The Power of Touch

Our time here in India is coming to a close and it's time to reflect on the work we've done at the hospital. When I travel with Heart Touch to other countries, it is always an amazing reminder that the language of touch is universal. Even when we reach cultural taboos that we need to be sensitive of (like not touching the top of someone's head in Cambodia, or opposite genders touching in India), once we show what we are here for, the power of touch breaks down all of the barriers.

Our last day here consisted of a mini Heart Touch Training for several doctors and nurses (this training usually takes place over a few days when it's done in the US, but we wanted to let them experience it in the time that we had). We got to watch them, as the day continued, open up to receiving touch and giving touch--even to those of the opposite gender. And at the end of the training, we were all enveloped in hugs from every single participant. This was incredibly unusual for us, since most of the doctors and nurses didn't even shake our hands during the trip (the exception to that was when a male doctor would great our male volunteer).

 Shawnee starts the Heart Touch workshop.

 I start the NICU presentation

 Apparently, I am a very animated speaker. ha!

 Shawnee demonstrates some compassionate touch techniques.

 Eyes closed, ready for some interesting touch exercises.

Hopefully they will continue to use the tools we shared with them after we leave. And we now have enough of a foundation that when Heart Touch returns, they can train the hospital staff to be the trainers, so the education will continue and massage and compassionate touch will be regular part of the education at the hospital and a regular service that the patients receive.

Some of the Heart Touch volunteers with a few of the doctors who attended our workshop.

And I suppose this makes the constant headache I've had since arriving here worth it. ;)

Spreading the Heart Touch

India. Oh, India. The land of heat, traffic, incessant honking, crazy driving, horrible smells, pushing and shoving, sitting around waiting, flashing of male genitals, head bobbing, and hostility toward white people. I will be honest: it's not my favorite place.

But luckily, being inside the AIMS hospital is like being in a different world altogether. It starts with the way we're treated by the doctors and nurses. They are all so eager to learn from us, and so incredibly kind and welcoming. Another difference is that in the hospital, we can sometimes bypass the cultural norms that make touch (especially touching someone of the opposite gender) an issue. This makes our work less constricting while we're here.

Most of the time, we just start our day with a loose idea of a schedule, which changes drastically throughout the day. We could be working in one department and then we are told that it's time to teach a class or go to another department. Since I have the most experience in the nicu, I've been able to spend most of my time with the babies, working with them and even showing some parents how to do massage with their little ones when they take them home from the hospital.

A couple of us have also spent a lot of time teaching! I wasn't really expecting to do so much of that (or any of that!) when we planned the trip, but this is India--you just go with the flow! We put together some powerpoints over the weekend and my teaching partner and I have worked together really well presenting! Again, the doctors and nurses are very receptive and eager to learn what we're teaching, which makes it easy. And as we finish one class, we step outside and are ushered off to (surprise!) teach another group. So we've had some long days of running around the hospital, working and teaching and spreading the Heart Touch message. It's absolutely exhausting, but it's amazing to think of the program we're starting here. We know that this is going to become part of the education that nurses receive here and will become just a regular part of what they do with their patients and how awesome is it to think that we are the group that is paving the way for that to happen?