From Linda's Desk
Linda Tellington-Jones, PhD (Hon)
TTEAM Connections Volume 11 Issue 1 January-March 2009
Dear TTouch Friends and Family,
As we enter the 9th year of this century, I find myself bathed in a feeling of intense joy and gratitude for the miraculous gifts in my life. I've very much enjoyed the messages of love and blessings that have been flying around the globe on the wondrous worldwide web!! And among my greatest gifts is each of you who receive this message and share this work with others. I enter 2009 with a deep sense of hope, and excitement knowing that each one of us can make a difference.
In spite of the worldwide challenges that are facing so many people, I believe this year we will experience many miracles and I am inspired, more than ever to empower people with the magic of TTouch. My computer dictionary defines miraculous as: "highly improbable and extraordinary and bringing very welcome consequences". So many of the TTouch experiences would fall into this category. I'd like to tell you some typical stories that keep me in a constant state of gratitude.
Austria: A Story of Hope
In October I taught my first one-day TTouch for You and your Horse workshop at a therapeutic riding center on the outskirts of Vienna. The morning session with 100 participants was staged in a spectacular castle that reminded me of the Sound of Music and in the afternoon we were in a riding arena surrounded by green pastures and mature forests.
In the morning session I lead the group through of the basic TTouches and they practiced on their own bodies and paired up to explore TTouch pressure and tempo.
Toward the end of the morning session one of the participants stood up and asked if she could tell her story to the group. Her name is Johanna Hershmann and her story was remarkable. Twenty years ago she attended a two week TTEAM training that I taught near Vienna. In the ensuing years she had TTouched her horses when they needed it, and occasionally her sheep and had kept up a little with some of the German TTEAM newsletters published by Annegret Ast.
Last spring, her husband, Hermann was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer that had spread to other parts of the body. One night in April he awoke in unbearable pain. The medication was no longer effective and he begged Johanna to help him. Miraculously the pain was reduced with gentle TTouches and she has been TTouching him daily for the past five months. She drove two hours from Graz just to tell me that he has been off medication and pain-free since that time and asked if they could have a session with me to give them some additional tips.
The following day they drove from Graz and Tanja Lasser (a TTouch for You Practitioner) and I spent three hours with them; observing the TTouches Johanna had been administering, marveling at their story and their love, and amazed at Tanja's cat, who spent much of the time on the table curled up against Hermann's head, giving him much appreciated comfort. I was amazed that after so long, with no further instruction, Johanna had TTouched Hermann beautifully and effectively, with two-pressure and two second circles. They agreed to allow Martin Lasser to film the session thinking their experience could perhaps give help and hope to others.
Just as I was ready to send the last edit to Robyn I received this email from Tanja: " I just called Johanna. They are on a good way and something wonderful happened. Before they left our home in October, I got an inspiration for a herb for Hermann which could help and I told Johanna about it. Two weeks later Johanna received a present in the mail from a girl-friend from Germany with the same plant to make the tea I had recommended. Johanna was sure that these signs were from Hermann's guardian angel. When she started to give him this tea for few days he had chemotherapy symptoms. But then it changed. She also found a doctor who helps now to support his recovery with herbs. She also told me that their relationship changed a lot with TTouch and he trusts her and they have now a deep connection. When some pain starts and she has time to TTouch, soon then the pain reduces. She thinks he is on a good way and he also stopped smoking.
On to Texas
More miraculous experiences occurred less than a month later. At the Texas weeklong TTEAM training Susanne York experienced a change that still gives me "chicken-skin" as the Hawaiians call "goose-bumps". On the second day of the horse training we took an hour to learn TTouch on each other as we always do, practicing Abalone, Lying Leopard and Coiled Python TTouches on backs and arms. When later Susanne began to apply the practice on a horse, she suddenly realized she could feel her palm for the first time since her MS had caused her to lose all sensation in her right hand. And low and behold, the following day she could feel even more of her hand. That was not the end of the chicken-skin experiences.
As we were sharing in circle the next day Susanne suddenly jumped up and excused herself. When she returned from the bathroom, exhilarated and smiling, she explained her abrupt departure. Due to the MS she had lost the ability to urinate without a catheter and had been dependant on it for years. This was the first time she felt the urge to urinate and could do so freely. It may sound too intimate to relate, but Susanne is an open woman and wants to share her miracle with others. Now, two months later, she has even more feeling in her hand and does not need the catheter.
It's stories like these that come through the worldwide web onto my computer everyday that keep me enthusiastic, inspired and energized.
Institute of Interspecies Connections
As you know if you've been reading the newsletter, in June I was appointed to be the director of The Institute of Interspecies Communication for Wisdom University. I began discussing concepts for subjects in which students could earn a Masters or PhD in this field with university director Jim Garrison, and program director, Claire Ryle Garrison. We have come to the conclusion, enthusiastically supported by our advisory board, that we should change the name to The Institute of Interspecies Connections. This offers a broader scope than what is normally thought of as interspecies communication.
Amy Phelps and Oakland Zoo Giraffe Study
One of the projects that clearly falls in the field of interspecies connections is the work that Amy Phelps has been doing with Tiki, a now-famous, much TTouched giraffe at the Oakland Zoo.
You may remember in the summer 2008 Newsletter Robyn published my letter to Amy Phelps who has been making such unprecedented strides in developing a new level of trust and connection with Tiki and other giraffes under her care at the Oakland Zoo.
Following is an excerpt from my email to Amy in which I wrote: "Dear Amy, I just awoke with an image in my mind from your power point presentation with a shape-shifting thought about your observation "that Tiki stood still for my TTouches for 30 minutes with far less food reward than was usual". This seems like a phenomena that deserves further study."
Here is Amy's response: "Dear Linda, It was a remarkable experience for me to have the opportunity to watch you work on Tiki and to be able to see where your intuition led your hands on her body. We focus so much of our training on doing what we call "generalizing the behavior," meaning that the behavior is so well trained and Tiki is so confident about being touched, that any stranger would be able to manipulate her body and she would remain relaxed. Allowing touch isn't specific to one keeper, but is generalized to all humans. I am used to seeing her tolerate the touch of, or interaction with new people...she will stand quietly, and she will eat, exhibiting relatively relaxed body language. The way she stood for you was different though. She didn't just tolerate the bodywork, but she listened to it. She was eating the food reinforcement, but was taking it and chewing it very slowly. She had one ear angled toward you the entire time but she never exhibited any body language indicative of stress or concern. Her respiration slowed and remained regular, her neck and shoulder muscles remained supple, and her eyes were relaxed and soft. The training we do to generalize the behaviors is successful ...anyone can touch her...but she isn't always enjoying it, and sometimes she's just putting up with it. I can see this difference clearly when you work on her vs. when others works on her who do not know about holding their intention or holding the picture of what they desire of the situation in their mind. That intention makes all the difference! She listens in so many different ways!
Additionally, when we get new keepers, or equine practitioners for the massage therapy, chiropractic, etc. she is very uncomfortable being touched by those who show any fear or reservation. If they are afraid of being kicked or are nervous working on such a large animal, their fear almost clouds the air. It makes me worry, Tiki worry, etc. Tiki is so sensitive and is so observant in the training environment that she's like a giant sponge. If presented with positive, loving, confident trainers she soaks in those feelings, the session goes perfectly, and Tiki really relaxes. When you worked on her, the result was even more remarkable! It was amazing!"
I am convinced that heart coherence and compassion play a major role here. I've been discussing the possibility of planning a heart coherence study with Tike with researcher Dr. Ellen Guhrke. Stay tuned.
Blessings and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou,
Linda
