Touch is part of Nature

Well, the holidays are almost over, and it's back to our activities.
The new year is shaping up to be our busiest yet.  Our diary is filling up fast.
This year will see an emphasis of the ecological  aspects of  the Child Connection Programme.
We will be participating at the Ecofest North festival this year, http://ecofest.org.nz/ continuing the work we did at Kawaipurapura last year.
Our course for "Professionals Working with Children", will be held at Ellerslie this year at the College of Natural Medicine.  It's not tool late to book if you have not already done so.

New Zealand - Poland Business Council

There are a lot of Polish people living in New Zealand who are serious about developing stronger business cooperation between these 2 countries.

After our first attempt 15 years ago this Tuesday, Polish Ambassador Zbigniew Gniatkowski and Honorary Consul Bogdan Nowak were running the first  “think -tank” meeting as a seed for a NZ/PL Business Council. 

The meeting was very constructive. 

What a meeting!

Last Wednesday at Kawaipurapura Centre there was a beautiful meeting with Dr. Rangimarie Turuki Arikirangi Rose Pare – a spiritual authority.

 She was the Young Maori Woman of the year in 1972,  and in 1990 was awarded with a Commemoration Medal. She is known internationally as White Eagle Medicine Woman of Peace.

During the meeting there was lots of laughter, tears and healing. When asked as to who will be her successor she answered . Nobody - I am the last. People will not need tohungas/healers they have the opportunity to awaken their own dormant healing power. Society has reached a critical mass where there is enough self- knowledge and love for all humanity, to provide for their own well-being. .

Catch up in Bethells Beach Retreat

On Wednesday, Gus Simunovich organised a beautiful gathering at the Retreat in Henga – Betles Beach Rd. The room was full of parents with their kids – the majority of toddler’s age. All were excited and happy.

Gus and Siri Embla told us how their daughter Liv Nola is doing the best back massage for them – Together with her parents she was involved with our CMC course in Kawaipurapura last year. Live Nola is almost 17 months old now.  It was very nice to catch up again with a couple who are CMC instructors.

Greenhithe Kindergarten

 Our instructor Brenda Duncan brought CMC to Greenhithe Kindergarten in October " We had a great time learning how to teach children to massage children.

Our first session we had a few kids that weren't keen but they watched everybody else. By the next session we had all the kids involved.

The kids really enjoyed it and and also learn't new vocabulary eg reflexology, thymus and one child remembered  those words but didn't participate in the first session.

It was very successful".

Well done  Brenda !

Anna back to University

Our Intern from Sweden Anna is back at university . She gave a presentation about her practice in NZ. There was a lot of interest about our country. Lots of questions and lots of stories making NZ closer to Sweden as our social problems in certain areas are similar. We wish Anna success in her studies and a good use of skills end experiences she received in New Zealand

Children are less and less familiar with touch

It has been 15 years since CMC programme was born. Everything was made possible and went smoothly because I have my sports massage clinic at YMCA Mt Albert. Holiday programme created for us great circumstances to master and improve the idea of familiarising children with positive touch through massage. On 30^th of September, after few years long break I run a CMC session again at Mt Albert.

Sad conclusion came out of this experience. Children are less and less familiar with touch. The biggest problem kids had during this session? Simple head stroking. One of student even innocently asked “Is it legal” ?

We – massage professionals and teachers need to act fast and stop the process of alienation and loss of empathy in society.