Trust through touch: “Wabi-Sabi” in action – Rosalia Cranfield

“The cure of the part can not be attempted without treatment of the whole” – Plato

I remember having my first deep cleanse facial treatment when I was 14 years old.  I completely fell in love with the experience.
Feeling like my acne was the centre of attention I went in self-conscious and very anxious.  That was swiftly transformed as the therapist abundantly lathered her hands with a cleansing milk and enveloped my face in the nourishing elixir.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I was immersed in the tranquillity of the moment. With a big smile on my face, the delight was palpable as I surrendered, trusting fully in the process. Ever since that day, I wanted to be a Somatologist, creating  an environment that would evoke a similar experience  as that facial did for me. After matriculating, I followed that  dream and trained as a Somatologist at the Adele Institute in Cape Town.  Unfortunately, at that time the earning potential for a Somatologist was low. I worked from home on a part-time basis, simultaneously taking on full-time employment as a legal secretary at a prestigious law firm in Cape Town.

I advanced my massage-training on a regular basis and  developed a passion for therapeutic body work.  In 2000 I started working as a freelance massage therapist at the Cape Grace Hotel, and a few years later I set up their Spa. I created a unique treatment menu in line with the Cape Grace brand.  This incorporated local elements and evoked rituals from the traditional African roots which honour ancient processes of healing for these people.

Over time, I identified a common request from the Spa guests to “Fix me!” Both physical and emotional fatigue was evident in their bodies, caused by prolonged stress. My standard response to these guests highlighted that I could not fix them within a week, ongoing care throughout the year was necessary.  This inspired me to establish Creative Touch.

Creative Touch is my business.  Our  team of therapists provide each employee at various corporate companies in Cape Town a 20-minute massage at the person’s workstation or designated area.  This massage is more than just a sequence of techniques that manipulate the soft tissue of another using the hands. It is a completely integrative approach to each individual’s wellbeing.

Touch is our first experience of trust.  Moreover, when touch is experienced in a safe environment with healthy boundaries in place, healing awaits both the giver and the receiver on various levels.

At Creative Touch we understand that pain is an element of human existence.  We respect the pain of another and know how to just “be” for healing to take place.  Whilst mindful of their own pain, our specialised therapists are able to provide the optimum environment for such synergistic healing to occur without demanding a knowledge of any finer details. True “Wabi-Sabi” in action.

For more info on these curated experiences have a look at these articles:

https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/sports-leisure/spas-africa-242186/

https://metro.co.uk/2004/10/07/a-lesson-in-grace-262080/

https://variety.com/2005/scene/vpage/cape-escape-1117934562/

If you would like a curated treatment for your spa or venue, you may contact me personally:  rosalia@creativetouch.co.za