Healing Script For The Skin

You are sheltering from a heavy shower on a tropical island
The rain drums on the roughly-thatched canopy over your head
And drips from its edges
All around the white sand is pitted with holes
And the calm sea is veiled with a cloud of tiny splashes

A light breeze caresses your skin
With the scent of the rain

Perfectly snug comfortable under here
And with nothing to do but wait for the heavy cloud to clear from in front of the sun
You can relax and enjoy listening to the rain

A single drop of water finds its way through the roof
And drips onto you, falling onto a patch of near-perfect skin
And it doesn't roll off immediately
It stays there
A glistening crystal dome over that particular patch of beautiful, healthy skin
Magnifying it so you can see each tiny pore
And each delicate hair
Amid a cris-cross pattern of very fine lines

What you are looking at is the outermost of several layers of skin
Which together form a protective covering for the body
Roughly 2 mm deep; the thickness of a book cover or a thin sheet of glass

Healthy skin appears smooth and soft and delicate on the surface
But its really a remarkably tough waterproof and germproof barrier
And much more besides
Because your skin also regulates your temperature by sweating
And by bringing blood to its surface to cool down
Or indeed constricting blood vessels to conserve warmth
You have a vast network of millions of these tiny blood capillaries in your skin
Which acts a reservoir for 1 tenth of all the blood in your body

And your skin is a highly sophisticated sense organ
Able to detect the lightest touch of a feather
To perceive heat and cold, pressure and, when necessary, pain

Even now you may be able to sense the weight of that droplet of water
As well as its coolness
And maybe you can even discern a slight difference in the colour of that patch of skin
As the tiny blood capillaries beneath the surface respond to its coolness.

The layer of skin that you can actually see
Is made up of around 25 layers of flattened dead cells like tiles
But although they are dead they are far from useless
Acting as a thin but effective shield, keeping moisture in and infection out.
These cells are continually being shed and replaced
By a steady progression of newer cells
Constantly replenishing the skin’s protective outer layer

Under the outer epidermis lies the inner layer, the dermis
Where there is much more going on
Here a scaffolding of collagen and elastin fibres forms a tough protein framework
Interwoven with hair follicles and sebaceous glands, branching nerves,
And sweat glands looking like twisted loops of spaghetti
All serviced by a filigree network of blood vessels
Busily delivering a never ending supply of life-giving oxygen and essential nutrients
And taking away debris

And at the bottom of the dermis is the where the subcutaneous fat cells collect
Creating a cushion of softness under the tough upper layers
And providing a ready source of energy in times of need

Your skin – the skin you can see under the water droplet
Right now has all this going on beneath the surface

But there is one more incredibly important function your skin performs
Because it also contains immune system cells
That act as a vital security system.
Constantly on the lookout for any foreign material or rogue cells
They are the first link in the adaptive immune response
Deciding which invaders to treat as a serious threat,
And which can be safely dealt with on a smaller scale

The immune system cells in this particular patch of perfect skin
Always make the right decision
So that they never miss a potential danger
Nor do they over-react
And this piece of skin positively glows with health

But it seems to glow with more than just health -
The droplet of water has now turned into a droplet of shimmering blue light
Which appears to be seeping right into the skin
Where it stops for just a second
As if to freeze frame that moment of perfect health
Before returning to the surface again
Where it once again becomes a droplet of ordinary water
And rolls down your body and disappears

Outside it is still raining.
Puddles have formed and rivulets of crystal clear water flow down towards the sea
Cutting winding channels in the clean white sand
But the air is warm
And the thought of cool water on your skin becomes irresistible
So you step out, barefoot, onto the wet sand and into the rain

The rain splashes onto your head
And runs deliciously down your face and neck
And feels so good, so cooling and cleansing
As if your skin has been thirsting for it

And then you notice something
As each drop falls on your skin it seems to turn into blue light
Just like the droplet earlier
Only this time the water brings with it the knowledge of the perfect health
Of that perfect patch of skin
And transfers that know-how
To every bit of skin it touches
So that as you become soaked in the rain light
Your skin is drenched in health

And you may just want to just stand here for a few moments
Feeling that cool rain pattering down onto your skin
Feeling it wash down all over you
And the blue light flooding into and between every cell in your skin
Cleansing, soothing and healing

Or you may want to bathe in the sea, which contains the same water
Completely immersing yourself in the cooling, healing water

And after a while the cloud begins to clear, the sky brightens
And the rain slows down and stops
Standing on the shore the sun comes out and a gentle breeze soon dries your body

As the last few drops of water roll off the palm fronds and onto the wet sand
The air is filled with birdsong and the pungent scent of damp soil
Already warming in the sunshine

The waves lap gently onto the sand
As you decide whether to return to the canopy
This time to shelter from the sun

And now take three deep, consolidating breaths
Before bringing your awareness fully back to the present time and place
And opening your eyes...