Who Am I?
My name is Harald. Through this business, I want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. My passion for health has led me to establish my own foundation as well as to work as a massage therapist. Here you can learn more about my vision and the reasons behind my decision to become a massage therapist. The connection between body and mind is central to this.
With A Touch Of Love, I offer personalised massages in which attention, genuine touch and a broader perspective on health are central. I believe that massage is about much more than just physical treatment.
My journey into massage
I started running when I was around six years old. During the winter months, cross-country competitions were held. Cold and sometimes wet: races through the woods and across open fields.
As the youth competitions became more serious, we began using various aids to improve our performance. To protect ourselves against the cold, we often used a type of Tiger Balm to keep our muscles supple during the winter months. Before competitions, we helped each other massage the balm into our muscles. This was actually my first experience with any form of massage.
Even after that, massage remained mainly a hobby. My parents did physically demanding work and regularly benefited from a massage to relieve the aches and tension caused by their work.
My vision of touch
Do you ever find yourself completely lost in your own thoughts?
For many people, this is a familiar experience. In a busy or stressful life, we are often mainly focused on everything we still have to do. We spend much of our time in our heads, while paying less attention to what our bodies are trying to tell us. Tension in the shoulders, shallow breathing or fatigue can easily go unnoticed.
That is why I see massage as a way to bring both body and mind back to a state of calm. For me, massage and mindfulness have a lot in common. Through touch, space is created to become aware of what you are feeling and to reconnect with your body.
That is why I pay particular attention to tension, posture, breathing and movement during my massages. It is not just about relaxation during the massage itself, but also about helping you become more aware of your body’s signals. This awareness is something you can carry with you into everyday life.
Massage is therefore both a moment of relaxation and an opportunity to reconnect body and mind.
Did you know that touch can help lower cortisol and adrenaline levels? And that it can increase oxytocin levels?
"De-stressing" is often easier said than done. Massage can be an accessible way to release physical tension and, in doing so, experience greater mental calm as well. The changes that touch can bring about in the body’s hormonal balance may help support this process.
Did you know that oxytocin is also known as the "cuddle hormone"? But don’t worry, I’m not going to hug you!
Read more about the science behind touch
For pain and physical complaints
Pain often has both a physical and a mental dimension. After an injury or accident, for example, you may develop a fear of using your body freely again. Moving within a pain-free range and gradually building up activity can help you regain confidence in your body. Massage can contribute to greater freedom of movement.Massage can help break the cycle of pain, tension and fear, allowing you to gradually regain confidence in your body.
Why touch matters!
Touch is one of the most direct ways in which people connect with one another. From the very beginning of our lives, loving touch plays an important role. This is an idea I carry with me in my work: every person, regardless of age, deserves attention, peace and genuine human touch.
Read more about the science behind touch and health here
More than my massage practice
My interest in health goes beyond massage alone. I believe that health does not exist in isolation, but emerges from the connection between body, mind and our environment.
Driven by this belief, I also founded Whole In One (WIO), a charitable foundation committed to a broader, more holistic approach to health, with prevention, awareness and restoring balance at its heart.
My massage practice and the foundation are closely connected. Through A Touch Of Love, I am building my own income, allowing me to dedicate most of my time to WIO on a voluntary basis. I receive no salary or director's remuneration from the foundation, only reimbursement for expenses incurred.* This allows the foundation's resources to remain as available as possible for its charitable objectives.
It is a conscious choice, rooted in the same conviction: health deserves attention, and everyone deserves the opportunity to take an active and mindful approach to their own wellbeing.
Curious to learn more about my broader vision of health?
Read more about the foundation here
*Expense reimbursement is limited to a maximum of € 2,200 per year