Tellington Touch: HAIR SLIDES
Contributed by:
Penny Case, Tellington Touch practitioner
Long days training for Tellington TTouch certification often concluded with us students practicing specific TTouchs on each other. Giving and receiving in this way
was a powerful, multifaceted learning experience, as well as a pleasurable way to release tension and stress. Each TTouch has its own gifts, but one stands out in
my memory as the ultimate in relaxation…. The Hair Slide. Even when the person working on me was a nervous, sometimes self conscious beginner, hair slides
transformed me from tired, tense and cranky into dreamily relaxed all over. To my surprise, giving hair slides was also relaxing, though not as much as receiving,
of course. J
Here’s some of what Linda Tellington-Jones says about Hair Slides in her book “Getting In TTouch With Your Dog”:
“Doing Hair Slides in an excellent way of making a connection with your dog. It provides a pleasant experience that is helpful with dogs that are afraid of being
groomed.
HOW TO
Hold a small tuft of hair between your thumb and index finger, or use the spaces between the fingers of your flat hand, to gently slide up from the root of the hair
to its end. Start as close as possible to the roots of the hair and follow the lay of the fur. If you do your Hair Slides slowly and gently, you will build a calm,
deep relationship with your dog. Note: on a longhaired dog, run your fingers through his hair with a gentle pull as you might run your fingers through your own hair.
HEAD
Most dogs like slow, gentle Hair Slides on their heads. With this TTouch you can calm down a nervous or fearful dog, and build a special relationship. Helpful for
dogs that suffer from panic attacks, or bark or whine constantly. Keep your dog’s head still by placing one hand under his muzzle.
SHOULDERS
Dogs that pull on the leash, or are hyperactive, nervous or high strung are usually very tense in the shoulders. Hair Slides done on a large area with the
fingers of your flat hand lead to deep relaxation. (‘large area’ is relative to the size of your dog!) Support the opposite shoulder with your other hand.
On longhaired dogs, separate your fingers and glide upward through the fur.
BACK
Hair Slides can be an enjoyable introduction to TTouch bodywork for dogs that do not readily accept other TTouches. Hair slides on the back create more awareness
and flexibility in a gentle and loving way. Work large areas with your whole hand, smaller areas with your fingers.
(if the dog’s hair is to short to do Hair Slides, lift the dog’s skin up gently with your thumb and index finger and slide along the hair while letting go of the
skin very slowly. ) “
As always, take a few slow, deep breaths before you begin, exhaling tension and stress. Feel the bottoms of your feet on the ground; imagine roots growing from
your feet deep into Mother Earth. Focus on you and your dog. Set aside thoughts until later. They’ll wait! Enjoy!
Editor’s Note:
Penny Case is a Tellington Touch Practitioner, and can be reached at Star9fish@aol.com. Thanks to Linda Tellington Jones
for the descriptions of TTouches, and so much more!
For more information, books, DVDs and more For more information, and to order
books, videos, and more, visit http://www.tellingtontouch.com.
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