Everything changed when a few days ago the five-year-old daughter of my friend asked me 3 questions we usually ask meeting someone new:
1. ‘What’s your name?’
2. ‘Where are you from?’
and 3. ‘What do you do?
The first and second one was easy. ‘My name is Izabella and I come from Poland, which is far away from here.’ I answered, but the third one…
‘I’m a body listener and storyteller, but instead of listening by my ears and telling stories with my mouth I use my hands.’ I responded spontaneously surprising myself. ‘How so?’ She asked me with wide eyes in surprise.
‘Someone comes to me, we chat a while, sometimes we drink delicious herbal tea, and after that, she or he lays on my massage table. The table is pleasantly warm, even during the winter season, and it is very comfy.’ I started, giving myself some time to think about how to develop it further.
‘This table is like a bed? And then, what? How do you listen and tell stories to the body? What are these stories?’ – She asked one question after another.
‘Yes, my massage table in a way is like a bed’ – I answer the easiest question giving my self some to think about the rest of them, and after a while, I continued:
‘When this person is laying comfortably on my massage table, I take a big breath, and close my eyes.’ I said and added: ‘It’s easier to feel when eyes don’t disturb you.’
‘Aha’ – she said with a deep understanding and continued listening to my further explanations.
‘I touch the body, very gently at the beginning – it’s like saying ‘Hello! It’s nice to meet you. How are you doing today?’ And it’s all without a single word, using hands only. And then the body begins to tell its stories. My hands listen carefully, moving smoothly around the body; Head tells me its own story, then neck, spine, stomach, both legs, and hands, even the smallest finger.
‘Ah … what are the stories?’ she inquired.
‘These are very different stories. Some of them are pleasant even funny, but there are also unpleasant stories about fatigue, helplessness, full of anger, grief or sometimes deep sadness’ I said, and continued’ ‘You know, when you experience something nice, for example, a warm day on the beach with lots of fun, your body will remember it, and this pleasant memory will cause a relaxed and nice feeling in your body. Otherwise, when you experience something unpleasant, for example, farewell with your best friend, and sadness because of that – your body also will remember it, but it will cause some discomfort in your body. Some parts of the body or the whole body may become tense, stiff, or even painful. Have you ever notice that? When you are sad or angry, have you noticed some unpleasant feelings in your belly too?
‘hmm, sometimes it happens‘ she said and became sad.
‘You see? And our body remembers all these stories and collect them in our belly and also in our muscles, bones… Pleasant stories cause relaxation and nice feelings but these unpleasant ones, well, after some time they might cause some problems, bigger pain and sometimes even diseases.’ I said. She nodded understandingly, looking sad again, and asked me
‘Can we not ‘remember’ these unpleasant stories, or forget them?’ I was really surprised at her deep level of understanding of my explanation and after a while of reflection, I answered
‘When our body tells all these unpleasant stories, then it doesn’t have to remember them anymore.’ I said.
‘Oh, I understand now, and you listen to these unpleasant stories. And then the body can forget them and not get sick, right? – she said enthusiastically.
‘That’s right’ – I said and admitted ‘Sometimes there are too many of them at once and I invite this person to visit me again.’
‘And now tell me about the stories you tell to the body’ – she said pointing at me.
‘OK’- I said, sighing with relief, and thought ‘This should go easier’.
‘I only tell nice stories.’
“Like the bedtime stories my mommy tells me?’
‘Maybe a bit, although probably in my stories happens less.’ I answered, smiled, and continued.
‘Just like you fall asleep listening to your mum’s story, the same happens with the person lying on my massage table. She or he relaxes and falls asleep listening to my handmade storytelling; Sometimes I even hear slight snoring.’ – She giggled joyfully, and in a moment she continued her inquisitive questions.
‘What your stories are about?’
‘There are lots of stories. One of them is about a sunny day on a white sandy beach. White fluffy clouds flow across the blue sky, and ocean waves gently touch the sand. Tall coconut trees move smoothly against the blue sky…’
‘Coconut trees don’t grow on the beach.’ – she said very seriously.
‘In Hawaii islands, where these stories come from, they grow’ – I replied slightly mocking her.
‘Hawaii islands?’ – she asked with curiosity.
‘Yes, stories, I tell, originally come from Hawaii, the islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are like New Zealand but slightly smaller. And all these stories are really about the same, our true nature. Hawaiians call it the Aloha state. And these stories bring relaxation and peace to the body and remind the body how to feel truly happy and healthy. Our body sometimes forgets it, especially when it remembers more unpleasant than pleasant stories, you know…?’ It was probably too much and too boring for her, so she briefly said
‘Oh …’ and ran to play with her brother. She did it so quickly so I couldn’t tell her ‘I’m grateful for your inquisitive questions! Thanks to you I finally understood what this is all about and what I really do.
’ And from now on, when someone asks me “What do you do? I have a great answer: ‘I am a body listener and storyteller, but I use my hands instead of ears and mouth.’
