WELCOME
Are you WORRIED, STRESSED, IN PAIN, OVER ENERGISED, TENSE, UNABLE TO SLEEP?
ARE YOU A PERSON WHO JUST ENJOYS THE PLEASURE OF A LIGHT BACK, NECK OR FOOT TICKLE?
We are based in North West England and offer a tickle, touch and laughter therapy service. These include those gentle relaxing tickles many of us enjoy, and also the more livelier tickle which encourages laughter and that a customer may require.
Both have many health benefits.
CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO INTRODUCTION
A TIME TO FEEL GREAT ABOUT AND WITHIN ONESELF
After our own study of 153 people, we discovered 30% of people enjoy a foot tickle and 60% enjoy a back or neck tickle. Yet less than 20% have the opportunity to be given such an enjoyable pampering.
Over half of the UK adult population have received a massage session, many on a regular basis, over 25% claim to have a massage just for the pampering. Yet, to receive a relaxing tickling session is virtually down to a family member or friend.
WHAT IS TICKLE THERAPY?
There are two types of tickling. First, there is the Knismesis method. That is the gentle relaxing tickle described above. The other type is the Gargalesis method, which is used to encourage involuntary laughter, known as laughter therapy. Both have their benefits, and will have an effect on stress, pain, worry, tiredness, anxiety, being over energized, weak immune system, to name a few.
Both types of therapy encourage the body to produce endorphins into the body, also known as the happy hormone.
ABOUT US AND HOW A SESSION WORKS
About us:
We are a group of dedicated practitioners who dwell in having a chance to give a service we enjoy, in order to make people feel better about and within themselves. We want you to feel totally comfortable and relaxed during your session, it is our number one prerogative. We like to be known as being approachable, trusting and reliable.
Booking:
You select the type of session Knismesis or Gargalysis. You select the length of time.
After a few health questions we can book you in.
Session:
Session takes place in a private, quiet and relaxing environment. You can request music, relevant sounds, certain aromas or just silence
With an agreed understanding, throughout the session, you will be in complete control of all movement and direction.
THE BENEFITS OF TICKLE THERAPY
Many Physiologists and scientists agree, tickling therapy benefits us emotionally, physically and mentally.
The top reasons people struggle to feel relaxed are lack of sleep, pain, anxiety, worries, stress and anything linked to these issues e.g high blood pressure. Tickle therapy helps reduce, relieve and in some cases demolish these hindrances, it also gives our immune system a boosting. Here are the main benefits.
AIDS SLEEP: Both the Knismesis and Gargalesis tickle aid in sleep. Both types of therapy reduces stress, and encourage a good mood. A good mood naturally helps you sleep. The Knismesis tickle has the calming effect and increases relaxation, sometimes to the point of the ticklee in need of awakening. The Gargalesis tickle encourages the burning of energy in a joyful way by the involuntary movement of muscles, hence encouraging a healthy tiredness, just like a session of exercise. Long term and regular gargalesis has also been proven to balance the nervous system
STRESS AND TENSION RELIEF: Tickling therapy releases endorphins into the body, known as the happy hormone, this has an undoubted effect on relieving stress and improving health. Gargalesis produces a lively attitude, and of course laughter, well known as the best medicine, it is impossible to dwell on worrying thoughts when laughing, and Knismesis produces an inner calmness, a time to reflect and get lost in the moment. Tickling generates a feeling of well-being therefore it manipulates tension. As well as discouraging stress and tension related illnesses, tickle therapy is very useful before a challenging situation e.g, driving test, interview.
PAIN RELIEF: Both forms of therapy encourage the body to increase endorphins, known as 'happy hormones, and therefore help increase your pain threshold. It also reduces pain by a significant amount, some universities claim by up to 50% with the Gargalesis tickle.
It is also important to note that pain signals cannot block skin impulses of being tickled. Knismesis tickling overcomes pain, it deadens the pain stimuli. Being gently tickled or stroked activates specialised nerve fibres in our skin, giving a unique indescribable feeling of pleasure.
The Gargalesis tickle produces laughter and laughter increases your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles. You then get caught up in a laughter/endorphin circle. The more you laugh, the happier you become, and the happier you become; the more you laugh! Afterwards, you just feel great! Bliss!
The effects of the endorphin release by both tickles can be felt for up to 12 hours afterwards.
A CHANCE TO TALK: Many customers enjoy a silent session, whilst others have pointed out they enjoy the sessions for the chance of simply chatting and talking in confidence as an added bonus. As much as we enjoy providing tickling therapy, we enjoy a good old chat, or simply to just listen. Many people lack the opportunity to just talk to another human being. One of our priorities is discretion and confidentiality, without it, a comfortable relationship between tickler and ticklee would not exist.
ENDORPHINS DOPAMINE
ENDORPHINS are proteins that reduce pain and emotional stress and trigger “good” feelings. Whenever we feel enjoyment, we are experiencing endorphins being released. Endorphins overpower and block the feelings of pain, same as codeine, morphine etc. The big difference of course, endorphins are a completely natural way to improve your quality of life. The feeling of endorphins can be a sense of well-being, euphoria, excitement, joy or simple calmness, depending on the situation in hand. They can be a rush of feelings or a time of tranquillity.
Endorphins will:
a. Relieve Pain
b. Reduce your risk of mental health conditions like depression and help manage them if they do develop
c. Protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, possibly by reducing inflammation and stimulating the growth of brain cells and blood vessels
d. Helps your brain use energy more efficiently
e. Relieve stress and the effects it has on our body, mind and wellbeing.
f. Reduces inflammation
g. Relieves Anxiety
h. Make us feel good about ourselves
DOPAMINE
Both dopamine and endorphins are associated with making us happy. The two are related yet by no means the same. Dopamine gives us the feeling of pleasure, a result of endorphins working in the central nervous system.
Laughter Therapy
I challenge you to make yourself laugh. Not easy is it? It is a shame since laughter truly has a powerful positive effect on our wellbeing. It tends to involve someone else or something to make us laugh e.g a comedian, a person tickling us. For most people it is impossible to tickle yourself and cause laughter, why? Our brain is pre-warned of what's coming so does not respond. It has to be taken by surprise.
Nobody truly knows why we respond with laughter when tickled. Tickling can lead to intense pain or annoyance, yet we still laugh, there are only theories as to why we laugh.
There is such a thing as laughter therapy, it is a therapy in itself and extremely beneficial for a person's health and wellbeing. Laughter provides a full-scale workout for your muscles, as well as releasing a rush of stress busting endorphins.
A study has shown how beneficial regular laughter is, just in relation to a healthy heart and reduction in strokes alone. Yet, there are many many more benefits (below). Norman Cousins published a book 'Anatomy of an Illness', explaining how laughter helped him manage two hours of pain free sleep.
Laughter tones your muscles and improves your respiration, and your immune system is boosted which helps you to resist disease.
There are several methods of encouraging laughter, both humorous and non-humorous, we deal with the latter, which is known to have a higher effect.
We encourage laughter, by discovering the parts of the body which are ticklish, and cause a reaction of involuntary movement and laughter, simply by tickling at random moments.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER THERAPY Click here for more benefits
1. It boosts your oxygen intake.
2. Our guffaw hinders a response to stress.
3. Laughter can indeed increase our immune system since it triggers the escalation of infection-fighting antibodies
which finally elevate the immune cells level.
4. Just the tears we shed when we laugh decreases our stress levels
5. Michael Miller, a cardiologist in University of Maryland has proven laughter is ideal for people who suffer from
diabetes. It manages to maintain sugar levels in our blood, and keeps blood pressure low. (much more research
needed on this subject however)
6. Burns calories, approx 40 calories in 15 minutes.
7. Growing fears become less. The feeling of fear changes.
8. Makes you feel more light hearted about problems and worries. Receiving some tickle therapy before a driving test,
or a nervous challenge would be very beneficial.
9. A mood conversion. I enjoy it when a child sulks, and you pull a face in which they just have to respond with an
uncontrollable smile or laugh. Laughter then rids the sulky mood.
10. Laughter is very good when pregnant, it increases oxygen intake which benefits the baby greatly.A stressed mother
can have a negative impact on an unborn baby.
11. Laughter inhibits the cortisole hormone that is responsible for stress and hampers the blood flow to the placenta
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Below is a list of questions we have received.
1. How can I trust the person who will be tickling me?
It is essential a trusting relationship develops between tickler and ticklee. We do not randomly select people to become a tickle
therapist, they are given a questionnaire, DBS checked, personality checked and given a practical test,and we must sense their heart is into it. A reason we record each session is to add that little bit of security to both parties. However, trust is not instant and cannot be forced, should you decide to continue with tickle therapy, trust will hopefully develop.
2. Suppose I am not enjoying the session?
Feeling comfortable communicating is essential here. We want you to be honest and open about your experience. We will already have an idea of your preferences, but you will need to point out during, before or after the session your thoughts and ideas of where to improve and your preferences. We appreciate vocal guidance whilst giving the therapy.
3. Can I select the gender of the tickle therapist?
Under most circumstances, the gender can be chosen. We understand, many are more comfortable with a particular gender, and comfort is priority.
4. How often would I need Gargalesis tickle therapy?
There is no set amount. It all depends, what you are experiencing in life, how you are feeling inside. Are you feeling unfit, drained, tired, confused, angry, nervous, anxious, stressed. Are you in pain? Does your immune system need a hand? These are good times to have a gargalesis session, however, a session once a week will encourage all the many benefits mentioned previously. A lot of people have said, just knowing a session is due, is enough to cause laughter.
5. I struggle to walk, does a session have to take place on a massage bed?
We would prefer it to take place on a massage bed, yet we accept some people are unable to place themselves onto one. We are happy to give therapy whilst you are sat on a chair or sofa, but there are areas of your body we will be unable to work on e.g the back and sides.
6. Does the therapy have to take place in my home?
Yes and no. For the introductory visit, and the first session, it must take place in the clients home on the ground floor. This is for security reasons. Afterwards, it can take place in another persons abode, within the area we cover. However, we also do group therapies, in which different rules apply.