PRESS RELEASE

Global Wellness Institute Initiative: “Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day” March 20th

“Massage Makes Me Happy,” a Global Wellness Institute Initiative, launched in 2018 with the mission of spreading awareness about the positive impacts of touch therapies to consumers and medical, spa, and wellness professionals. The Global Wellness Institute, a non-profit organization with a mission to empower wellness worldwide by educating public and private sectors about preventive health and wellness, provides a global platform to support the initiative as it focuses on the benefits of massage therapy, elevating the work of massage therapists and promoting careers in massage and bodywork. Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day coincides with The International Day of Happiness, also known as Happiness Day.

Our theme for 2021 is Massage Makes Me Happy and Healthy! On March 20, 2021, we will celebrate this day with a Zoom event from noon till 1 pm EST. Dr. Tiffany Field, Director/Founder of the Touch Research Institute (TRI) from the University of Miami, will headline this event. Dr. Field is the pioneer of touch therapy research and founded TRI in 1992. To date, TRI has completed over 100 studies on touch and massage. She will share the research that supports why massage makes you happy and healthy. For more information on these studies, please visit ​www.miami.edu/touch-research​ and www.wellnessevidence.com.

We will also review the current massage trends, how practitioners and massage establishments are enhancing their safety protocols so the consumers feel comfortable continuing to receive massage. We will also give demonstrations on self-massage to enhance wellbeing and combat touch deprivation. This is going to be a fun-filled, information-packed event!

Initiative chair Lynda Solien-Wolfe is a renowned innovator, networker, and 25-year veteran in the massage, spa, and wellness industries. “I have been a committed receiver of massage therapy for over 30 years and can personally attest that massage makes me healthier and feel happier. I am very excited that even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we can host an event that will educate and inspire the masses on the many benefits of massage. This movement and the official Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day will be a great celebration of the happiness that massage brings to millions of people throughout the year and the globe,” says Lynda Solien-Wolfe.

Susie Ellis, Global Wellness Institute Chairman, and CEO added, “The Global Wellness Institute supports a variety of industry initiatives, furthering the international conversation about wellness in its many and varied forms. I am especially delighted to be working on this initiative, which

promises to provide so many benefits. Massage therapy truly does support individual happiness and this initiative will go a long way in spreading the understanding of the power of touch.”

Also serving as initiative members are: Heather Zdan, Cherie Sohnen-Moe, Karen Short, Allan Share, Brian Paris, Kim Collier, and Dr. Tiffany Field.
Special thank you to the Massage Makes Me Happy initiative Cornerstone partners: Universal Companies, Scrip Companies, Earthlite, MASSAGE Magazine, and Pura Wellness Labs.

We encourage practitioners, businesses, and massage recipients to celebrate the day. Learn more HERE. If you are interested in getting involved or holding an event, we have created a toolkit to help you: please go HERE or contact Cherie@Sohnen-Moe.com.

Please tell us why massage makes you happy and healthy by sharing your stories, photos, and videos on our Facebook page