Thanks to efforts by BCMT’s internship manager, Aspen Sullivan, BCMT is building a new internship opportunity for its students at the Acorn School of Early Childhood Development. BCMT students, supervised by senior faculty member, Gaye Franklin, are sharing the Peaceful Touch® method with preschoolers. Peaceful Touch® is designed for children ages 3 through 8, and its approach is based on three fundamentals:

• That touch is necessary for human growth and development
• That the calming hormone, oxytocin, is activated through touch
• That a permission process supports healthy touch and helps establish good boundaries.

Peaceful Touch® for children began in Stockholm in 1995. Currently, with more than 300,000 children receiving Peaceful Touch® on a regular basis, both parents and teachers see in children lower levels of anxiety and aggression, as well as improved concentration and better group functioning. Research has verified these observations.

To find out more about this groundbreaking program, visit the Peaceful Touch website.

“In the color spectrum, green is at the center of the rainbow, representing balance, healing, emotional stability, love, peace and rejuvenation. Green foods are power packed with nutrients, energizing, detoxifying, rebuilding and immune strengthening. As greens grow, they provide oxygen for people and the planet. Green foods are rich in chlorophyll, a potent collector of solar energy,” writes herbology instructor, Brigitte Mars. Read article here.

I had the pleasure of spending last Saturday learning the basics of canine massage. I now know that dogs can have up to 23 bones in their tail, and that my little dachshund has triceps! I actually learned a ton, and plan on studying more down the road.

Carol & Canine Buddy in Dharamsala, India

I got interested in studying canine massage while in Dharamsala, India on a volunteer trip this past fall. I had a beautiful interaction, soothing a street dog with a limp. More recently, I bonded with a few scraggly, street dogs in Guatemala who preferred skin rolling and effleurage to table scraps.

BCMT animal massage instructor, Barbara Maciejewski, says that massage for animals is not a luxury, and I totally agree.  My rescue pup, Quita, has been transformed from a fearful, withdrawn animal to a champion tail wagger thanks to all her friends at BCMT, who have massaged (and spoiled) her over the last year and one-half. My husband and I are adopting another dachshund soon, and she needs massage, too.  She was picked up by the Denver Dumb Friends League as a stray, and she’s being treated for a broken jaw.

Want to give the gift of massage to your canine – or feline, or horse or rabbit – this Valentine’s Day? I recommend visiting the International Association of Animal Massage & Bodywork website to find a massage therapist in your area. Oh, and one more thing: don’t give your dog a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, no matter how much she wiggles and whines for you to share yours!

In 2009, BCMT set a conservative goal of $25,000 for fund raising with something very specific in mind: take our service to the community global. Early in the year, we jumped on the bandwagon of an alumna, Maria August, who had been teaching massage to Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India – really making a difference in that community. Her students were learning quickly, getting jobs, and hungry for more.

So a team of us, 10 faculty, staff and alumni started fund raising to support her efforts on a larger scale. We raised funds individually and by participating in larger group efforts such as the Massage for Peace clinics in the spring. By September, we’d met our goal and were on our way to Dharamsala (via Chicago and Delhi) to teach 20 Tibetan refugees the basics of massage therapy.  I still can’t believe what we accomplished in such as short period of time. We raised enough to cover the trip and then some – a downpayment on giving back far into the future.

Crib in Baby Room, Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala, India

If there’s one thing I learned about this experience, it’s this: we all want to make a difference. It’s joyous to give back to the people, animals and plants we share the planet with. Given the opportunity and support, we can and do rise to the occasion. At BCMT, we’re looking at 2010 as another great year to serve locally and globally. Our latest local initiative is an internship at the Acorn School for Early Childhood Development. Students (supervised by Massage for Peace instructor, Gaye Franklin) will provide Peaceful Touch to little ones getting ready for nap time. Yup, getting a good night’s sleep or a siesta in after lunch, is yet another benefit of  receiving regular massage.

Sweet dreams,

Carol Brunelli, Massage for Peace Coordinator

BCMT is so excited to announce our monthly Reiki Share Group starting on January 13, 2010 from 6 pm to 9 pm.  Anyone with Reiki experience can come and join in giving and receiving Reiki in a spectacular environment of healing.  This day is extra special as it is a World Peace Group Meditation day organized by the ICRT (International Center for Reiki Training).  We will participate in the group meditation joining thousands of people around the world using Reiki to bring peace to the world at 7:30 pm with the Peace Cards.

Reiki Share Group @ BCMT starts January 13, 2010

You can see testimonials and more information about the World Peace Meditation at reiki.org.   Please email me at dhittinger@bcmt.org if you are interested in participating in the Reiki Share Group scheduled for January 13 at 6:00. Please bring a set of sheets, we will have plenty of tables available.

Peace,

Dona Hittinger

This past week I was thrilled to get an email from a massage therapist in the Chicago area. She was looking for volunteer opportunities in Asia, specifically for massage. After a brief Google search, she found BCMT’s blog entries about our volunteer training in Dharamsala, and our Massage for Peace website (www.massage4peace.org). Her email to me was effusive, “I am so inspired by your stories of Dharamsala.” I encouraged her to volunteer at Lha Charitable Trust (www.lhasocialwork.org). Lha is always in need of massage therapy instructors. Donating just a week of one’s time can make a huge difference in Tibetan lives.

BCMT's Massage for Peace Volunteers: Dharamsala, India

Donating one’s time to teach–anything–has an exponentially positive impact on the world. The 20 students we trained in September went to work immediately on their family members and friends, comforting them and relieving their pain. Some have found employment; while others are poised to do so with a bit more training.

Lha has just purchased a beautiful, new building. The vision for the new space includes expansion of their massage therapy training program. BCMT is proud to be considered a partner in this initiative. We hope to return to Dharamsala in 2010 with another group of exceptional teachers. We believe that education is the key to making the world a better place.

Want an idea for a New Year’s resolution? Volunteer your time as a teacher. Teach massage therapy. Teach computer skills. Teach English. Teach what you’re passionate about to those who can’t afford to pay for it , or have limited access to training programs. And remember: giving back always mean getting way more than you give. Just ask our Massage for Peace teachers: Christa Forsythe, Suzanne Carroll, Dona Hittinger, Jessica Shada, Gaye Franklin, Jack Vandenberg, Louise Sexton, Becky Little, and Jessica Gumkowski.–Carol Brunelli, Massage for Peace Coordinator

BCMT Students Provide Massage to Sian Kaan Employees

As the New Year approaches, most of us do some kind of year in review, we think about what we’ve accomplished– and struggled with–in the last 12 months.  And then, we make resolutions. We put new hopes, dreams, and plans into place for the new year.  It’s been an emotional year, a phenomenal year, a year of huge milestones at BCMT.  In March, we took our first group of students on a Study Abroad/community service trip to Tulum, Mexico. Our students soaked up this experience, embracing a new culture, making new friends and making a difference. Each one of them had the opportunity to provide massage for the very first time to the hard-working folks at Sian Kaan Ecological Reserve.  They also worked on day laborers – men who do back-breaking work – during a day trip to Ek Balam.  The people they worked on had to be encouraged to receive massage.  For them, it was a luxury that people like them cannot afford - or  something strange that they wanted to stay away from. What they found out what that massage therapy is medicine–it heals–and that they deserve it.

In September, ten faculty, staff and alumni set out to make a difference, this time in Dharamsala, India. The plan was to train 20 or so Tibetan refugees in massage therapy over a six-day period. A BCMT alum, Maria August, inspired us to do this work. She had been working with a local nonprofit, Lha Charitable Trust, and told us that their plan going forward was to incorporate massage therapy into their core training programs.  We all knew that the experience would be life-changing, tranformative, amazing. What we didn’t know is that we’d be forever bonded with Tibetan refugees and their plight for freedom, opportunity, and preservation of their culture. 

I need a massage. A short phrase that says a mouthful. I say it when I’m stressed, got sore muscles, or when I need a major attitude adjustment. How often do you say it? How often do you hear it?  For many of us, massage therapy is a cure-all–or at least a highly therapeutic, effective treatment for our bodies, minds, and spirits. Well, we want everyone to know how great massage is. We figure the more people know about the therapeutic benefits of massage, the more they’ll seek it out. The more they seek it out, the better they’ll feel. We’re hoping to create a sort of wellness domino effect. And what better way to do it than to…tweet.

Sian Kaan, Tulum, Mexico

That’s right. Tweet.  We’re launching a hashtag – keyword – campaign on Twitter to raise awareness of the benefits of massage therapy. If  Twitter and tweets are new to you, no worries. It’s as easy as writing a sentence or two.  Seriously. Twitter may be the new social media darling, but that doesn’t mean it’s complicated or difficult to use. To get started, click on the Twitter icon you  see on our blog, or visit twitter.com. To start tweeting, create a username and login, and you’re good to go.

So how are you feeling today? Stressed? Run down? Fatigued? Recovering from surgery? Sore from a big workout? Feeling a bit world weary and overwhelmed? Share your current state of mind, body and spirit on Twitter, and help spread wellness.  Make sure to include the hashtag “ineedmassage”. Every tweet with those key words will be pulled into our Twitter feed.

Hey, it’s been a long day #ineedmassage.  How about you?

Massage Therapy for Veterans

BCMT has proudly served veterans during its 34-year history through its service learning and financial aid programs. Most recently, our students are working with a group of Iraq veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the Boulder Veterans Counseling Center. Our goals are to introduce safe touch and moments of relaxation that the veterans are not able to achieve otherwise. It has been a great partnership thus far.

BCMT is also approved to train veterans and their qualified dependents that are eligible for Veterans Administration Educational Benefits. We work with all VA benefit programs including the newly reformed GI Bill: Post-9/11. The Post 9/11 GI Bill, which became effective for training on or after August 1, 2009, provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001. The amount of support that individuals may qualify for depends on where they live and what type of education they are pursuing.

For more information on all available VA benefit programs including the new GI Bill, please visit VA websites: http://www.gibill.va.gov or http://www.newgibill.org.

BCMT plans for 2010 include expanding our service to veterans, and we are currently raising funds to do so. We hope that you’ll consider supporting our efforsts by donating to Massage for Peace, our local and global outreach program.

BCMT’s new Massage Therapy Certificate (CMT) program starting in January is generating a lot of buzz.  It’s been designed with you in mind:  same high quality, less time, more affordable. We’ve extended the deadline for waiving the application fee ($75), too, until November 15.

Start the new year with a new career in massage therapy.

Jessica Shada, RMT & AOS student