Bushmen of the Kalahari

BEATA ALEKSANDROWICZ is the co-founder of Pure Massage – and is a passionate believer in the importance, the power and the healing properties of TOUCH. She has throughout her career chronicled how touch, at the most basic level, transforms lives.

“It is only through touch that we can really begin to trust another human being and from there begin to communicate. Touch is greater than words, for often we just use these words to lose the silence that surrounds us, BUT when we touch, barriers begin to come down and true communication begins”, she says.

And there is no more powerful example of this than her two recent visits to the Bushmen in Namibia’s Kalahari desert. When she first met them last year, during her research into different healing and massage techniques, there was silence.

Gradually over the days of the visit barriers began to disappear when Beata was first given permission to touch them – gently, on the arms, the shoulders and the heads. Massages followed and words began to spill out. It was immaterial that the words were in another language, everybody began to understand.

On her second visit, early this year – silence had no place, even from the very beginning. Words, laughter, songs and hugs heralded her return. For the power of touch had kicked in, established its credence and bound the visitor and the family together. This time they asked her for massages – to help them sleep, to help remove worries, to soothe tired muscles. But most of all so that they could unburden themselves about their lives, their worries and their hopes.

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