experiences situations or projects in their lives that appear obvious.

As far as I’m concerned, this obvious situation struck home when I heard Dr Patrick JOUHAUD speak about DOCOSTEOCAM at an osteopathic seminar. Almost two years later, well, I’ve just come back from a wonderful human experience which lasted two weeks. Two weeks practising global osteopathy in a difficult communication context: impossible to know the history of the people, their complaint, their problems. Treatment is given just according to the age (sometimes approximate) of the patient, and just the notion of headache, stomach ache, back ache… and that’s all! And it’s no real problem! Our hands discover the rest, testing, sensing. Osteo-articulary techniques are secondary but sometimes necessary, with visceral, cranial and somato-emotional manipulation being the priority.

Taking into account the historical context of this country, the environment, the origin of the patients we saw in the hosting centres, you can see quite clearly what every osteopath in the world knows: the body memorizes physical shocks, but also psychic and emotional shocks. The abdomen, the back, the head, all parts of the body may have scars, wounds of the soul. When people agreed to place all that in my hands, I tried to receive them with respect, with prudence, without any a priori or interpretation. During this moment of exchange, there was no point in speaking; on the contrary, I made myself as discreet as possible to let the tissues relax, melt in my hands. Sometimes, nevertheless, I wanted to “guide” things a little towards a balance which the patients, especially the children, could not remember since they had never actually experienced it. Moreover it was amazing to see the difference in sensations between the beginning and the end of the session. We could also see this in the difference between the children who had already been treated the previous year or not. And they are well aware of what’s happening, because at several places they were waiting for us: they didn’t really know what we were doing but they knew it was good for them.

Another human aspect was the solidarity in the group: even if each of us worked in our different ways, I always managed to find support, technical assistance or just a sympathetic look when I was in difficulty.

To conclude, I was touched by certain encounters that I will keep to myself, through the commitment of people such as Dr SIN Sotikun, the DOCOSTEOCAM team, Mme OUM Sophea Pheach, and so many others.

With such results, one thing is now clear …..

I will be going back next year!