EMO Healing Hands Massage

The Client

The client is Anne, a 58 year old Cuban-American women with moderate neck pain from sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress at a local hotel. She has a history of neck pain. She has received physical therapy in the past and was treated with massage, traction, electrical stimulation and upper extremity exercise. Anne has come to me for Reiki and massage in the past.

The EMO Healing Hands Massage Session

I explained to Anne that this massage session would be different from prior sessions and would require more involvement on her part.

I explained to her that energy or tension can get stuck in the body in many different ways. Right now the tension energy in her neck needs releasing to alleviate the pain and free up her movement in her neck. I told her that I wanted her to give my hands cues if she feels she needs to and tell them where to go.

I started out the session with my hands gently on her mid back with a light effleurage to the neck and out of habit a little Reiki. When I got to the area of her pain in the left cervical region from the base of her head to the top of her shoulder blade, I left my hands there.

I asked for verification, “Is this the area you feel your pain?”

Anne, “Yes.”

Can you ask the tension in that area to soften and flow?

Anne, “Yes.”

Where does the energy want to go?

Anne, “Uh, I do believe I feel it tingling in my elbow? That’s really interesting, I feel the energy in my elbow.”

Where does it wants to go now, is there an exit point, a place where it can leave?

Anne, “That’s odd, it has moved to my fingers and it feels like my two middle fingers are one and heavy.”

While we were speaking, I left one hand on the base of her skull and neck and the other hand I efflueraged down and shoulder to arm and out the finger tips and slowly repeated.

Where is the energy is now?

“I think it’s gone.”

How does your neck feel?

“Better!”

Placing my hands on the base of her neck, I asked her,

Where do you want these healing hands to go now?

“Into the base of my neck and shoulder.”

The session continued with me asking for feedback all the time, “How does that feel?” - “Is this where your body wants my hands to go” - “When I press here, where else do you feel this in your body?”

When I was pressing into the muscle groups individually along the spine, with each pressure point I would ask, “Where else do you feel that in your body?” and she was amazed to find out that she felt a tightness and pressure at the base of her sternum and we softened and flowed that and the energy seemed to leave through the table.

We completed the session and when the client sat in the chair, she looked totally relaxed and happy.

She responded, “I feel so relaxed and free.”

I laughed and told her what she was experiencing was called “Even Flow”

Client's Feedback After The Healing Hands Session

Following the session I asked the following questions:

1. How was this session different from massages you have received in the past?

Anne: "Wow, it was a lot different. Usually I just lie there and let the therapist do their thing. This was a lot more interactive and I liked it a lot better. I felt we were really involved together and I liked that you asked me where I wanted the healing hands. I felt I could really get attention to certain areas than I had in the past. I also liked “Where is it do you feel it in your body?” That interaction was very important and I would guide you. I liked that."

2. Did you feel anything different during this massage with the energy movement in your body?

Anne: "Oh yeah, I felt the energy move to my elbow and middle to fingers on my left hand and when you were doing my right side I felt the energy move in a different way, along the outside of my arm to my elbow and than to my outer two fingers. I never felt that before. That was amazing. Then on the other side it moved differently down to my elbow and then to my thumb and pinky. I couldn’t believe the whole thing that was in my neck was now in my thumb!"

3. Is there anything else that helped your healing during the session?

Anne: "I liked when you said, “Soften and flow’ that helped a lot. I felt the soften and flow was a reminder to breathe and I felt I was breathing so naturally."

4. Overall, how do you feel now that we are finished?

Anne: "I am sitting here totally relaxed, no pain, like a whole weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"I am amazed. I really feel good, unbelievable! You must have a special gift!"

Follow Up Call

May 12, 2009

I gave a follow up call to Anne to see how she felt today.

She said, “I can’t believe it, I still feel amazing. I slept great last night and feel refreshed today. Thanks so much, you have a real gift!”

In Conclusion

In reflecting on the session with Anne, I was genuinely surprised with the results expressed by the client not only at the conclusion of the session, but especially after the follow-up call the next day.

Her relief from the neck pain she was experiencing had survived another night in a hotel room bed!

The client’s enthusiasm for EMO and Massage was very affirming because it was the very first time I tried combining the two techniques!

I do admit that I was uncertain going into the session that it would bring the results the client desired. She had received traditional massages in the past and would naturally be comparing the value of her current session.

Yet, although I was nervous, the language of EMO is the gift which made the session flow so smoothly and with ease.

With the emphasis on asking the client “Where does it hurt?” - “Where do you want these healing hands to go?” and “Where does the energy want to go now?” the client-practitioner dance was facilitated and healing took place.

It was a great experience and so simple because the client was involved every step of the way and it took any guesswork out of how the massage was progressing.

I personally don’t know if I’ll be doing another massage without it!

Terry Lynch

EMO Practitioner & Trainer

Healing To Wellness

Belle Mead, New Jersey, United States

Contact Terry Lynch - Find out more about EMO, Healing Hands Massage & Terry's healing work in New Jersey and the US

• What is effluerage?
  Effluerage is a succession of massage strokes applied by gliding the hand over a somewhat extended portion of the body. There are two types of effleurage: superficial effleurage and deep effleurage. For the EMO Healing Hands Massage, superficial effluerage was used while following  the course of movement of energy by the client's description.