A Way to stop Violence?

I had this story forwarded to me this morning. It was originally written up in Chris James' Newsletter, which can be found online at: Chris James It is a little long, and the English is a little rough in spots, but it is certainly worth the read.

Chris had been doing a workshop in Norway, when a man approached him and reported this exciting information. Chris asked the man to write it up. Here is what this forward thinking individual has started.

Morning massage


A story of what I do in an ordinary school in Norway.

At the school I work, we have for several years started the day with morning massage for the youngest pupils. (6-9 years). I do not know how common this is in Norway, but I know about some other schools, where the teachers are doing it.

It all started some years ago in Sweden, where some scientists found out that children in kindergarten who give each other massage, beat each other less.

The scientists made a course, called “Small children massage”. Some of the teachers at my school have participated in this course. In my class we had regular massage until last summer. We started the day with the morning massage for three years. It is done as a gentle touch or massage on the surface of the clothes. The music in the background most commonly is “Morning mood”, by Edward Grieg.

The massage went like this: We sat on the floor in a big circle (on pillows), in pairs behind each other.

When the music started, we put our hands on the shoulders on the person in front of us, and let our hands gently move down and up on the persons arms.

After a while the hands stopped on the shoulders, and the thumbs started to make small circles at the back of the shoulders. Then we made small light raindrops, by drumming very gently with our fingertips down and up on the persons arms. The raindrops moved to the neck for a while and then continued to the top of the head.

We moved around on the head before we let one hand rest on the forehead and the other hand on the back of the head, we pressed gently and changed the hands. Doing this we send our partner good thoughts or energy.

Then we drew a big sun on the back of our partner, with eyes, nose and a smiling mouth. In the end we whispered good morning and the name of our partner, and gave him/her a gentle hug.

We changed places without talking, and started at the beginning.

When everybody had received massage, the partners told each other how the massage felt like.

The whole massage took less than 10 minutes. The time used on each part of the arms/head is from 30 to about 60 seconds. Doing the first part we use the time necessary to calm down.

We can tell from the children's body language, that they really enjoy the massage. Some take their sweater off and sit in the T-shirt to feel more comfortable, those with long hair move it away from the neck.

The teacher may tell and show how to do it during the massage, after some time it is enough with one word for each part.

After participating on Chris James Level One Course in summer 2004, I wanted to use some of the things I learned, with the morning massage. At a meeting with the parents I told them what I wanted to do. Luckily, I could show them a book written by a Norwegian doctor, “ The musical medicine” (Den music medicine). The name of the doctor is Audun Myskja, and he has done some scientific work with music and sound as therapy. He received a prize from The Norwegian Doctor Union for this work.

Sound and music has much more influence on us than we have thought earlier.

The music we use and the sounds we make for the massage are very good for both our body and our soul.

Last year we started the massage in a different way, and the music is the CD´s of Chris. Sitting in the circle, we close our eyes and let our arms hang low. Then we take three BIG BREATHS. I told the children this helps our brains to relax.

After the breaths we tone for a little while. I told them that our bodies like this sound.

The first days I started the tone, then I asked one morning: “Does someone want to start?” Lots of hands were put up! I had to make a list of the tone starters to make sure they all got the chance. After some months everyone had started the tone, and I think that is great.

The first two months we were humming instead of toning. I thought it was more safe to start with something they knew. When we had changed to toning I asked after a few days: “Does someone feel a difference from the humming?”

An eight year old kid put his hand up and answered: “I feel more light and fresh in my head when we are toning!!!“ The only thing I told them when we changed to toning was that toning was even better for our bodies. In spite of this the boy had experienced those great feelings! I was really amazed, I thought “THIS IS IT”.

The music we use now, I will say of course we use “Silk in the clouds” Chris´ voice goes right to our souls!

I have had a wonderful time in this class. Some mornings, when my meditation at home was particularly good, I felt a very good energy in the massage room.

The faces of the pupils were then extra soft and relaxed. It was so touching then, that I felt it was difficult to speak when the massage was done. This class got a new teacher this autumn, she wanted to continue with the massage. The older pupils usually do not use the massage. “Are we not too old for this?” they asked. The teacher started up three times a week, and know they say: “Can't we do this every day?”

I have started with a new class, with 5-6 year old kids. (The beginners) The second day they were at school we started to do the massage. A privilege I would say, it is to lead the kids through this. I feel great every morning, and I look forward to every day at school.

We have not learned the whole massage yet, but during the autumn I think we have.

At a meeting with their parents we did the whole thing, and they also enjoyed the massage. I think the half of them joined in, in the toning.

Last week we had a meeting at our school with all the teachers in the first class from the town. (It's not a very big town) We did the morning massage together, and I told them a bit of the theory behind it. I think everyone joined in, in the toning!

Some of them wanted to do the massage in their own classes this autumn.

The snowball has started to roll, I hope it will be BIG!

Can you just imagine a world where kids, in the schools, were taught, from kindergarten on, to embrace each other and to share the love inside themselves.

How amazing could the planet be after a generation or two of this program?

Thank you Karen for the heads up on this story.