◆ MYOFASCIAL RELEASE ◆

Advanced bodyworker

The concept of touch is not as straightforward as it might seem. Touch encompasses a range of unique meanings and interpretations learned throughout life from both positive and negative events. Touch perception represents how touch can mean something different to everyone.

BY RUTH DUNCAN

Touch has two components. The touch stimulus and the perception of the touch. The touch stimulus is the ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ of touch.

This means that your brain becomes aware of what you are touching or what is touching you. It also becomes aware of where you are being touched and also the type of touch called touch discrimination. Touch discriminating refers to the specialised receptors in your skin and soft tissues that detect loads in the form of vibrations or sheer and varying pressures. Importantly, touch stimulus has no meaning, or perception, attached as the information the receptors receive and transmit to the brain is raw sensory data. These are the ingredients of the cake, but the cake is not made until the brain adds the meaning of touch drawn from the overall context derived from all your other primary senses, your prior experiences, beliefs and many unique personal traits. This results in the perception of touch.

The perception of touch can take on different forms, from caring and comforting to sensual, damaging or painful. For example, relaxation is a perception. It is a meaning derived from an experience. This means that we cannot provide a relaxation massage as all you offer is the touch stimulus, but it is the client who constructs the meaning resulting in the perception of relaxation. There are no receptors in the skin or soft tissues that are specialised to detect relaxation. Instead, relaxation is the meaning of the entire experience.