A PEACEFUL WORLD THROUGH INFANT MASSAGE

by Vimala McClure

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When I began massaging my first baby in 1976, I had been working in humanitarian service for many years. I had a “change the world” mentality. So it was natural for me to see that infant massage was an important discovery. Researching the elements of bonding, I saw that infant massage contained every element of the bonding process and more.

I was inspired by Dr. Marshall Klaus and Dr. John Kennel, who brought out the idea of bonding having specific elements that could be codified. Many years later, Dr. Klaus personally told me that he had been following my work for many years and was inspired by it. Of course, this was thrilling for me.

When I designed the infant massage program that would become IAIM, my goal was for infant massage to be a well known and practiced art throughout the world. I felt then, as I do now, that if parents bonded well with their infants, the benefits would go with babies throughout their lives, and thus, a cultural shift worldwide would change the world.

Now, more than ever before, our work is central to achieving a peaceful world. We have seen the rise in violence, intolerance, terrorism, inequality, corruption, and racism. As the world becomes more and more technological, our relationships can be affected negatively. Parents are often looking at their phones while rocking their babies.

Our work educates parents, grandparents, caregivers, and others, that eye contact, skin-to-skin contact, and responsiveness in infancy are crucial if we want to raise loving, kind, thoughtful, and secure people who can shape the future of the world.

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Vimala McClure

Founder: International Association of Infant Massage

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