Angela was a tall, frail looking woman in her forties with dark hair and hunched shoulders. She spoke in a whisper and rarely made eye contact. Whenever Angela left the residential home in which she lived, she clung to her support worker, linking arms wherever they walked. She had been diagnosed with a genetic condition which limited her cognitive ability and affected muscular coordination. Her hands shook and she was often wobbly on her feet. Lacking confidence, Angela rarely spoke above a whisper and her care staff told me that they were concerned because she ate very little, becoming aggressive if pressured to eat or do anything she didn’t want to do. She was reluctant to talk to people, preferring to spend long periods in her room lying on her bed seemingly exhausted. Angela’s boyfriend had tragically died of heart failure a year earlier, I was told that the subject was never mentioned by Angela or the care staff within the home because they were afraid of upsetting her. This flagged up an area of concern.
Rather than focus on Angela’s poor communication and mobility problems, I offered reflexology and energy alignments. I told her that she could lie down on the bed under a blanket and I would hold and massage her feet, which hopefully would help her to relax. I also told her that I would make some sounds (vocal tones) for her which she could make with me if she wanted to. Listening to the tones and making them herself would help her to express suppressed emotion without the need for words and would give her more energy, strengthening her voice and lifting her tiredness.
Angela’s personal support worker joined us in the session for a demonstration of energy alignment , a simple and effective way of releasing tension within the body and the mind. I asked care staff if they would take Angela through the alignment process at home because this would have a positive impact on her emotional responses and interaction. The alignment process was incorporated into Angela’s Care Plan and her support workers used it themselves as a self-help technique to strengthen, seal and protect their own electromagnetic (auric) field. For further information about the human energy field, check out the Science of Healing manual, available as a free download.
During our sessions, Angela was happy to lie on the bed and snuggle under the blanket. On her second visit, I noticed that she had a mark on each foot. The structure of the foot mirrors the physical anatomy and placement of the organs and the marks on her feet which had manifested, indicated an imbalance in a specific area. I had concerns about Angela’s physical and emotional state and I communicated these concerns to her care staff who agreed to arrange an appointment with Angela’s doctor. During the session, we had also worked with the throat tone /OO/. Having demonstrated the tone, Angela was asked to practice this tone at home. The vibration of vocal sound would ripple through the subtle energy at her throat, releasing tension and strengthening the voice. She enjoyed trying to make the tone, although she still spoke in a cracked whisper. The following week, blood tests at the local surgery detected an imbalance of toxicity in Angela’s blood stream, which was quickly adjusted and further reflexology helped to release the build up of toxins caused by too much medication in the body.
When Angela arrived for her third visit her voice was noticeably stronger, I was told that she had been ‘very chatty’ after her last session, although she continued to resist eating meals and still ate only tiny amounts. There was a sense of sadness around her. She avoided communication and enjoyed toning more than talking. We made a heart tone /HA/softly together to balance the energies of the heart and release anxiety. As the sessions progressed, Angela grew in confidence and became more independent. Within three weeks, she was fastening her shoes and buttoning and unbuttoning her own blouses at home, unaided for the first time. Care staff were encouraged to delay offering a helping hand, to allow Angela to do more for herself.
To enhance the toning and reflexology, Angela picked out a coloured silk to cover her as she lay on the bed. The coloured silks corresponded to the colours on the rainbow spectrum. Each of the seven rainbow colours resonates with the vibration of one of the seven main chakras (energy centres) of the body in health. Angela’s colour choice would give an indication of her unspoken feelings and possible healing requirements on that day.
For her fourth session, I referred Angela to a colleague for a head and shoulder massage, which she very much enjoyed. We continued with the tones and she said that she felt her throat buzzing in response to the throat tone. Spurred on by her progress, care staff were also booking in for holistic therapies and energy alignments for themselves. Fresh flowers were introduced into the residential home to provide fragrance and improve the energy of the environment. Weekly visits were made to the local market for her to choose flowers for her room. Red flowers had a special meaning for her. The beautiful flowers and their fragrance, offered an opportunity for healing.
By Angela’s sixth visit, her voice was much stronger, though intermittently husky. At home, if under pressure, she would resort to whispering again. Nevertheless, she was expressing herself more fluently and on this occasion, she told me that she wanted a cat but it had to be a ginger one! She said that she had asked for a ginger cat a long time ago but no one had listened to her and she wanted to ask again. When her support worker came into the room at the end of the session, without any prompting , Angela repeated the request. She was told that enquiries would be made to see if this was possible. Angela left the room in a rosy glow of anticipation!
Bach Flower Remedies originally created by a Harley Street medical physician Dr Edward Bach, in the 1930s augmented the therapy. This safe and effective self-help is made up of thirty-eight plant and flower based remedies which help us to manage the emotional demands of everyday life. Each remedy aids a specific emotion. The remedies can be taken individually or mixed together and do not interfere with prescriptive medication.
Two weeks after her birthday, Angela went to an animal charity to collect her cat. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a ginger one but undaunted, she chose a black and white one instead. Excitedly, at her next session, she proudly declared ‘He makes me feel more happier’. She enjoyed taking care of her cat and surprise, surprise, her voice returned to normal. By patiently listening and observing, care staff found that Angela whispered when she was anxious and under pressure but when they talked to her and listened to her fears, her voice returned spontaneously. My work was done and help was no longer needed.
Angela took care of her cat and her appetite speedily improved, she had more energy and found a new boyfriend to spend time with. Although she felt unable to talk about the tragic loss of her previous boyfriend, she was able to channel and release her emotional pain through care of her cat, the support of her care staff and vocal toning. The black and white cat proved to be a great solace and comfort and the two of them would continue to spend many companionable hours together .
Angela was a tall, frail looking woman in her forties with dark hair and hunched shoulders. She spoke in a whisper and rarely made eye contact. Whenever Angela left the residential home in which she lived, she clung to her support worker, linking arms wherever they walked. She had been diagnosed with a genetic condition which limited her cognitive ability and affected muscular coordination. Her hands shook and she was often wobbly on her feet. Lacking confidence, Angela rarely spoke above a whisper and her care staff told me that they were concerned because she ate very little, becoming aggressive if pressured to eat or do anything she didn’t want to do. She was reluctant to talk to people, preferring to spend long periods in her room lying on her bed seemingly exhausted. Angela’s boyfriend had tragically died of heart failure a year earlier, I was told that the subject was never mentioned by Angela or the care staff within the home because they were afraid of upsetting her. This flagged up an area of concern.
For her fourth session, I referred Angela to a colleague for a head and shoulder massage, which she very much enjoyed. We continued with the tones and she said that she felt her throat buzzing in response to the throat tone. Spurred on by her progress, care staff were also booking in for holistic therapies and energy alignments for themselves. Fresh flowers were introduced into the residential home to provide fragrance and improve the energy of the environment. Weekly visits were made to the local market for her to choose flowers for her room. Red flowers had a special meaning for her. The beautiful flowers and their fragrance, offered an opportunity for healing.
whispering again. Nevertheless, she was expressing herself more fluently and on this occasion, she told me that she wanted a cat but it had to be a ginger one! She said that she had asked for a ginger cat a long time ago but no one had listened to her and she wanted to ask again. When her support worker came into the room at the end of the session, without any prompting , Angela repeated the request. She was told that enquiries would be made to see if this was possible. Angela left the room in a rosy glow of anticipation!
Bach Flower Remedies originally created by a Harley Street medical physician Dr Edward Bach, in the 1930s augmented the therapy. This safe and effective self-help is made up of thirty-eight plant and flower based remedies which help us to manage the emotional demands of everyday life. Each remedy aids a specific emotion. The remedies can be taken individually or mixed together and do not interfere with prescriptive medication.
Angela took care of her cat and her appetite speedily improved, she had more energy and found a new boyfriend to spend time with. Although she felt unable to talk about the tragic loss of her previous boyfriend, she was able to channel and release her emotional pain through care of her cat, the support of her care staff and vocal toning. The black and white cat proved to be a great solace and comfort and the two of them would continue to spend many companionable hours together .