2020 for the BodyTalk Outreachers in the Philippines began with a roar!
On January 12, 2020, Taal Volcano which sits on a cool blue lake in Batangas, suddenly erupted, spewing fire and ashfall to as far as a 30-mile radius on the island of Luzon.
Philippine BodyTalk Outreachers wasted no time in assisting hapless refugees — providing them with necessities (food, medicine and clothing) and mental, spiritual and emotional support through BodyTalk. At least a thousand Taal evacuees were introduced to BodyTalk Access techniques, while those with serious cases of distress and trauma received full BodyTalk sessions.
BodyTalk Outreacher Marie Neritha Labadan said, “It was a significant contribution. Government resources were limited, and no international aid was allowed to come in by Philippine President Duterte.”
This man revived from what he felt was the onset of a heart attack with the help of BodyTalk Access Trainer Remar Soliza.
Thrice, the Outreachers were able to hold BodyTalk Access training workshops at public school basketball courts and makeshift shelters in the town of Santo Tomas, Batangas. They taught evacuees the powerful do-it-yourself techniques using picture-only manuals. The workshops were made possible through funding from Dr. Janet Galipo and Be Healthy Foundation.
Interestingly, a fourth workshop was held with dog lovers and volunteers who had rescued some 400 pets from their disaster-stricken homes. Alan Along and Remar Soliza, trained in energetic work with animals, felt richly rewarded by huge shifts that happened that day. The pet dogs stopped being listless after their remote sessions, with the most problematic relaxing in the middle of the court and every dog following suit. Visibly calmed, the dogs soon appeared ready to be adopted or returned to their masters.
The Outreachers were ecstatic. Gina Lee said, “It was work cut out for our project, which aims to support Filipinos who have little or no access to medical doctors and quality healthcare.”
Then, in February 2020, Outreachers were about to revisit refugees from the volcano eruption when news of the pernicious COVID-19 came. BodyTalk Outreachers had to pivot to help victims of the pandemic. Through virtual chat, members of the BodyTalk matrix planned daily activities that included an energy exchange with one another, sharing of healing experiences, a demo video clip on Facebook, and a daily offering of BodyTalk Access to those brave ones on the frontlines in the home country and abroad. Boosting the Outreachers healing work were a series of matrix sessions done internationally. Upon invitation of Canadian practitioner and Outreach founder Dorothy Friesen, international practitioners Amanda Bartley, Elizabeth Hanson and Cassandra Clegg generously gave of their time, with exceptional results. None of the members of the Philippine matrix fell to COVID in the past 5 months of quarantine.
Annie Lao spoke for everyone when she said, “We learned a lot from the matrix sessions — about ourselves, about BodyTalk and energy medicine, and about the importance of practice.” Warmest thanks to our global friends!
It was exhilarating to feel the collective energy bursting from a tragedy. Rather than be stymied by the deadly virus, the BodyTalk matrix expanded in ways it had not seen before.
Story submitted by Marilen Abesamis