Just so you can feel better acquainted with us, here are a few words about us and about this special place in Beit Lehem Haglilit.
Kesem Hamaga is a spa in Bet Lehem Haglilit which is one of the jewels of the Galilee with a scenery resmbeling the french provance.
The owners - Yoram and Nehama Medan are a couple aho combine strong partnership in life and work. They have built Kesem Hamaga as a place that uniquely combines couples therapy, alternative medicine and a pampering spa.
We asked Yoram and Nehama how this place was conceived
Nehama answers: "we were married at the age of 19 after 4 years together. Very soon our first son arrived along with financial difficulties and all the hardships young couples have to face, so we had to deal with our couplehood in order to survive as a couple... We went to couple's therapy, awareness classes etc. and eventually ended up with a couplehood that supports each of us growth.
At a certain period when we were each busy with our matters (Yoram - as a farmer and a guide to parents groups, and I - as a social worker), we went to study shiatsu together. It was there where we encountered a world of touching and the wide effect of touch on both mind and soul.
We know that if this was working for us, it could work for many other couples, so we decided to combine our love of touch therapy with our occupation and belief that investment in couplehood is worthwhile - and from there to the establishment of Kesem Hamaga which specializes in couples therapy and recreation.
What exactly do you mean by "Our love to touch therapy"?
Nehama - "Touch is our first connection with the world and so it is the best way for relaxation by giving and receiving support. Researches have proven that those who have not received enough touch on their first years may develop slower that others. Touch is the support we yearn for most of our lives, even as grown ups, and we all enjoy a nice intimate touch.
Sadly, in today's busy and stressful world, married couples know touch mainly as something that comes along with or leads to sexual intercourse. What we do is invite the couples to use touch as a source for support and closeness, and of course that can also contribute to their sexual lives (which we do not deal with here)."
What is the profile of your clients?
Yoram - "Ever since we started working, hunderds of couples from a very wide aray of backgrounds visited us: starting with couples who only met a few weeks ago, going all the way to couples who have been married for thirty yesrs or more. The only common grounds for those couples is the will to invest in teir couplehood. We veen had a couple of grandparents, and they all speak of an "energy boost" to their relationship.
For example, we had a couple who are both psychologysts who tried the "Duet" which is a 4 hand massage along with a therapist.
We started with a experiential processto develop the sensitivity to touch, and during the massage we focused on the "here and now" and on the enjoyment of giving the touch that makes our partner be attentive and calm."
What do you mean my focusing on the "Here and now"?
Nehama: "Because of the stressful life we have, people have the tendancy to be absent minded and difficulty to relax and be with their partner.
They come here to relax, but instead of enjoying the atmosphere of this place, the scents and the therapy their mind is still busy with things they have to prepare for the next day, with their bank credit, trouble with their chilren and a thousand other things which make it hard to enjoy this rare experience. We teach them to really let go and let themselves enjoy together."
What really happaned to the psychologysts?
Yoram - "They enjoyed the professional care along with the touch of their spouse, and even sent over a few of their friends.
We just had a young newly married couple who chose the "Harmony" which is a couple's massage after which you go back to an experiential process of movement and music dealing with the relationship, the difference of rythems, and the ability to bridge those gaps and acheive harmony.
This couple left of to their new way with an unforgettable experience and the understanding that in order to enjoy one another you must lkearn how to enjoy yourself and that it is important to respect your partners' "alone" time."
