Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/44777
n the Classroom , aggression diminish with student-to-student interaction oon, Johnny with a "cat grip" ot a game, it's nt bullying and children. rtant part e, however, ghout life in als. to children have been for nearly 20 years. Massage in Schools school students simple her in the classroom. en shown to improve ility to stay on task more intriguing implemented have d aggression, and an thy toward others. y Sylvie Hetu, treal, Quebec, e instructor in of schools in 20 United Kingdom. The massage program grew out of the infant massage training that Hetu and Elmsater received. "I was a school teacher before I became an infant massage instructor, so I was known in the school system," Hetu says. "Teachers would ask me for ideas for touch and movement exercises, and I would show them some things on a one-to-one basis, but there was no formal program. Mia did the same in Sweden. People would just ask us and we would show them," she says. That changed in 1999 when the director of a massage school in London invited Hetu and Elmsater to give a presentation on what they were informally showing their colleagues. "There were 350 people at that conference," Hetu says. "The day after, the telephone wouldn't stop ringing." Hetu and Elmsater decided British schools would benefit by having access to such a program, so they created one. "We took weeks, months, years to refine it, to make it perfect so it would fit in everywhere, in all cultures," Hetu says. The program began in England, but has since spread to Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, as well as other parts of Europe and Asia. Massage in the classroom has been shown to help students focus more fully on their schoolwork. From Bear Walk To caT grip Under the tutelage of trainers, MISP teaches children how to take turns massaging each other while seated at their desks or sitting on the floor. The strokes are mainly on the arms, shoulders, and head, and don't involve oils or the removal of clothing. Hetu says children are taught always to ask permission before touching each other, and they're assured they always have the right to decline the touch if they choose. "Some kids do say no," Hetu says. "Some days you're just not in the mood for massage. That's just human. And if they don't Body Sense 7