Everybody loves a massage of some sort, and when it comes to massage there are so many different modules we lose count, but one thing is for certain there is something out there for everyone: Shiatsu, Swedish, Hot Stone, and the list goes on.  There is even something out there for babies.  That’s right

Parents giving the massage will feel more relaxed and gain more confidence with handling their children. Often we get so busy in our lives we feel guilty over not spending enough time with our children, therefore incorporating Infant Massage into your daily routine is a perfect way to ease that guilt and spend some quality one on one time with your child.  By doing so you are going to decrease the stress levels in both yourself and your child.

So how do you learn these amazing techniques? Lessons are now available through the Cyclelaties studio in Hollywood.  Through a series of classes you are able to learn specific techniques that will have you confidently on your way to massaging your child!

Introductory classes are available for those who are curious to learn the basics, these are a fun and great way to meet new parents and arrange future play dates for your children too!  It is the one time of day where babies rule Cyclelaties and have fun showing us all who is the boss.  Remember this class isn’t only for the lovely Los Angeles moms, it’s also open to dads, grandparents and caregivers! All are welcome to attend.  Come on in and say hello, make some friends, and have some fun.  Best of all, learn a new skill to strengthen that bond you have with your child, remember this is a skill you can use with them for a life time.

For more information visit www.cyclelates.com and click workshops.  Classes will be offered every Friday at 10am.

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The post Hollywood Trend Alert: Learn How to Massage your Baby with This Posh Workshop At Cyclelates! Written by Jade Lee appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

My favorite term for Infant Massage is that it is “The Art of Touch.”  It is a beautiful form of bonding between a parent and their child and quite simply put it is a form of expressing love.

When we as adults want a massage we go and see a massage therapist, but when our babies need a massage, it is us the caregivers who perform it.  Therefore, with Infant Massage, the caregivers will need to attend a class to learn how to massage their babies correctly.

Infant Massage provides benefits not only for your child, but for yourself as well.  This is because for a baby regular massage encourages a healthier and more regular sleeping pattern, which in turn helps you get a better night’s sleep too.

Regular massage promotes relaxation and helps babies self regulate calm, which reduces crying, these techniques are also a way to improve sensory and body awareness and is a way to enhance neurological development.

You will improve your baby’s circulatory system as well as improving skin condition and digestion.

For a parent massaging your baby includes all of the essential indicators of bonding – sight (eye to eye contact), touch, voice, smell and movement.

Through Infant Massage parents will feel more confident in caring for their children and working parents find that it eases their stress after a long day away from their children.

The Massage techniques for children are much different than the techniques used on an adult, for instance when you have a massage as an adult it is more a manipulation of the muscles, when you massage your baby it is more a form of communication.

During a class or private lesson the instructor will not touch your baby, but instead will show you how to correctly administer the strokes yourself, and if you have trouble with a particular stroke, then the instructor may (with your permission) lay their hands over your hands and direct you through the massage movement.

Infant Massage doesn’t only focus on the baby, it is based on the communication between the parent and the child.  Infant Massage isn’t just preformed ON your baby; it is performed WITH your baby. 

These classes are also not just for the mother and child as many fathers, grandparents, and caregivers alike enjoy learning these techniques.  You will often find fathers or fathers-to-be who are the ones dragging their spouses to a class to learn Infant Massage together.

For the western world Infant Massage is relatively new, but for other cultures it has been around for thousands of years – we are only beginning to catch up.

So lets get up to speed and learn these important techniques and how to develop them for our growing children.  Lets create this special bonding moment that will last a lifetime.

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The post What Is Infant Massage? Written by Jade Lee appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

While studying for my diploma I was introduced to something called Infant Massage, this was something I’d never heard of before but I was intrigued, even though I was learning on a plastic doll.  I felt rather silly talking to this doll and trying to connect to it through my studies, but I was curious to see how these techniques would work on a child in my care.

 At the time I only learned the basics, but that was enough for me to use on children in my care.  Over the years though, I saw bright eyes get even brighter, and in time I would notice the excitement a baby would exhibit when massage time was approaching.  I grew strong bonds with the children who were in my care, especially through Infant Massage and most of them are still very much in my life today.

I eventually decided to take my massage therapy skill to another level and I trained to become a certified Infant Massage Instructor.  Here I was again back to feeling like a twit talking to a plastic doll.  Moreover, I was of course spending long hours studying and researching as well.  However, once I began teaching, it was all worth it, especially to see new mothers bonding with their babies. It was rewarding to see their confidence grow dramatically when they received such a warm reception from their new bundles of joy.

I also began teaching parents with older children and I loved when I would get calls a week later to say that their problematic four year olds’ temper tantrums had dramatically improved. I also loved hearing how they had set routines for massage before bedtime.  As a result, their children were sleeping in later in the mornings.

Helping stressed parents cope with problems such as erratic sleeping patterns, Colic, low birth weight babies, as well as other issues was the reason why I wanted to teach these techniques in the first place.  Putting it quite simply I wanted to help.

Infant Massage has been hailed as a Hollywood craze by some, but in reality these exact same techniques have been used by other cultures for thousands of years.  There really isn’t anything new about it. Other cultures such as in India begin with a cleansing massage the day a baby is born.  They do this to enhance circulation, expel toxins and aid the baby’s digestion.  For centuries Infant Massage has also been used in Asian and Pacific Island cultures because it is believed to be both physically and spiritually beneficial.   To this day it is also used in Hawaiian and Maori culture (New Zealand).  I know about this from first hand experience, as I am Maori myself.  For our culture, touch is a very spiritual thing.

There is a tremendous amount of information about Infant Massage being beneficial for our children, however people should not forget that it is also beneficial for the parents too.  This is especially true for mothers showing signs of Post Natal Depression.

Using these techniques have even assisted teenage mothers on improving their bonding and interaction with their children.

Fathers also gain confidence in learning about Infant Massage and often they are even more eager to learn about it as they go through the learning experience.  I have seen and known fathers who have dragged their partners along for their Infant Massage lessons.

Aside from all the wonderful health benefits that come from Infant Massage, I think the most beautiful result of all has to be the enhanced bond it creates between the child and their caregiver.

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The post ‘The Power of Touch Through Infant Massage’ Written by Jade Lee appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.