About the Metamorphic technique

Simple basic guidelines for giving a Metamorphic Technique session

As presented by Sylvia Briault, a teacher member of the Metamorphic Association, and Gaston Saint-Pierre

Sit at right angles to the person so that you demonstrate detachment and being “out of the way” of directing the session.

Take the right foot on your lap and feel the foot quite firmly, all over. This avoids any ticklishness and gets you used to the feel of the foot.   Then start working with a light touch on the bony ridge on the inside of the right foot to the ankle bone, touch below that bone the side of the heel, go from below the ankle right across the ankle to below the outer ankle bone.  These are the reflex spinal areas.  Touch also the top corner and the lower corner of the big toenail from time to time.  Do this for about fifteen to twenty minutes (see chart if you need to refresh your memory).  When you are ready to finish, give the foot a firmer touch and perhaps hold it in both your hands for a moment to signify you have completed that part of the session, and gently place the foot back on the floor.   If the foot feels cold, ask the person if they would like to replace their sock or shoe.

Repeat with the left foot.  You can either remain where you are and use your thumbs more, or, if you feel awkward in that position, then move your chair to the other side.

It is quite common to yawn, sneeze or even burp whilst giving sessions.  It is simply a release of energies passing harmlessly through.

Let the person put on their shoes and socks if they wish before you take their hands.  Throughout the session, keep a detached attitude of mind, i.e. noticing the facts of the foot, or about the person, acknowledging the presence of these facts, and letting them be.

For the work on the hands, make sure you place each hand, in turn, (usually right first) on a cushion and check that the person’s arm is supported and comfortable. Work on each hand on the reflex points (check on the diagram if you are unsure) for about five minutes or so and then stroke the hand to finish and perhaps hold it briefly for one moment.

You will need to change your position to work on the left hand.

Now work on the head (see chart for reference) on the reflex points for roughly ten minutes.  It is better to stand behind the person so that you allow them their private space, and also, not to talk unless they ask you questions.  The touch should be light so that the head does not move around and be careful with long hair that you do not catch individual hairs.

Touch the person lightly on the shoulders when you have finished and say quietly that you are going to wash your hands. This gives them time to re-orientate themselves and re-focus.

Wash your hands in COLD water to remove any energies (hot water tends to make the energies stick) just as you wash earth from your hands after working in the garden.

The Conception Pattern Hand Symbol or 'The Circle of Light'

This is a more abstract approach to the Metamorphic work and one which Robert St. John used frequently himself.  It is a matter of personal choice whether you feel you can "take this on board" and use it or not.  I use it myself on a fairly regular basis and feel comfortable with it and have always felt results. When you feel helpless in a difficult situation, it is a very positive thing to do.

Everything that we are now was there, in potential, at our conception.  By receiving sessions of the Metamorphic Technique we are continuing that growth and becoming more ourselves…expanding the potential that was there at conception.

By using this hand symbol, and holding the reflex points for conception on each hand, it is like returning to the conception of the problem or situation whereby it is possible for transformation to occur.

In using this hand symbol, we are in a way acting as a catalyst for our own life force, and, guided by our own innate intelligence within, it somehow releases the highest potential to manifest in the situation.

It is important not to direct or visualise an outcome, just as we do not manipulate a physical session.  You simply mentally place the situation, person, animal…into the space between your hands and allow the energy of it to transform in whatever is the most appropriate outcome for that situation.

You can use it anywhere, at any time, and as frequently as you wish, and you hold it for as long as it feels right - this maybe a couple of seconds or several moments or longer.

Simple Etiquette and other aspects of a session

Explain that people are free to remove their feet or hands at any time during the session or to request you to stop.

Ensure that your finger nails are not too long otherwise catching or scratching can occur and is uncomfortable for the person receiving.

Jewellery.  For the comfort of your ‘client’ it is better to avoid wearing heavy, chunky jewellery whilst giving sessions, but it shouldn’t be necessary to remove your wedding ring, engagement ring or watch.   Work around your ‘client’s’ jewellery unless they offer to remove it.  We always try not to “re-arrange” people.

Feet.  Make sure your ‘client’ is sitting comfortably and that you, yourself, are at ease and at right angles to them.  Adjust with cushions where necessary.

Hands.  Ensure that your ‘client’s’ arm is well supported and that they are relaxed.  It is important also for you to be in a comfortable position and not straining your back or twisting awkwardly.

The Head.   Do not “re-arrange” your ‘client’.  If someone has plaits, a bun, a ponytail or is wearing a Jewish cap, just work over and around.  Make sure your touch is light and that you do not pull or catch the hair.  Only speak if spoken to, whilst working on the head, as this allows your ‘client’ their own space.   Some people go very deep and they need a little time afterwards to re-orientate.

Coldness.  Occasionally someone will feel extra cold during a session. It is the deep movement of energy patterns.  Offer to cover them with a blanket and reassure them it is a temporary experience.

Stomach noises.   Many people find their stomachs making loud noises.  Reassure them that this is normal and quite common.  It may be the deep movement of energy patterns.

Coughing and pains.   Very occasionally, as people release their deep patterns, it can affect related parts of the body.   Someone may say they have a momentary pain in a leg, for example.  It usually passes quickly, but ask them if they would like you to stop at that point.

Similarly, if a communication aspect is suddenly cleared, someone may have a tickle in their throat.  Just offer a glass of water and explain that it will quickly pass.

These are practical aspects but, nevertheless, important for the integrity of the Metamorphic Technique and the comfort of the recipient.

How do I explain the Metamorphic Technique?

Simply say that it is a unique and completely fresh approach to health and wellbeing whereby our ingrained patterns of thought and behaviour may be transformed.   We may then cope with situations in life in a more positive way. It happens so naturally and so subtly, that we literally “find ourselves doing and saying things” in a totally different way.   This has a ripple effect on those around us, and life tends to flow with more ease and less stress.

Explain that we do not work with symptoms…we are dealing with the whole person in their entirety, and the Metamorphic Technique triggers the life force within the person to act with greater creativity and to move in the most appropriate way for him or her as a unique individual regardless of whether they have MS, ME, cancer, arthritis, a broken heart, or no apparent outward symptoms or problems.

It frequently happens that as people experience metamorphic sessions and their patterns begin to transform, symptoms become less noticeable and sometimes disappear completely.   However, it must be made clear that we cannot make claims for the Technique because every person is unique and will respond differently.  What we can promise with absolute certainty is that whether someone feels it or not, patterns transform and changes happen

You can say that physically it takes the form of a light touch on the spinal reflex points on the feet, hands and head, but that the Practitioner, unlike therapies and treatments, remains detached in a positive way, and does not manipulate, massage, direct, or in any way influence  or interfere with, the important transformation taking place.    This is a vital aspect of the Technique and it is a total allowing, with integrity, of what needs to happen for that person.

How do I explain how the Technique works?

It is extremely difficult to explain how it works, even for me as a teacher, and even for Robert St. John as the creator of the Metamorphosis work, from which the approach called the Metamorphic Technique was developed by Gaston Saint-Pierre who gives great importance to an attitude of mind called detachment.  The following should help:

Our bodies retain the memories of all that happens to us from the moment of conception.  When an experience affects us strongly, the thoughts, emotions and beliefs connected to that memory can set up energy patterns in which we become stuck.  In a sense they keep us stuck in the past and we cannot move on.

These energy patterns can express themselves as physical or mental illnesses, emotional problems, limiting attitudes or repeating patterns of behaviour like addiction.   This is why so many people repeat the same mistakes in life, like wrong marriage partners, disastrous jobs and constant criminal activity.

Many of our energy patterns are embedded into our spine and skeletal structure, one of the most important parts of us to be physically formed following conception, and when the practitioner uses a light touch on the spinal reflex points of the feet, hands and head, it activates these energy patterns so that they can be brought to the surface, released and transformed.

This light touch also triggers the life force within us so that we move in the right direction and utilise our potential.

It sometimes helps to explain to people that no matter how many qualifications we may possess, or how many degrees, and no matter how experienced we feel we may be, it is still not really possible to know what is absolutely right for another human being because we cannot see their thought patterns or what has transpired in their lives and their minds, to bring them to this point.

Yet the life force within the person directs them completely and unerringly in the correct way and it is why the practitioner does not direct or interfere with this amazing process.

Can people have Metamorphic Technique sessions whilst receiving medication, treatment, or during pregnancy?

Absolutely!   The Metamorphic Technique is perfectly safe to use whilst people are receiving medication or undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, in fact, it has been found to reduce unpleasant side effects and reactions to treatment in some people, and others have reported that their pain has lessened.

It is completely safe during pregnancy and has been proved to be beneficial both to the mother and the developing child.  From letters and reports that have been collated over a period of time, it has been found that pregnant mothers who have regular Metamorphic Technique sessions feel the first movements of their babies a whole month before the normal accepted time and generally experience easier births and more contented babies.

Can terminally ill or stroke patients receive and benefit from the Technique?

Yes, very much so.  It can be most soothing for these patients to receive the gentle touch, although care must be taken to ensure that the patient is in as comfortable a position as  possible and only receives the touch on the areas they are most comfortable with, or which are accessible.   For example it may be possible only to do the feet or hands if a patient is lying in bed, unable to sit up.  Or sometimes, just to work on the head for someone in a wheelchair can make a huge difference.

The Metamorphic Technique has been found to ease the transition of a patient where the end of their life has approached.

Do I need to take any medical details about illnesses or operations before I begin a session?

No. The Metamorphic Technique is absolutely safe to use in any situation.  No questionnaire or medical details are necessary because we are working with the life force within the person, and not manipulating, massaging, diagnosing or treating in any way.

What records do I need to keep?

Just the briefest possible, and preferably in written form because at the moment that does not fall under the Data Protection Law.  If you keep personal details of people on your computer, then you need to be registered under this Law in the U.K.

All that is needed is the date of the session, the name of the client/friend/family member, and a telephone number in case a session needs to be rescheduled.

What do I say when people ask how many sessions they should have?

Explain that unlike therapies, treatments, doctor’s consultations, etc. we do not advocate a course of six or ten sessions or to come back in a fortnight.

Say that once their life force has been activated by the first session, they will instinctively feel if they need another one.  It could be one week, two weeks, or longer.  It is best for them to telephone you and make an appointment when they are ready.  Some people can accommodate change more easily and are fine with weekly sessions, but others need more space in between or they can start to feel vulnerable and insecure, especially if they are working people. (Those on holiday can have sessions more frequently).  If a patient, client or friend still wants to book their next time immediately following their session, re-assure them that they are welcome to ring you and change the day if it doesn’t feel right when the time comes.

How do I work with children?

Depending on the age of the child see that they are seated on a suitable chair, with cushions if necessary, and feel comfortable.

The time spent on feet, hands and head will be variable and much shorter than with an adult, perhaps 20 to 30 minutes in all.  Observe the child and see how they are coping with the session and work accordingly.    Very often a child will pull their foot or hand away when they have had enough, whereas with the head, they may shake it or simply push your hand away.   Respect that their life force is dictating what is right for them.

For children with learning difficulties it is best, where possible, to show the mother, father, or both, how to do the Technique so that they can work with their own child.

Some general points to remember:

• It is the life force of the person with whom you are working that is bringing about the movement and transformation of patterns.  It is not your energy or expertise.
  
• You must not seek to heal, cure, diagnose or direct an outcome.  The person's life-force and innate intelligence can do this.  We never make claims for the Technique.

• The work on the feet brings about the movement of energy patterns.

• The work on the hands literally helps us to handle the changes that are occurring.

• The work on the head helps us to understand and accommodate what is taking place concerning these changes in our lives.