Month: February 2018

Esoteric Breast Massage: Quackery and Titillation or Transformational Healing Modality?

by Eunice J Minford MA FRCS Ed. Consultant General Surgeon, N.Ireland

 

Let’s be honest, what are your first thoughts when you hear or read the words “Esoteric Breast Massage?” Disbelief? Shock? Revulsion? Laughter? Desire to ridicule? Think it must be dodgy? Quackery? Woo-woo medicine? Something sexual? And a ‘no way I would have that done!’  How many of you ladies, on first hearing the words ‘esoteric breast massage’ without knowing what it is, think – ‘Oh yes I must have one of those!’?? In my experience, many women (and men) have some form of reaction like those described when first hearing those words and before knowing and understanding what it is really about. I know I did. So you’re not alone!

 

Breast Massage – it must be sexual, right?

It’s interesting isn’t it, how the insertion of one word can significantly alter our perception and approach to massage. There is no issue with saying back massage, leg massage, head massage, foot massage, hand massage – there is no laughter, ridicule, guffawing, innuendo – we pretty much accept that all these areas can be and are massaged and can have a beneficial effect on the body – but as soon as we mention the word ‘breasts’ – the shutters come down, we back off and perhaps think ‘no way’, ‘not on my body’ or those of a different gender endeavour to sexualise it, make jokes, innuendo comments & ridicule – showing they haven’t really moved past the schoolboy age of ten where breasts are concerned; titillation (pun intended) being the order of the day. Yet, given we can have beneficial effects from massage on many other parts of the body, surely it’s also possible that esoteric breast massage can assist us with our healing and self-caring approach to our health?

Even though there is absolutely NOTHING sexual about an Esoteric Breast Massage (EBM), the media and others, including conventional doctors, immediately assume there is, or must be and that anyone promoting or partaking in such a modality must be dodgy, perverted, into quackery, on a ruse or have a few screws loose. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have been vilified and ridiculed by the media and castigated by those who are ignorant about the technique, how it works energetically and its energetic benefits. Although Serge Benhayon initiated the modality and trained practitioners through simulation, he has never performed an EBM on any client or practitioner, and it is a technique that is only performed by women on women. Continue reading “Esoteric Breast Massage: Quackery and Titillation or Transformational Healing Modality?” →

Quality of life or quality in life?

by Jane Keep, London UK. 

In medicine, and in life, ‘quality of life’ can be used as a measure or as a way of making decisions.

Quality of life has many definitions including:

  • “The general well-being of a person or society, defined in terms of health and happiness, rather than wealth.” (1)
  • “The standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group.” (2)
  • “The patient’s ability to enjoy normal life activities.” (3)
  • “The degree of satisfaction an individual has regarding a particular style of life.” (4)
  • “A patient’s general well-being, including mental status, stress level, sexual function, and self-perceived health.” (5)

In health, decisions can be made based on quality of life e.g. helping patients make decisions about treatments, decisions about a care pathway through a particular illness, disease, or surgery, and decisions about end of life care. In our lives we can also make healthy living decisions about our quality of life – e.g. exercise, countryside walks, certain foods or nutrients. We also make quality of life decisions based on where we live e.g. to live in the countryside or in a certain town or village, and about what type of work or where we work e.g. flexible hours, or somewhere that is easy to commute to.

Whilst these conversations and decisions are important, do we ever consider our quality in life?

What if our quality in life is equal to or more important than our quality of life?

What’s the difference between our quality of life and our quality in life?

Continue reading “Quality of life or quality in life?” →