It made me think of my Mom
I remember how my mother used to stroke me to sleep in the evenings. I must have been four or five and I shared a room with my older sister.
She would sit at the edge of my small bed and gently caress my hairline and temples. All I could think was that I never wanted her to stop. Sleepiness was already washing over me, but I wanted to stay awake, just to prolong the touch.
Pretending to be clever, I would turn toward the wall and keep one eye half open, so I wouldn’t accidentally fall asleep. My mother would continue stroking and softly say, “just close your eyes now.” I always wondered how on earth she knew I was still peeking.
This memory returned to me many times while stroking my own children to sleep. Often I thought they were already asleep, only to hear a little voice whisper, “mom, please continue.” Sometimes a small hand reached for mine and silently guided it back to their hair or shoulder.
Both of our children grew up with this nightly ritual, from the time they were babies. Later, when they were school kids, even on those days that ended in arguments or slammed doors, after a while, a reconciliatory voice often called from the bedroom: 'okay, now you can come stroke me.
It Made Me Miss My Mom
I can still remember clearly one of my very first AUVO clients: a father in his fifties, who had come to treatment out of curiosity after a friend’s recommendation. At the very end of the session, he began to sob and his voice trembed as he said: “I miss my mother. No one else has ever touched me that way.” I think I was moved in that moment as well.
I have since heard those same words many times, from women and men of all ages: “It reminded me of my mother.”
Many clients reflect on how different the touch in AUVO feels compared to other forms of massage or bodywork. They are surprised by the variety – how many kinds of touch are woven into the session, and how differently those touches feel compared to each other. Some describe certain moves or moments as particularly special, unexpectedly pleasant, or strikingly different from what they anticipated.
Respectful and nurturing touch
In recent years, touch has sparked much discussion. In the #metoo era, uncertainty about what kind of touch is acceptable and what is not has left many people confused. Most of us know what it feels like to experience unwelcome touch. Hopefully, all of us also know the comfort of safe, caring touch.
As an AUVO practitioner, I can offer safe touch, in a safe environment. It always happens with the client’s consent, and always by their own choice. If someone doesn’t wish a part of their body to be touched, that wish is always respected. Because the session is done fully clothed, the client’s personal space is honored from the start and preserved throughout, even as the practitioner stays close and in continuous contact. The touch remains respectful and nurturing from beginning to end.
In AUVO Practitioner trainings, I often tell students to imagine, in certain moments, that they are “stroking a child to sleep.” This image captures exactly the tenderness, calm, and gentleness we seek in those moments of the treatment.
If I could add one thing to this world, it would be more motherly, loving touch.
