Bodywork at The Haven

By Elfi Dillon-Shaw

Touch lives in the skin, which truly is the outside surface of the brain, through which we gather information and interpret it. Caring touch relaxes, unkind touch leads to unhappiness. The absence of touch, “skin hunger”, is a feeling of being alone in the world. This isolation shows up as a deep malaise of body, mind and spirit.

The body, mirroring planet earth, has rivers of blood and lymph, soft matter like earth, winds of breath and solid systems of bony support. All are contained within the boundary of skin. Touch creates movement and flushes out rigidity by bringing in oxygen and nutrients.

Bodywork is skillful, educated touch for the promotion of health – physical, mental and even spiritual well being.

Several modalities of bodywork are offered at The Haven. Massage Therapy stimulates circulation and muscles directly. Jin Shin Do Acupressure addresses the energy flow of the whole being. Hawaiian Lomilomi brings wave-like sensations of restorative balance. Reflexology uses the feet as holograms to touch the entire person. Structural Integration works to bring alignment of posture. All these modalities promote greater body/self awareness and trigger the innate healing capacities of the body.

Elfi Dillon-Shaw is a registered massage practitioner, The Haven’s Bodywork Coordinator and a member of Haven faculty. She has several programs on sexuality coming up soon, including Stirring the Cauldron (Oct. 23-25), For Play (Nov. 19–24) with Gary Dillon, and Conscious Sexuality (Nov. 26–29) with Linda Nicholls and Gary Dillon.