The £10 entrance ticket for the evening included a 15 minute complementary or beauty therapy and delicious home-made refreshments. There was also a ‘bring and buy’ stall and Guess the Name of the Orangutan. (It was Darcy!).

Members of the local FHT support group for therapists were given the chance to showcase their businesses with stalls including Mellow Skincare, Neal’s Yard Remedies, and Indulgent Moments.

Event organiser, Mary Atkinson, FFHT, was delighted by the professionalism of the nine therapists taking part and their willingness to adapt their therapy to a 15 minute session.  Guests commented on how much they benefitted from their therapies and several made bookings and took business cards. All in all, a very successful evening!

Congratulations to all involved on such a wonderful evening. Everyone enjoyed themselves and gained something from it and all for a very good cause. Definitely a feel good feeling!

COCORO charity

Feel Good Friday was organised to raise money and awareness of Cocoro, a small Japanese charity doing really important work with the victims of the tsunami. Founded by Takiko Ando, a Japanese aromatherapist, the charity offers the benefits of caring touch to the adults and children who are still suffering mental trauma and depression in the aftermath of the tragedy. More information here….

Interested in Holistic Health?

The event was part of the activities of the FHT Local Support Group for Therapists, a friendly group of complementary, beauty and sports therapists (and anyone interested in holistic health) meeting alternate months in Chichester. Our next meeting is on 12th June 2013 when the speaker will be Dr Craig Brown on the subject of Caring for Our Elders. Everyone is very welcome. More information here…

Workshops on Gentle Indian Head Massage Techniques

Since my article A Gentle Touch – adapting indian head massage for use in palliative care was published in International Therapist magazine, April 2013, there has been a great deal of interest from therapist wishing to learn gentle techniques. Here are some of the dates planned for teaching my workshops and courses.

• May 2013: Sunday 19th. Birmingham. Gentle Indian Head Massage. Workshop at FHT Training Congress. More details.
• June 2o13: Saturday 1st. Bath. Adapting Indian Head Massage for Elderly Frail. FHT accredited day course. More details.
• Sept  2013: Saturday 21st. Exeter. Gentle Indian Head Massage. FHT Seminar. More details.

Diploma in Indian Head Massage in Palliative Care

St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Chichester is facilitating an FHT accredited (20 CPD points) diploma in Indian Head Massage with special emphasis on gentle techniques suitable for use in palliative care settings.

• Sept 2013: Mon, Tues, Weds 16th, 17th, 18th. Chichester. More details.

The morning session is for MISA (Massage in Schools Association) members only. This is a chance for MISA committee members and MISP instructors to share ideas and experiences. It is free of charge for all MISA members.

New Book on Story Massage

Everyone is warmly invited to the afternoon session (which costs just £10) where the first session introduces the exciting new  e-book – Once upon a touch… story massage for children by Mary Atkinson and Sandra Hooper. This book on story massage for children supports the work of MISA and is a valuable resource for parents, schools and organisations.

During the afternoon there will also be an important workshop on the future of MISA – ‘The Next 5 Years’ – including early years, connecting with parents, charities and organisations’ – led by Anne Crease – MISP Trainer and MISA chair.

To book your place at the Massage in Schools Conference

Please contact Massage in Schools Association who will forward a booking form. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first to book basis.

The weekend of 23^{rd /}24^th March 2013 saw a unique opportunity in Ryedale, a chance to train in Advanced Indian Head Massage with Mary Atkinson, author of The Art of Indian Head Massage,  and also learn to make adaptations to a body therapy suitable for the frail and elderly. This was made possible because of teamwork and believing in a need that is not always obvious.

I contacted Mary Atkinson last year as she had done the original Diploma in Indian Head Massage training here in Yorkshire more than three years before. I asked her she would be willing to make the trek ‘up north’ again, and was delighted when she agreed. We then set a date and from then on it was teamwork and sharing tasks, Mary did the posters and e mails, I sent out booing forms and responded to enquiries, took booking and sorted a venue.

Ryedale is a fairly sparsely populated area covering a huge geographical area, so organising any meeting/training is a challenge. Although there was plenty of interest and the bookings started to come in, they were not in sufficient numbers to allow me to pay Mary and the venue. So Mary and I worked together to adapt the training and eventually decided to run the course at Mary’s accommodation, which worked out fantastically well, and thanks to the lodge owners for allowing us!

After months of planning the weekend arrived and was fantastic, with five therapists now holding Advanced Indian Head massage certificates, and seven with a greater knowledge of adapting therapies. Mary made the weekend relaxed and a wonderful environment to learn. One participant writes:

I just wanted to say a big thank you for your teaching and support on Saturday.  Thanks to your inspiring day on saturday I feel able to get back to work with renewed enthusiasm and confidence.

I have been running the Ryedale LSG since June 2008 and have been despondent at times about an apparent lack of support at meetings with low attendance numbers and have wondered if the need is out there, but the weekend was a real confirmation for me that there is a great need for therapists to meet together, train together, have fun together, share together and keep going.

More training need in Yorkshire

Everyone who attended made it clear they would love more training ‘up here’ and this is my challenge for the future, as well as continuing to organise the Local Support Group, to encourage trainers to this area. It is a wonderful place to spend a weekend or even a week and with teamwork fantastic training courses can take place, so if you could offer to put on a course, or want a specific course, contact Mary Atkinson who will pass on your request to Bridget.

Interesting in becoming an IHM practitioner?

If you’d like to know more about training in Indian Head Massage then click on this link Diploma in Indian Head Massage to find out more about the course and venues in the UK and Eire.

Course tutor – Mary Atkinson

The course is led by Mary Atkinson, author of The Art of Indian Head Massage who has been teaching Indian Head Massage since 2000 and regularly lectures for The Federation of Holistic Therapists on Indian Head Massage.

Mary, Coming to your Indian Head Massage course was absolutely wonderful and I really enjoyed it, especially the organic way you ran it adapting to all of us when was needed. Thank you. 

Keeping Your Business Healthy

Alison’s interactive talk certainly got our minds focussed on the all important business aspects of our work. She encouraged a lively discussion and exchange of information, experiences and tips on topics ranging from social media to self-care. Included among the many subjects covered in her talk were:

• Data Protection Act. You’ll find more information on this subject and the registration process on this link: Information Commissioner’s Office
• Music Licence. You can now purchase royalty free music for therapists from companies including IChill.
• Advertising. There was much discussion about keeping up to date with the permitted terminology for use on websites and promotional literature. We all agreed on the importance of making an effort to read updates from professional organisations. More specific information can be obtained from the Committee for Advertising Practice.

Student Membership

We are always delighted to welcome new members of the group and we offer discounted entry to students. We work closely with Chichester College and other local training organisations to help promote awareness of the benefits of holistic, beauty and sports therapies.

Our June Meeting – Caring for Our Elders

The next meeting will be on Wednesday June 12th from 7-9pm. The FHT Local Support Group meets at St Michael’s Hall in Summersdale and the speaker will be Dr Craig Brown, former chairman of the British Holistic Medical Association on the subject of Caring for Our Elders. There is always time for a chat and a chance to meet with other therapists and like-minded people. Do contact me (Mary Atkinson) if you would like more information. Everyone is very welcome.

 And just in case you missed it...

Fantastic coverage of our Christmas meeting in International Therapist, the magazine for FHT members. And yes, the cake made by FHT member, Sarah Williams, was delicious!

So what’s my involvement? Well, firstly I have been a very satisfied customer from the day that Stacey Hills-Reed first opened her hair salon over a year ago. And secondly, I had the privilege of training the staff in head massage!

The training session was an interesting challenge and varied from my usual Indian Head Massage courses. However, the staff were enthusiastic and quick to learn and adapt different techniques to suit each customer. At Hills-Reed Hair&Beauty, customer care is a key factor and this was obvious throughout the training.

Congratulations to Stacey on taking the initiative to train her staff to high standards in head massage. Do take a look at their website Hills-Reed Bair&Beauty to see the different options and offers.

Indian Head Massage Training

If you are interested in learning more about Indian Head Massage then do check out some of the courses on my website. These courses vary from one day course for complete beginners to Diploma courses for therapists. You may also be interested in my book The Art of Indian Head Massage by Mary Atkinson.

On a recent Introduction to Indian Head Massage course, Nicola Pritchard (pictured above enjoying a massage), an independent Neal’s Yard Consultant, introduced us to Rosemary and Cedarwood Hair Treatment made from organic ingredients with a base of coconut oil. We were all impressed by its ease of application and pleasant aroma. You can see the pot of oil on the table by her side.

This is certainly an oil that I will add to my selection of Indian Head Massage oils which always includes sesame, sunflower and cocounut. You can read more about some of the most popular oils and their benefits on my blog feature Oils for Indian Head Massage.

Learn Indian Head Massage

Regular courses on Indian Head Massage are held in Chichester through the year. Courses are for beginners wishing to work on family and friends, therapist wishing to qualify in Indian Head Massage and also CPD courses for Indian Head Massage therapists choosing to refresh or add new skills. For more information please contact me (Mary Atkinson). You may also be interested in my Indian Head Massage book The Art of Indian Head Massage. 

The Story Massage project has proved so beneficial that the local kindergartens are now asking for more story massages. Last month, I met with Takiko Ando, founder of Cocoro Charity to develop a new story massage based on animals. When creating a story massage it is a fine balance of choosing massage strokes that not only feel pleasant but also support and describe an engaging story line.

As students on my Positive Touch for Children course will agree, creating this combination of written/spoken word and massage stroke often takes much longer than you first imagine. However, Takiko and I worked closely together. First, I tried the story massage on her back.

Then we made some refinements, and she tried our story massage on me.

Finally, we agreed on our animal story massage. The next step is to have it translated into Japanese to be sent to the local social workers and teachers. Once they have approved the story massage for their children, then we will organise for illustrations and create a laminated story book with instructions so that it is easy for the kindergartens to continue the project. We want the local children to be the first to enjoy the story massage so at the moment it is a bit secret!

Can you Support Cocoro’s Story Massage Project?

We offer our time and expertise on a voluntary basis because the work of Cocoro Charity is so important in helping local people to rebuild their lives. However, there is a cost to the materials and transportation of the books to the kindergartens. If you fee that you could help with raising funds please contact me (Mary Atkinson).

What is Story Massage?

All children love a story and when combined with the benefits of simple massage,  there are wonderful opportunities for creative and therapeutic interaction. Story Massage involves the use of simple movements (through clothes), which are associated with words. Story Massage is an easy and fun way of introducing the benefits of touch through a powerful combination of storytelling and simple massage strokes.  Tracing a large circle on a child’s back, for example, can depict the image of the sun while scratching fingers can represent a lion’s claws. Sharing positive touch offers much scope for creative activity, fun and learning for children of all ages and abilities.

Story Massage strokes concentrate on shoulders, back, arms, head and face which are all areas which are easily accessible and where we tend to hold a great deal of tension. No oil is used for story massage, and children do not need to remove any clothes. Techniques are safe and suitable for all ages from children to the elderly and can be adapted to suit all personalities and temperaments. Nurturing touch through storytelling can be especially beneficial for children with special/additional needs.

Children can be encouraged to use their imagination to create and participate in their own story massages with themes including favourite story and nursery rhymes, visits to the park, farm or museum, weather, a birthday celebration, baking a cake or pizza… and many, many more ideas. They can also be encouraged to draw pictures which help them relate to the massage.

Mary Atkinson is an instructor on the Massage in Schools Programme and has successfully introduced story massage not only in the UK but also in Eire and Japan. Her experiences of the benefits of story massage inspired Mary to write a day course entitled ‘Positive Touch for Children’ which has now been accredited by the Federation of Holistic Therapists and is proving popular with parents and teachers from a wide variety of backgrounds. For more information please contact Mary Atkinson.