, she was prescribed pain-killers, and sent home—confined to bed. If Mom stays still, the pain isn’t too bad. But when she moves, she gasps and moans, quickly reminded of her broken shoulder. 

It’s hard to see her in pain, especially at her age and in her weakened state. So it was a relief for me to be able to sit next to her bed, reach over, and lightly touch her today. Bio-Touch is touching as lightly as a butterfly, so I didn’t have to jostle her or apply any pressure. Within a few minutes my fingers (which she complained at first were too cold against her skin) warmed, and Mom started to relax. I touched the specific points on her body that bring down stress levels and anxiety, and she breathed more deeply. I touched around her arms and her bruised and broken shoulder, and then on her legs and feet, and finally on her head and neck. She smiled as her eyes closed. Then she fell asleep, the smile still in place.

I was smiling too. Bio-Touch is an incredible gift for both of us. It gives me something productive to do, helping alleviate Mom’s stress, pain, and inflammation. It gives her relief and comfort, wrapped in a loving touch that reminds her that she’s cared for, and not alone. And for that, I’m grateful beyond words.

Google the phrase “life is a journey,” and you could spend years reading the 480 million results from this search. Lots of quotes (for example, the all too familiar “life’s a journey, not a destination” or “life’s a journey…enjoy the ride”), blogs, videos, memes, and much more.

The quote most apropos to my six years as a certified practitioner is, “On the journey of life, it’s okay to stop and ask for directions.” While not a daily mantra, I found I needed guidance from time to time from my mentor, Paul Bucky. Here is an example that I share in greater detail in my book.

Conquering Fear

During my first year as a practitioner at the Bio-Touch Center, I had a new recipient, Jake. Jake was a nice-looking, thirty-something year old man. I explained the process and after he filled out the paperwork, I read that he was seeking help with psoriasis, a skin condition. Thinking nothing of it, I asked him to remove his shirt while I left the room to wash my hands, as practitioners do before a Bio-Touch session.

My heart dropped to my stomach when I re-entered the room—there were angry, scaly, red patches all over his chest, abdomen, and back! I had never seen, let alone touched, anyone with such a severe skin condition. I remembered hearing about psoriasis in television commercials, but having to touch a recipient with that condition using my bare fingers caused my mind to go blank. I couldn’t remember if it was contagious or not. (It is not.)

I remembered hearing in class that our comfort as practitioners was as important as our recipients’ comfort, but I knew that didn’t absolve me from working on Jake. My heart told me that if I truly wanted to help people, this was part of the deal. So, I faked a smile and did my best, trying to touch the least crusty “safer” areas on his body.

After the session, Jake met me at the front desk and made an appointment for the following week. What was I going to do? I didn’t relish the idea of having to touch his skin again. Then I was filled with guilt and self-doubt. Did I have the capacity to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” a guiding principle of Bio-Touch?

I forced myself to talk with Paul about this, although I was embarrassed to admit my true feelings. I worried that he’d have less respect for my commitment to help people feel better.

“Ah, a test for Debra!” Paul exclaimed. “You’re really being challenged here.” He explained that practitioners never had to do something they weren’t comfortable with, and never had to touch someone if their condition was contagious. In fact, it was sensible to ask a recipient if their condition was contagious. And then he said, “Now, as far as not wanting to touch Jake again—even knowing he’s not contagious—there’s only one way to think about it. It’s just another challenge on your personal journey— through Bio-Touch—to conquer your pre-conceived judgments and fears. Once you accept your challenges with love, they’ll disappear.”

I wanted to believe him. And even though I still had trepidations about Jake’s next appointment, I took Paul’s advice and opened my heart to Jake and the challenges presented to me. Well, thank goodness, when Jake returned for his next appointment, he said he was less stressed out, and his skin was so improved, I could touch him with ease.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.”
​
This quote from author Paulo Coelho perfectly captures my growth as a certified practitioner. I’ve had many heartwarming experiences—and a few harrowing challenges—along my journey’s path, but I’ve learned and grown from each, and know that I will continue to do so.  

I’m sure many of you have heard of Dr. Andrew Weil, who is universally recognized as an expert in health and wellness—medical doctor, teacher, and author on holistic health. Dr. Weil was at the forefront of the field of integrative medicine when he founded the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona (ACIM) in 1994. Highly regarded as a leader in transforming health care, ACIM offers a program where medical students can take elective courses to learn about complementary healing techniques, including Bio-Touch. Paul Bucky (co-founder of Bio-Touch), other practitioners, and I have given Bio-Touch sessions to medical students in this program. It was so gratifying to see their enthusiasm as they embraced Bio-Touch as part of their education and training in integrative medicine.
 
So, what is integrative medicine (IM), and how does Bio-Touch fit in?
 
Simply stated, integrative medicine (also known as integrative care) is a collaborative approach to health care, between patient and practitioner, that incorporates the full range of medical therapies—traditional (mainstream) medicine AND complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Guiding principles to IM include:

• A commitment to the philosophy and practice that medicine should address the body, mind and spirit of the patient—treating the whole person, not just the disease. 
• Use therapies that are supported by evidence.
• Use natural and less invasive procedures whenever possible.
• Promote healthy behaviors, the prevention of illness, and effective self-care.

 
The field of CAM includes many different therapies—acupuncture, acupressure, massage, herbal medicines, and touch healing, to name a few. These therapies are used to promote, maintain, and restore physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual health.
 
It is probably no coincidence that Dr. Well founded ACIM on the heels of a major study, in 1993, that found that one in three Americans were using some form of CAM, and often without the knowledge of their primary care practitioners.  In 2007, the National Health Interview Survey found that 38% of U.S. adults and 12% of children use some form of CAM, including various touch-based healing therapies. So, CAM basically became mainstream in the U.S., and with its broad acceptance, medical schools added courses on these “nontraditional therapies.” There has been significant growth in integrative medicine centers across the U.S. 
 
Bio-Touch fits within the definition of complementary and alternative medicine—but does it fit within the framework of integrative medicine? It certainly does.

• Bio-Touch is a technique encouraged to be used in conjunction with, not as a replacement for, traditional medicine.
• Bio-Touch is supported by evidence—three separate research projects demonstrated that Bio-Touch significantly reduces stress and pain levels, and alleviates symptoms of disease. One researcher, Dr. Kenna Stephenson, said, “Bio-Touch is a low tech, low cost solution for many families in my practice.”
• Bio-Touch is non-invasive—practitioners use the first two fingers of each hand to lightly touch precise points on the body. 
• Bio-Touch is based on the body’s natural healing ability, much like energy therapy and other well-accepted healing techniques.
• And, Bio-Touch is used to support good health—mind, body, and spirit—through all stages of life.

 
Near the end of chapter 11 of my book, Paul Bucky talks about another integrative care program that Bio-Touch participates in—Integrative Touch for Kids (ITK), which is a non-profit organization that serves families whose children have special medical needs. In her endorsement of my book Shay Beider, the Founder and Executive Director of ITK, said “Bio-Touch has been an integral part of our healing retreats for families with children with special medical needs. It serves as a powerful tool for remembering that healing is in our own hands and that simple, loving touch can be transformative.”
 
A report on integrative medicine by the Bravewell Collaborative concluded, “The adoption of the practices and principles of integrative medicine will transform health care, improve the health care system, reduce costs, and produce a much healthier nation.” 
 
I’m so thankful that Bio-Touch is an integral part of this important movement.

This past Wednesday I posted Bio-Touch is Truth on my Facebook page. If you haven’t read it and would like to, please click here. In that post, I mentioned one aspect of Bio-Touch, as practiced at the Center in Tucson, which sets it apart from other touch-healing techniques. So, what is it about Bio-Touch that makes it “the most unique healing technique?”

Early in my adult life, inspired and motivated by the movie Resurrection, I dabbled in a hands-on healing method which required me to concentrate on bringing warmth to my fingers in order to ease people’s pain. Sometimes I was successful; more often I wasn’t. I turned to Bio-Touch six years ago after my old method failed me when I needed it most—to ease the terrible headaches my daughter, Jill, suffered when she contracted viral meningitis.

A year earlier, I had read an article about Bio-Touch online. The article said that everyone could easily learn Bio-Touch—it wasn’t necessary to possess healing skills or focus the mind, and everyone was effective on their first attempt. That sounded fascinating, yet too simple to work and too good to believe. But I printed out the article anyway, and tossed it into a folder to revisit sometime in the future. I never dreamed I’d need it so soon.

After Jill recovered, I was desperate to find a healing method I could count on so I’d never have to feel as scared and helpless as I did while she was suffering. I pulled out that article about Bio-Touch, and signed up to take a training course at their Center. By the end of that class I knew I’d found what I was looking for! Bio-Touch was easy to learn, within easy reach of anyone’s budget, and was built on the guiding principle “Love Thy Neighbor.”

Simple.  I loved the idea that I could be effective using Bio-Touch without needing to meditate, be “centered,” breathe in a certain way, adopt specific beliefs, or spend years in study to become a “master.” I was delighted that I didn’t have to work that hard in order to help alleviate people’s stress, pain and disease symptoms. I simply had to touch specific points on the body, light as a butterfly, with two fingers from each hand. And, I didn’t have to focus my mind to be effective. While giving a session, I could be thinking of the adorable shoes I’d seen on sale that morning or figuring out what side dish to serve with the barbecue chicken for dinner. Yet my recipient would smile, feeling so much better after that session, unaware of my mind’s wanderings.

The ease of learning Bio-Touch is also reflected in the statement, “so simple that even children can learn it and be effective.” I’ll never forget the ten year old girl in one of my training classes. She had accompanied her mother, who was taking the basic practitioner class. The child glanced at the training manual for a few minutes, and once inside the session room, she hopped up on the massage table, balanced on her knees, and touched her mom (the recipient) lightly on the precise points. All the while, the little girl giggled with delight. I was amazed, and a bit jealous, at how naturally it came to her.

Affordable. Bio-Touch is within easy reach of anyone’s budget—$18 for a one-year membership, which includes the full training manual in eBook format (and you can “upgrade” to a hard copy of the manual AND instructional DVD for just $29.95). With the training manual, you can use Bio-Touch to support good health through all stages of life. Learn Bio-Touch with someone you know, and you and that person can be both practitioner and recipient for pennies a day!

Live in Tucson? At the Tucson Center, where every staff person is a volunteer, certified practitioners offer 30-minute Bio-Touch sessions on a donations-only basis. Unheard of! And sometimes those donations are vegetables from a garden, freshly written poems, or handmade crafts. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.

Interested in becoming a practitioner? You can enroll in the basic training course for $48 (and only $60 for a family) and the certification class for $60. And if you can’t attend a class in person, there are also affordable options for correspondence training. 

Love Thy Neighbor. In the end, though, I believe it is “love” that distinguishes Bio-Touch from other healing methods. I cannot tell you how many times the word “love” enters into our conversations with students of Bio-Touch, recipients, and practitioners. I’d like to share with you what one recipient said in a written testimonial sent to Bio-Touch:

“Since the very first day, Bio-Touch gave me love and accepted me just the way I was at that time. It made my dream come true to find a place where people would be loving and sharing true and sincere hearts helping each other. It helped me to see and find love in every person.” ~Elizabeth R

And this is why we say, “Bio-Touch is a loving touch, and it is humanity’s right to be healthy, happy and loved.”

Yes, Bio-Touch truly is “the most unique healing technique.”

Simply stated, touching another person—an instinctive action from birth—offers love and caring.
 
I’m absolutely fascinated by the life-enhancing properties of a mother’s touch. There have been numerous studies done over two decades showing that mothers and babies should be together, skin to skin (baby naked, not wrapped in a blanket) immediately after birth, as well as later. When that happens, babies become more relaxed, their temperature becomes more stable and more normal, and their heart and breathing rates stabilize. This skin to skin contact, sometimes called Kangaroo Mother Care, is best for both full-term and premature babies in every way. When separated from their mothers, babies' vital signs show that they are in distress (breathing, heart rate, temperature, hormones, etc. become irregular), but when reunited with their mothers, babies' vital signs normalize, and they begin to thrive.
 
In his research on Bio-Touch, Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Arizona, and Corporate Director of Development of Energy Healing at Canyon Ranch, concluded “that there is no substitute for direct physical touch between the provider and the recipient.”  His research included an experiment in which 121 University of Arizona undergraduates were recipients of three different greeting conditions—skin-contact (the practitioner touches the recipient’s skin), cloth-contact (the practitioner touches the recipient’s clothing) and non-contact (the practitioner’s fingers were a few inches away from the recipient’s body). In his foreword to my book, Dr. Schwartz said that his research with Bio-Touch “clearly demonstrated that the strongest effects are consistently reported with direct skin to skin contact.”
 
I recently did an Internet search for “health benefits of human touch” — this search returned over 2.5 million results!  Here is a sampling of what I found:

• “Gentle touch has been shown to facilitate physical and psychological function, particularly in terms of reducing stress, relieving pain, increasing the ability to cope, and general health ratings.”  From "The Health Benefits of Physical Touch," by Margaret Chuong-Kim. Read The Article
• “From lowering blood pressure and heart rate to increasing immune function and relieving pain, getting touched or doing some touching makes you healthier—not to mention happier and less anxious.” From "Touching Makes You Healthier," by Norine Dworkin-McDaniel. Read The Article  
• “The healing power of touch extends across the life span, from helping babies grow and children concentrate at school to decreasing chronic illnesses and disease.”  From "The Healing Power of Touch," by Andrea Cooper. Read The Article 

 
In my experience as a certified practitioner, I’ve seen recipients change before my eyes as I work on them. Perhaps their pain has not been completely eliminated in that one session, but their shoulders relax, they’re breathing more deeply, they smile, and they tell me how much better they’re feeling overall. And I have found that these changes in my recipients spark a similar change in me during the session. I realize that I’m breathing more deeply and mirroring their sighs with my own. I notice how the tightness dissolves from the back of my neck, and how I’m smiling too. This is part of the beauty of Bio-Touch—a two-way street that benefits both the recipient and practitioner, demonstrating the power and necessity of human touch!