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Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch
THEOSOPHY AND THE ARTS PROGRAM - 6 WEEKS
Music, Dance, and Theosophy - Juliana Cesano & Dan Smolla
Myth: A Once and Future Map to the Inner Landscape - John Algeo
Theosophy’s Influence on Visual Artists - Pam Lowrie
Mystical Poetry and Theosophy - Dan Smolla
Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
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Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a contemporary healing modality drawn from ancient practices and developed by Dora Kunz and Dolores Krieger. The practice is based on the assumptions that human beings are complex fields of energy, and that the ability to enhance healing in another is a natural potential.
TT is used to balance and promote the flow of human energy. It is taught in colleges around the world and has a substantial base of formal and clinical research. This research has shown that TT is useful in reducing pain, improving wound healing, aiding relaxation, and easing the dying process. It can be learned by anyone with a sincere interest and motivation towards helping others.
Download handouts:
Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch
Theosophical Principles Reflected in Healing Arts
Discussion questions
(For general discussion questions on Theosophy and the Arts click here)
Healing, or facilitating the healing process, definitely belongs in the Arts category because it so involves the subjective interpretation, guidance, and channeling of powerful spiritual forces, arguably the same process that occurs in any art form. As well, for any healing discipline to be practiced at a high level, just as in art, there must be a significant combination of discipline, craft/technique, and natural talent.
Because this healing art so crucially depends on the healing intention of one person to another, for this class to be truly effective an experienced practitioner of Therapeutic Touch should be on hand to conversationally clarify major points and to demonstrate. Additional online resources to those already given may be useful in helping you find a TT practitioner to come and share with your group. Click here and here.
If your group cannot locate a nearby and willing TT practitioner to visit, it may also be interesting to have a healing practitioner in another alternative spiritual healing practice visit. It seems the goal for the class should be to discuss the nature of spiritual healing in general.
If logistics make it impossible for your group to have a practitioner of TT or another alterative spiritual healing discipline in person, you might try one of the audio or video resources we list at the end of this post, any of which can be borrowed from our library.
The following questions or talking points might first be given out to the group for individuals to share/respond, with the final comment given by the guest Alternative Healing practitioner.
1) Share experiences with TT or another alternative healing method.
2) The word “heal” has roots in the word “whole.” How does meditation heal or make one more whole?
3) Why do you think an “ethic of service” is an important principle of TT?
4) Why do you think an acceptance of all religions and spiritual beliefs is am important principle of TT?
5) Why do you think it is important in TT to let go of attachment to results?
6) What is the difference between feeling compassion and being compassion?
Proposed activities
1) The root of the word “heal” comes from “to make whole.” In this context, what sort of practices in daily life heal, or help to make one whole? What sort of practices in daily life might be considered destructive, or encouraging of division?
2) Dora Kunz had a breakthrough realization with energy fields. She intuited that if she could determine the pattern and rhythm of an energy she could work with it. Not as subtle as TT, but still useful, would be our own recognizing of harmful patterns and rhythms of destructive energies in our own life.
a) Have the group discuss this concept briefly, including the way it might apply psychologically to behavior.
b) Then, prefacing by clarifying that no one has to share what they write, have group members meditate for a few minutes in silence, and then do five minutes of free-writing on a destructive energy in their own life which was helped by recognizing its rhythms and patterns. (Free-writing is a practice in which one never stops writing, even if it means spending a minute repeating the phrase, “I do not know what to write now.”) The energy one free-writes about might be as simple and subtle as a fear that was helped through detailed observation. Group members who feel comfortable with doing so can share their insights and experiences.
Resources:
(For general resources on Health and Healing click here)
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Krieger, Dolores, Clinical Aspects of Therapeutic Touch, AR 0093-2
- Krieger, Dolores, Developments in Therapeutic Touch & Other Healing Practices, AR 0137-2
- Krieger, Dolores, Living the Therapeutic Touch: Healing as a Lifestyle, AR 0154-3
- Krieger, Dolores, Therapeutic Touch, AR 4913-3
- Kunz, Dora, A Conversation with Dora Kunz, CDA 0285
- Kunz, Dora, A Practical Teaching Session in Therapeutic Touch, AR 0501
- Kunz, Dora, Spiritual Aspects of Healing and Therapeutic Touch, AR 4697
- Kunz, Dora, The Use of Healing Energy in Therapeutic Touch, CDA 0169 or AR 0748
Videorecordings
(VR: videocassette)
- Hartley Film Foundation, Therapeutic Touch: Healing in the New Age, VR 0446
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch: A Home Study Course for Family Caregivers, VR 0970
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch. Clinical Applications, VR 0756
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch. Theory & Research, VR 0754
- Nurse Healers-Professional Associates, Therapeutic Touch: The Vision and the Reality, VR 0922
Music, Dance, and Theosophy - Juliana Cesano & Dan Smolla
Myth: A Once and Future Map to the Inner Landscape - John Algeo
Theosophy’s Influence on Visual Artists - Pam Lowrie
Mystical Poetry and Theosophy - Dan Smolla
Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a contemporary healing modality drawn from ancient practices and developed by Dora Kunz and Dolores Krieger. The practice is based on the assumptions that human beings are complex fields of energy, and that the ability to enhance healing in another is a natural potential.
TT is used to balance and promote the flow of human energy. It is taught in colleges around the world and has a substantial base of formal and clinical research. This research has shown that TT is useful in reducing pain, improving wound healing, aiding relaxation, and easing the dying process. It can be learned by anyone with a sincere interest and motivation towards helping others.
Download handouts:
Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch
Theosophical Principles Reflected in Healing Arts
Discussion questions
(For general discussion questions on Theosophy and the Arts click here)
Healing, or facilitating the healing process, definitely belongs in the Arts category because it so involves the subjective interpretation, guidance, and channeling of powerful spiritual forces, arguably the same process that occurs in any art form. As well, for any healing discipline to be practiced at a high level, just as in art, there must be a significant combination of discipline, craft/technique, and natural talent.
Because this healing art so crucially depends on the healing intention of one person to another, for this class to be truly effective an experienced practitioner of Therapeutic Touch should be on hand to conversationally clarify major points and to demonstrate. Additional online resources to those already given may be useful in helping you find a TT practitioner to come and share with your group. Click here and here.
If your group cannot locate a nearby and willing TT practitioner to visit, it may also be interesting to have a healing practitioner in another alternative spiritual healing practice visit. It seems the goal for the class should be to discuss the nature of spiritual healing in general.
If logistics make it impossible for your group to have a practitioner of TT or another alterative spiritual healing discipline in person, you might try one of the audio or video resources we list at the end of this post, any of which can be borrowed from our library.
The following questions or talking points might first be given out to the group for individuals to share/respond, with the final comment given by the guest Alternative Healing practitioner.
1) Share experiences with TT or another alternative healing method.
2) The word “heal” has roots in the word “whole.” How does meditation heal or make one more whole?
3) Why do you think an “ethic of service” is an important principle of TT?
4) Why do you think an acceptance of all religions and spiritual beliefs is am important principle of TT?
5) Why do you think it is important in TT to let go of attachment to results?
6) What is the difference between feeling compassion and being compassion?
Proposed activities
1) The root of the word “heal” comes from “to make whole.” In this context, what sort of practices in daily life heal, or help to make one whole? What sort of practices in daily life might be considered destructive, or encouraging of division?
2) Dora Kunz had a breakthrough realization with energy fields. She intuited that if she could determine the pattern and rhythm of an energy she could work with it. Not as subtle as TT, but still useful, would be our own recognizing of harmful patterns and rhythms of destructive energies in our own life.
a) Have the group discuss this concept briefly, including the way it might apply psychologically to behavior.
b) Then, prefacing by clarifying that no one has to share what they write, have group members meditate for a few minutes in silence, and then do five minutes of free-writing on a destructive energy in their own life which was helped by recognizing its rhythms and patterns. (Free-writing is a practice in which one never stops writing, even if it means spending a minute repeating the phrase, “I do not know what to write now.”) The energy one free-writes about might be as simple and subtle as a fear that was helped through detailed observation. Group members who feel comfortable with doing so can share their insights and experiences.
Resources:
(For general resources on Health and Healing click here)
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Krieger, Dolores, Clinical Aspects of Therapeutic Touch, AR 0093-2
- Krieger, Dolores, Developments in Therapeutic Touch & Other Healing Practices, AR 0137-2
- Krieger, Dolores, Living the Therapeutic Touch: Healing as a Lifestyle, AR 0154-3
- Krieger, Dolores, Therapeutic Touch, AR 4913-3
- Kunz, Dora, A Conversation with Dora Kunz, CDA 0285
- Kunz, Dora, A Practical Teaching Session in Therapeutic Touch, AR 0501
- Kunz, Dora, Spiritual Aspects of Healing and Therapeutic Touch, AR 4697
- Kunz, Dora, The Use of Healing Energy in Therapeutic Touch, CDA 0169 or AR 0748
Videorecordings
(VR: videocassette)
- Hartley Film Foundation, Therapeutic Touch: Healing in the New Age, VR 0446
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch: A Home Study Course for Family Caregivers, VR 0970
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch. Clinical Applications, VR 0756
- National League for Nursing, Therapeutic Touch. Theory & Research, VR 0754
- Nurse Healers-Professional Associates, Therapeutic Touch: The Vision and the Reality, VR 0922
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