It saddened me years ago to hear that in many schools, teachers are not allowed to hug students.  How grateful I am to have spent years teaching Sunday school for special needs students!!  The “no hug rule” does not exist there.  For the most part, it is the main rule.  We have gotten to be a society so caught up in inappropriate touch, that we are afraid to touch at all!! 

According to a study conducted years ago by Tiffany Field, Ph. D. at the University of Miami School of Medicine’s Touch Research Institute, evidence has shown that touch doesn’t simply feel good, it can actually heal.  Let’s explore just a few things a very simple thing like touch can do.

Touch can:

• lift depression
• decrease stress hormones
• improve sleep
• increase immune function
• dramatically enhance the improvement of premature babies
• help with aggression

Compared to with other cultures, Americans are touch-deprived.  Cross cultural studies have shown that America has one of the lowest rates of casual healing touch in the world.  Most people don’t realize that the more technologically advanced we get, the less we use human touch.

                                     http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/Research.html

It is easy to see throughout the years how we close ourselves off from one another more and more.  I often suggest to people to rent an old Doris Day / Cary Grant movie where there is an office scene in the movie.  What will you notice?  No cubicles!!  We actually used to be able to see the other human beings we worked with!  Now we close ourselves off.

No matter how hard we try, nothing can take the place of human touch.  Marie Hernandez-Reif, the Director of Pediatric Development at the University of Alabama, believes that touch is considered one of the earliest forms of healing and that we need to get it back.

This, by far, is the main reason I have been a massage therapist as long as I have and why I am such an advocate for getting our  massage parties into as many homes as possible across the country and the globe.  We Need Touch!!  For anyone wondering if they should have a party, think about the huge healing and health benefits you are providing to your friends and yourself!  For those of you that may be therapists or have a friend or family member that is, realize it is not about knowing the latest or most detailed technique – JUST YOUR TOUCH does so much to each person who receives it!

I would like to personally thank anyone who is not afraid to touch others and willing to share 2 very important powers with the world -

The Power of Touch  and The Power of The Party!

          Although our participation at RAGBRAI each year is not an official Massages For Charity Internatinal party event.  We wanted to share the photos with the MFCI community because the first three years that our co-founder did massage at RAGBRAI she donated 50% to different charities.  Therefore RAGBRAI was one of the factors of how the concept for the MFCI parties began.  The first year 50% went to Red Cross for Iowa flood victims.  Second year 50% went to MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support).  Third year 50% was given to each church in each town that RAGBRAI stopped at.  Therefore we thought to include because it is a fun annual event that not everyone knows about and we wanted to share it.  To learn more about the RAGBRAI event you can go to their website http://ragbrai.com/ 

Today’s blog is a link to a very simple  interview with Ryan the Massage Nerd at the World Massage Festival. Please let me know what you think and share it with your friends!!!  http://youtu.be/mc98SYKZvPs

If anyone is interestes in our FREE HUG shirts please go to:

http://massagesforcharity.com/free-hugs-t-shirts/

       Today I came across 3 little boys (around ages 6-9) that were playing on the sandy path through the park from my library to my house.  They were arguing about who did what and who told on whom and which one did or did not do something.  Each of them pleaded their case.  Actually my dog and I entered the scene with 2 in the park and the third yelling to them from the other side of the fence.  He informed them that he had told on them and…. (well, we’ve all been there).  I was impressed with one of the boys in particular.  He headed over asking the tattle tale why he did it and then he stopped.  He turned and headed back to where he had come from while telling his friend, “I’m not even going to listen to you.”  What an impressive mature action!

• He did not argue
• He did not protest
• He did not defend
• He did not even raise his voice

He did know he did not want to be a part of this other boys behavior.  WOW!  I told him how smart he is and asked how he got to be so wise?

       Before long the little one came from around the fence which is when all 3 told me their stories – ALL AT ONCE.  As I attempted to follow story, after story, myself and the other 2 boys were informed by the 3rd that when he went home and told on them (apparently for kicking his sand castle) he was told by his Mom to go do the same to theirs!!  WHOA!  Here I am a complete stranger trying to teach these 3 young impressionable minds to get along with one another and another adult suggests not only that they literally escalate the arguing, but obviously not realizing that this idea would encourage further and ongoing negative treatment of one another.

       Someone either never learned the Golden Rule or like many, just refuse to apply it!

Some people say that KNOWLEDGE is POWER, but the truth is

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE is POWER!

Thank you and be blessed!

• the right person calling when you need them
• the right song playing on the radio
• today’s sermon sounds like it was written just for you
• that particular chapter in a book was an answer to the question in you mind
• or an idea or solution seems to float into your brain with that “lightbulb going on over your head” feeling!!!

I love it!  That happens all the time!! 

At least when you are staying connected to God and when you allow yourself to be Divinely Guided.  Just like one of your parents may have told you to put a raincoat on or to take an umbrella along, ultimately YOU make the choice!  You choose whether to listen to their guidance and stay dry or be stubborn and think you know better and end up soaking wet! 

It is always our choice!! 

What choices do you need to make today??  What past choices have you made that you made need to let go of and forgive yourself for?

The following is a saying that I have hanging on my front door; though the one on my door is from Mother Teresa (see end note after saying).

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

 Dr. Kent M. Keith,  American Author and Inspirational Speaker

*Please note that this passage, also known as ‘The Paradoxical Commandments’ is often attributed to Mother Teresa or to Bishop Abel Muzorewa. We encourage you to visit Dr. Keith’s website for more information about its origin

CHOOSE LOVE

CHOOSE JOY

CHOOSE PEACE

I had a completely different topic in mind to write about today, but I literally had a “change of heart”, so to speak.  Since I work a couple days a week with a special needs organization, we are required to keep our CPR certification up to date.  After my recertification, I wanted to make it mandatory for every single person to learn!

Although I have had the training before, I did some major soul searching to figure out why this time in particular held so much more meaning to me.  Many, many thoughts came to mind during the training and long afterward.  Some thoughts about what bothered me about the training and other emotions that came up since we did CPR on my Dad when he had his heart attack – to no avail.

Let me first start by reminding you that I am a VERY anal learning. When I am learning a topic or subject, I throw myself into it 100% and I try to make the learning experience as close to reality as possible. We have all been in seminars where we had to do role playing of some sort. Depending on the situation, you may have felt uncomfortable, or if you are a ham, you may have loved the limelight. Next time a chance to role play a situation arises, welcome it with open arms since it can be an invaluable lesson.

Which brings me to what has always bothered me about the CPR training I have ever taken.  I know with the dummies, they try to make the experience as real as possible because the placement of your hands and the depth of the compression are very important factors.  You are supposed to point to someone and say “Call 911″ and start compression.  I had to play devil’s advocate and ask, if there is no one there to call 911 for you, do you start compression and then call, or call first and then start compression.

 According to the new video from the heart association the protocol for adults is different than for a child.  For an adult you call 911 first, then compression.  For a child, do 5 sets of compression and breathing first, then call 911. This was confusing to me. Now you may ask, why this bothered me so much.  You see, when my Dad had his heart attack, he was sitting on the couch, not already on the floor the way they start the training.  My Mom ran out to get a neighbor and I was left to decide do I call first or figure out how to get him on the floor to start CPR.  I admit my first gut reaction was how to get all the furniture out of the way and get him down safely without hurting him and we were taught to worry less about a possible broken arm, etc… than saving a life.

 I admit even during the training, some of it hit too close to home.  Back to making learning real – When they said there was no one to call 911, I was literally going to leave the dummies side and go in the other room to make the pretend call. The instructor said I just had to say “Now I go call 911″. Not realistic enough for me.  It is hard to leave someone and calmly answer questions when you know how important the compression is for their life.  Luckily, my Mom returned to call 911 and the neighbor arrived to help, but Dad was gone.  The paramedics worked on him and while driving to the hospital, revived him, but too much time had elapsed and he was left brain injured.  Some of you may know this if you read Our Story on the MFCI site.

So why did I feel the need to write about CPR?  For you to practice or learn it to the point that it is a comfort level.  According to statistics, under one third of people get the help they need because people are too afraid that they won’t know what to do.   Doing something is better than nothing.

I feel it should be taught and practiced as real life – role playing – scenarios because then it becomes second nature and there won’t be any thought process involved.  You can go to automatic pilot!

One of the best stories I ever heard was about Walter Payton, Chicago Bears running back, who was well known for his ability to weave in and out of players as though they weren’t even there.  When asked how he was able to do this with such ease he explained his training.  Walter had set up a training area behind his home which included a hill to run up and down and a series of cones he would dart in and out of.  Because he rehearsed the drill so many times, it became a natural part of him and (from a massage therapists’ point of view) he had trained his muscles to react accordingly without thinking. That simple story amazed me and I realized why I used to argue with my old volleyball coach about creating more “game situations” in our drills. Why should I bump to myself 25 times when I am only allowed to touch the ball once?  Yes, I get ball control, but I wanted real life.

So that is what I ask of you and knowing CPR!  Please make it a natural thing for you and your family.  Perhaps a once a month run through scenario or at least a refresher.  Be blessed and be a blessing!

The lost art of board games! What fun! I don’t mean those hand held modern games – I mean real sit down, open the box, invite your friends over and laugh together, board games. There are so many new ones out there and the is such a different feeling when getting togetherwith friends or strangers to play.

I hope anyone reading this took the time on Memorial Day to actually go to a parade or a service and not just a picnic. Hearing some of the old time Veterans speak is so powerful!! It is easy to forget how fortunate we are!

A few years ago while at an airport, I remember seeing a man go up and say thank you to a soldier in uniform. It brought tears to my eyes and I began doing the same thereafter. If you have never done it, I urge you to do it next time you see one.

However, not only do it to someone in uniform, but look for our “hidden in plain site warriors”. You’ve seen these men – the older men in your grocery store, in a restaurant, at the theater……….. The men wearing a blue baseball looking cap or folding one that you may have dismissed as just the possible logo of a sports team. Look again! They will actually say WWII or WWI or Korean War or Vietnam. These are the heroes that need your thanks and acknowledgement!

One such instance, I was walking into Menard’s and I read the license plate on a car I passed which had a POW plate. (I am writing through tears) Just before I entered the store, I saw someone get into the car and begin to back up. I waited at the stop sign and asked hhim to roll down his window. What a beautiful smile I received as I reached out my hand, with quivering lips holding back tears I managed to speak,” Thank you for coming back alive and for all you did.”