Ne’re cast a clout till May be out! No, I’m not getting political – I’m talking about the old adage. May refers not to the month, as I used to think, but to the blossom on the may trees, or hawthorns. And, here it is, in abundance – may blossom in April. But what has happened to the temperature? Just as we’re all casting our clouts and donning our sun vests, shades and sandals after a scorching Easter, Nature throws us a curved ball and drops the temperature 10 degrees so that we’re back into our winter woollies.
I enjoyed a fabulous time with my family over the bank holiday weekend but one thing in particular impressed me. At one point, as we sat out in the garden enjoying the sunshine, four of my grandchildren, aged between 4 – 10, began massaging the necks and shoulders of the adults. Apparently, at one of their schools, all the children start the day by massaging their classmates. Amazing – and to think some people pay for that.
I’m not talking about a deep tissue sports massage here, their touches were as light as feathers but the simple act of their hands gently moving over our shoulders was immensely relaxing and very bonding. Imagine having that connection with your schoolmates – or colleagues – every day. It’s hard to get angry with someone when you’ve spent the first fifteen minutes of the morning massaging their shoulders and they yours.
Morning massage is something that has been practised in Sweden, USA and Canada for many years and has resulted in children who fight less, settle down to work more quickly and are more focused in class. And, in controlled tests, the academic results of the children who massaged their classmates in the morning were better than those of the group who didn’t. In Balitmore, USA, detentions have now been abolished and replaced with mindfulness rooms where students can go and reflect on their thoughts and actions resulting in far fewer re-offenders.
And now, massage, along with meditation and mindfulness is being rolled out across 370 schools in England. Hurray!
I was a teacher in both primary and secondary schools for almost 40 years. I specialised in children who had special needs and that often meant they had emotional and/or behavioural difficulties too. I found that one of the main reasons children became disruptive was because they found it difficult to know how to express their feelings. Maybe they didn’t understand what was being said to them; perhaps something was going on at home; or they could have been being bullied. Whatever the cause, they felt frustrated and frequently acted out their frustration in disobedience, swearing and even hitting. Not hitting me, thank goodness, but I knew teachers who were attacked by their students.
Contrary to what some people believe – meditation isn’t about stopping our thoughts and feelings: it’s about being mindful of them and learning how to deal with them: settling that chattering mind of ours and going beyond the destructive thoughts and feelings to find inner peace. By teaching children how to become aware – or mindful – of their feelings we, as adults, can encourage them to express themselves in a more productive way than lashing out. Imagine a world where everyone began the day with meditation and that healing touch of massage.
In the words of my hero, Mahatma Ghandi:
“If we are to teach real peace in this world…we shall have to begin with the children.”
And I am relieved and grateful that my grandchildren will be at the forefront of this peaceful revolution. It gives me hope for the next generation in this topsy-turvy world.
Reiki in Wanstead 