Story Massage Programme

After seeing the amazing photos of your Story Massage demo dolls and bears, we want to create another album…

This time we’d like to see photos of you practising Story Massage Programme moves on your pets 🐶 🐈 🐰

For inspiration, here’s Mary’s daughter Emma giving Cosmo a Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Story Massage. That’s one chilled puppy!

Post your photos in the comments, send us a DM or email [email protected]

Research shows massage therapy provides a host of benefits for infant and paediatric clients.

“Massage therapy for paediatric and infant clients offers significant benefits for various conditions, including sleep issues, autism, eczema, weight gain, anxiety and pain management,” says Tina Allen, LMT, CPMMT, CPMT, CIMT, founder and director, Liddle Kidz Foundation.

According to Allen, the main benefits of paediatric massage include:

👶 Relaxation
👶 Growth and development support
👶 Alleviation of gastrointestinal issues and aids in digestion
👶 Emotional well-being support
👶 Reduced pain and discomfort
👶 Enhanced sleep quality
👶 Improved circulation
👶 Strengthens bond between parent and child (parent-led massage)

Read more here: https://buff.ly/3XMZIkN

We’d love to hear how you’re using the Story Massage Programme for babies and children and the benefits you’ve seen. Please add your words/photos to the comments.

During the school holidays, Mary does a voluntary Story Massage session for a group of young adults with learning disabilities in West Sussex.

Mary has noticed that they are growing in confidence with the strokes and actively asking permission to touch without being prompted. The room stills as the session progresses and they appear relaxed and calm.

And she received this lovely feedback from the organiser, Tessa:

“A huge thank you for today, Mary, it made an extra special ending to the day. Watching you, I could see they were ALL engaged and enjoying this, even our more autistic young adults embraced the session.”

We’ve received another fantastic testimonial, this time from Carol Brookes, Practitioner for Deafblind/MSI (Multi-Sensory Impairment) children:

“The Story Massage Programme helps bring together word association and movement. For visually impaired children, it’s so important to experience the words and actions together such as ‘the rain came down’ with the downward Sprinkle movement. They gain a real experience of the storyline.”

Please send us your feedback. Email info@storymassage or review us on Facebook: https://buff.ly/3TLpmRY

Such a great book. And we are mentioned in it!

Looking for some Story Massage inspiration?...

👐What can you see outside the window?
👐Flowers and birds in the garden?
👐Sunshine, wind or rain?
👐Traffic passing by?

Why not create your own Story Massage while at home, travelling or on days out over the summer? The world is your oyster 🦪

Suzy Rigby is a foster carer who specialises in fostering children with complex health needs and life-limiting conditions.

In our recent blog, Suzy explains how the Story Massage Programme online training has benefitted her 13-year-old foster son.

“My foster son has a lot of medical interventions each day that are uncomfortable and unpleasant. I am determined that he will experience more positive touch than negative touch so that he doesn’t associate touch with pain and unpleasant procedures.

“The Story Massage Programme has become very important for us both. I would recommend it for anyone fostering children with complex health needs. It is a beautiful way for us to connect and to be in that moment, fully engaged and focused on each other.”

Read more: https://buff.ly/3L3iUmD

🙌Our new membership scheme is here! 🙌

If you’ve trained in the Story Massage Programme, our membership scheme offers ongoing support with sharing the programme at work or home and includes:

💙An exclusive Facebook group where you can interact with Mary and Sandra plus a team of specialists
💛A quarterly Zoom CPD class facilitated by Mary and/or Sandra or other experts on topics chosen by members (recordings available)
💙A new monthly massage story on a topic selected by members.
💛A monthly follow-along video of the massage story available on YouTube exclusively for members
💙A special logo and certificate as proof of membership
💛Access to a library of massage stories
💙Discounted places on a new programme of online CPD events
💛£30 discount on our annual face-to-face seminar (in event Brighton on 9 November this year)

Payment
• Membership option A: £10 per calendar month
• Membership option B: £100 per annum

Please email us at [email protected] with the date of your training (online or face-to-face) and we’ll send you the link to join the membership group.

We asked trained practitioners to share their A-Z of Story Massage Programme benefits and were delighted with the positive response.

We’re sure you’ll keep adding to the list!

👐 Anticipation
👐 Belonging
👐 Communication
👐 Diverse
👐 Empowering
👐 Fun
👐 Global
👐 Happy Memories
👐 Inclusive
👐 Joy
👐 Kindness
👐 Learning
👐 Mindfulness
👐 Nurturing
👐 Oxytocin
👐 Positive touch
👐 Quality Time
👐 Relaxing
👐 Sensory
👐 Therapeutic
👐 Unlimited options
👐 Versatile
👐 Wellbeing
👐 Xtra special 1-1 time
👐 Yes – asking permission
👐 ZZZZ – bedtime

Make the most of the benefits by booking your place on our online course: https://buff.ly/4bctIuq

Our featured massage story/song this month is from Heather Johnson, Senior Occupational Therapy Assistant, working with autistic adults and those with learning disabilities.

Heather, who works within the Intensive Support Team at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, says she wishes she had known about the Story Massage Programme earlier in her career.

She’s now sharing the benefits with colleagues within the Trust and advising them to take the online course too!

Among the many benefits for her client group, Heather lists: calming and reassuring, safety and security, self-confidence and feel-good, improved alertness and concentration, reduced aggression and anxiety.

Heather, once a Brownie in Canada, has adapted a traditional Canadian folk song dating back to the 1920s with the Story Massage strokes.

Here are some of the verses. It's an ideal positive touch activity while sitting around campfires on camping trips this summer.

Thank you, Heather!

Thanks to Fiona Lawson, Class Teacher at Hillington Primary School, for this fabulous feedback:

“The online course includes established guidelines and safety measures for using massage with children. I love that the children administer it to each other, I love that they did not have to do it if they did not want to. It feels so respectful.” Fiona Lawson, Class Teacher, Hillington Primary School

Please send us your feedback. Email info@storymassage or review us on Facebook: https://buff.ly/3TLpmRY

The Story Massage Programme proves a valuable addition to tuition services in Children’s Hospital Schools across the country.

Check out the benefits of the programme for Ellis Jones at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales on our blog: https://buff.ly/4bBp2OI

Looking ahead to World Wellbeing Week (24-30 June), we’re taking another opportunity to share these fantastic ideas from Year 6 pupils at Bowker Vale Primary School in Manchester.

Encouraging learners to write massage stories opens wonderful opportunities for discussing different aspects of wellbeing and emotional literacy.

It’s been so rewarding to hear about the many benefits of the Story Massage Programme for autistic children. These include:

⭐Relaxation
⭐Touch tolerance
⭐Emotional regulation
⭐Increased concentration
⭐Social connection

Do you know the story behind the Story Massage Programme?

✨The Story Massage Programme was launched in 2012.

✨It’s a global success with over 2000 practitioners sharing the benefits with children and adults of all ages and abilities.

✨Our book, Once Upon a Touch…Story Massage for Children, has sold over 15000 copies worldwide.

✨There are 25 Centres of Excellence including mainstream and special schools, charities, hospices, colleges and fostering services.

If you’d like to share the programme at home or work, you’ll love our flexible online course. Find the info here: https://buff.ly/4bctIuq

The Story Massage Programme Centre of Excellence Awards began in September 2016.

🙌 We now have 25 Centres of Excellence! 🙌

These awards recognise the following within the Story Massage Programme:

⭐Creativity
⭐Commitment
⭐Innovation

We’re so proud of our community and how they use the Story Massage Programme to share positive touch activities with children and adults of all ages and abilities.

Photos here are from Ty Gwyn Special School, St Giles School, St Martins Primary School and Thorntree Primary School.

Let’s celebrate World Environment Day (5 June) with some Animal Habitats!

Find out where rabbit, camel, polar bear, frog and koala live… 🐰🐫🐻🐸🐨

We asked trained practitioners to share their ideas and were overwhelmed by the positive response. So many different suggestions for our A-Z.

Here’s N-Z, you can check out the full list on our blog https://buff.ly/3VzMRBo

We hope you enjoy it. We're sure you'll keep adding to the list!

💙 Nurturing
💙 Oxytocin
💙 Positive touch
💙 Quality Time
💙 Relaxing
💙 Sensory
💙 Therapeutic
💙 Unlimited options
💙 Versatile
💙 Wellbeing
💙 Xtra special 1-1 time
💙 Yes – asking permission
💙 ZZZZ – bedtime

This massage story was written by Suzy Rigby, a specialist carer, for her foster son, 13, who is blind with a profound cognitive and learning disability.

Suzy first saw the benefits of Story Massage Programme in action at the local hospice. She decided to take the online training to help her current foster son and any future children under her care.

“It is a beautiful programme and course. I was able to apply my learning straightaway,’ says Suzy, “and we now do a massage story every day. We love the connection, and he always becomes so relaxed.”

Suzy says her foster son is not able to attend school due to health needs and finds it hard to anticipate what is happening or understand his routine.

She’s written a massage story for every activity including ice skating, music therapy and staying at the hospice. Suzy shares them with him at the start of the day to help him feel prepared.

“Each massage story is specific, relevant and bespoke to what he will experience,’ says Suzy, ‘This one is about swimming at the hydro pool.”

Children of all ages and abilities are enjoying the benefits of outdoor learning. And, as the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors.

In this blog, we talk to Story Massage Practitioners who take classes outside to share the joy of sensory stories in nature: https://buff.ly/3oLJg4L

You too can do the Story Massage Programme online training! Ideal for INSET training days as a group session. Discounts for groups.

Students include:

👐Teachers
👐Complementary therapists
👐Care workers
👐SEN staff
👐Baby massage instructors
👐Relax Kids coaches
👐Health care professionals

Whether you want to use the Story Massage Programme at home or work, it's getting fave reviews.

Read all about it or book your place here: https://buff.ly/4bctIuq

The latest issue of PMLD Link magazine is absolutely jam-packed with informative and supportive features. We've recently started sharing ideas with Georgie and Karen from Songs, Signs & Sounds and this article is all about their online Music and Wellbeing sessions. Look very closely and you will see a photo of our very own Maisy with a joyful smile on her face.
To be honest, we are feeling just a touch emotional to see so many Story Massage Practitioners gracing the pages with their experiences and expertise including Rebekah Lee, and Lorraine Senior at Functional Reflex Therapy Amazing!

We had to share this fantastic feedback from Story Massage Programme Overseas Ambassador Kefaya Al Mubarak, who is a Psychologist and Children’s Massage Instructor in Bahrain.

“Mothers tell me that massage stories soon become part of their routine and are the most valuable time that they spend with their children. Sharing positive touch with a relevant story can promote effective communication and encourage children to express their feelings in a safe environment.”

Please send us your feedback. Email info@storymassage or review us on Facebook: https://buff.ly/3TLpmRY

Have you applied for our Centre of Excellence Awards yet?

There’s still time and there’s no cost involved. We just need your enthusiasm and commitment to sharing the benefits of the programme with the children and adults in your care.

Winners will get a special logo and certificate to display with pride!

These awards recognise the following within the Story Massage Programme:

⭐Creativity
⭐Commitment
⭐Innovation

🙌 Since 2016, we’ve helped create 25 Centres of Excellence! 🙌

The awards are open to the following, working with children and adults of all ages and abilities:

⭐Schools
⭐Organisations
⭐Charities

Apply by 1st June 2024 to be considered in our next group of winners: https://buff.ly/3w5GDy8

Here’s a great follow-along massage story for all Star Wars fans from Pamis and trained Story Massage Instructor Gill White.

Star Wars Story Massage The Power of Positive Touch. Star Wars - A New Hope - adapted by PAMIS as a Story Massage.Recorded by a licensed Story Massage Programme Practitioner. For m...

Are your children sitting the KS1 SATs or KS2 SATs papers this month?

We’ve written a supportive massage story for exam stress with the help of a Year 6 teacher in preparation for SATs.

Download your copy from our blog: https://buff.ly/3L6V0pX

🌻 Do you love flowers as much as we do? 🌺

It’s National Gardening Week (29 April-5 May) and time to get planting!

Here’s something to put a big smile on your face while you’re out in the garden 😊