The Power of Touch
The power of touch is miraculous in its simplicity. It is a necessary gift of nature, without which a human being cannot thrive. Peaceful Touch is designed for children ages 3 through 8, a crucial time for social emotional learning and for growing in body ownership and awareness. The general principles of Peaceful Touch apply to younger and older children as well.
For parents, Peaceful Touch offers hands-on workshops, two hours long, in the fundamentals of touch including the simple 5 to 10 minute practice that was the focus of extensive research in Sweden (see below).
For teachers, Peaceful Touch offers longer hands-on workshops that expand the parent workshop curriculum and include how best to integrate healthy touch into classroom activities, from games and story-telling to reading, math, and science.
Peaceful Touch, from Sweden to the US
Peaceful Touch for children began in Stockholm in 1995. Currently, with more than 300,000 children receiving Peaceful Touch on a regular basis, both parents and teachers see in children lower levels of anxiety and aggression, as well as improved concentration and better group functioning. Research has verified these observations.
Peaceful Touch is an unofficial standard in Swedish preschools, elementary schools and homes. Trainings there are offered under the auspices of Axelson Institute in Stockholm. Hans Axelson, founder and director of Axelson Institute, believes that this healthy touch approach can literally change individuals, communities and societies much for the better. Marion Rosen, founder of Rosen Method based in Berkeley, California, shared that vision and together they brought Peaceful Touch to the US. Today Peaceful Touch USA is active in California, New Mexico, and Connecticut, and open to opportunities in other states.
Fundamentals
The Peaceful Touch approach is based on three fundamentals:
- That touch is necessary for human growth and development
- That the calming hormone, oxytocin, is activated through touch
- That a permission process supports healthy touch and helps establish good boundaries.
Working together like the three legs of a stool, these fundamental concepts support the integrity and success of the Peaceful Touch program.
Research
Research from the University of Uppsala and Axelson Institute in Sweden confirms that 5 to 10 minutes of Peaceful Touch on a daily basis significantly decreases aggression in children. A wealth of anecdotal evidence supports additional results including improved concentration and better group functioning. Click on the Resources page to read the article.
Peaceful Touch is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that collaborates with education and health professionals to raise awareness of the practice and benefits of healthy touch for children.