“Letting go – Calatonia in Massage Therapy” – by Meredith Dalglish
What happens when your spouse of twelve years suddenly said, “I don’t want to do this anymore – I’m leaving.”? The love of my life, the person I had planned to grow old with, simply wanted out. The hurt, the shock, the unending questions battering my psyche with the reality that it was over, this my second marriage.
They say that if things blow up in your face once, blame the other: if they don’t work out twice, blame yourself. I didn’t want to blame anyone; I wanted new wisdom, a spiritual awakening on a higher level. This was my challenge. I went through therapy, the Alexander Technique, I did Reiki. I still meditate, practice Chi Gong, dance and walk daily. I ask for strength and courage to be strong, and to face my fears.
A fascinating Brazilian Technique for “letting go,” called Calatonia, propelled me on my path of self-discovery. Mark Kockkodan, a licensed massage therapist at the Florida Natural HealthCare Center in Pembroke Pines introduced me to the practice. After several months, I have made great progress with emotional issues of letting go. I know it is not healthy to carry ancient emotional baggage. I also know how hard it is to release it – to see that growing up in a dysfunctional family shut me down in certain ways, I also see that the negative relational stuff in my love life must be released to bring in new connections.
Calatonia, also called the subtle touch of letting go, was developed by Dr. Petho Sándor, a Hungarian doctor who settled in Brazil in 1949, using research he initiated in Europe’s refugee camps following World War II. Because of war scarcities, Dr. Sándor began to experiment with touch and gentle manipulations of patients’ extremities. Health care professionals in clinics, preschools, and rehab centers now utilize Calatonia in Brazil.
The Calatonia process relaxes the patient with gentle touches to the foot, calf and neck regions, where the body’s most sensitive nerve concentrations are located. In subsequent sessions, these touches may include the hands and cranial areas as well.
It often stimulates emotional memories stored in the body. They can be experienced as reactions or movements. The process can also bring up visual images that are important clues to understanding emotional blockages. Physically, Calatonia can also reduce or eliminate complaints such as depression, stress migraines, asthma, and hormonal disturbances.
After a few months of treatments, I am now feeling stronger and calm. I know that Calatonia’s holistic changes vary for each person. However, I have made great strides I moving beyond my divorce and feel more balanced than ever.
Article published in “Conscious Living”
January/February 2002 Vol. 6 No. 1