Naked Laughters

by Liu Xiao Hong (Dalian, China)

Very early on, I have heard of stories about the amazing effects of a Touch for Health balance. With a heart full of curiosity and anticipation, I walked into a Touch for Health Synthesis class on 27 November 2008.

Second day into the workshop and I had an opportunity to be a volunteer in a demonstration balance. It was a 14-muscle fix-as-you-go balance. I clearly remembered my goal in the process, “I accept what I am at the current level.� Once the goal being stated, I felt my body leaning forward, with a rush of anxiety bubbling up. I had no idea of what I was anxious. All I knew was that I was sweating continuously all over. The course facilitator, Mr. Conrad Ho, guided me to notice my physical changes. I was aware my body was heating up but my sensations were increasingly numb, like the time after I had just recovered from a serious sickness. When he did spinal reflex rubbing on my L5, a strong sensation surfaced and I could feel my tensed muscles around the area gradually relaxed naturally. Just like a heavy burden being let down. My mind and body finally got a real rest. After the balance, I lied on a yoga mat at the back of the classroom for the whole morning, sound asleep.

This balance changed my belief that persistence was thinking and working nonstop, until project completion and attainment of my required standard. After the balance, I knew persistence had alternating work and relaxation built into it. Learn to rest (both physically and psychologically); rest is change of states. Treat the body nicely.

In the nineth day in the Five-Element Sound Balance, I had grown out of myself. Since my childhood, I had strictly followed the path set by my mother; she wanted me to be obedient, to be nice, to be lady-like, and so be it. However, as I grew up, I discovered that I was in fact very active and energetic. I began to dispute against the rules and limits that my mother imposed upon me. Conflicts sparked. As the daughter, I longed for being the darling in the eyes of my mother. Before her, I tried to repress my emotions; no loud laughters, no swearing, attention on manners and details. From it, I had become used to hiding emotions and showing only reserved expressions. I was not living my true self. New friends all thought of me as lady-like, but dear friends knew the authentic me could be wild and boyish.

In this five-element sound balance, I was to laugh. Though smiles always hang on my face, I could not laugh then. Instead, I had the urge to cry. So, I just let go, releasing the anger and discontent repressed for so long deep inside me. I acted like a little girl, doing just whatever came into the mind without second thoughts. I cried, yelled, disturbing everybody around. I did all that were forbidden as a kid.

After this balance, I could relax to laugh from the bottom of my heart, unrestrained, unreserved, unreeling the authentic me, smoothly in a flow, transparent and brilliant. Conrad termed it “naked laughters�. Thanks to Conrad, the workshop facilitator! Thanks to Ms. Zhang Chang, my balance facilitator in this five-element sound balance. And also thanks to myself, Liu Xiao Hong, who can whole-heartedly exhibit my naked laughters from then on.
* This report is extracted from the website of the China Network of Registered Touch for Health Instructor