As I witness the events of the world—the words people choose to use, the emotions displayed, the choices made locally and globally--it becomes so very clear to me that peace is not something that just happens; the practice of peace begins with the individual. For peace to become our global reality, it must be cultivated by each and every one of us...  in our thoughts, our beliefs, and especially in our words and our actions.

Practicing Peace in Sweden

In Sweden, more than 300,000 children are practicing peace through a program called Peaceful Touch® (P.T.), developed by Hans Axelson in Stockholm in the early 1990’s. The format for the program is an integration of respectful, healthy touch with children’s activities: from reading and storytelling to math, science, and physical wellness programs such as yoga. Children use their hands to trace numbers or letters, solve simple math problems or draw figures from a story on one another’s arm or back. When combined with yoga, children may draw story scenes aligned with themes such as peace, sharing or love. They can form a “massage train” or help each other roll into “cooked spaghetti” while lying in savasana (relaxation) pose.

Peaceful Touch® is used in the home, in school classrooms, and other curricular settings. Swedish parents and teachers have reported that children partaking in a P.T. program, over time, have lower levels of anxiety and aggressive behavior, improved concentration, greater confidence and enhanced peer relationships including group cohesion and cooperation.

Peaceful Touch in the United States

In Glastonbury, Connecticut, Dori Sargent, a practicing yogini of 12 years, is one of a select few Peaceful Touch Facilitators and Trainers in the United States. Combining her background in vocational rehabilitation and school counseling for children with special needs with her passion for yoga, Dori blends the Peaceful Touch curriculum with Hatha Yoga resulting in creative, heart-centered classes and programs for families, children and schools. It was a delight to chat with Dori, who made time between teaching classes and traveling regionally to train school teachers how to use Peaceful Touch in their classrooms.

Karen: Tell me about the fundamentals of Peaceful Touch programs.

Dori: Peaceful Touch programs are based on three fundamentals. First, touch is necessary for human growth and development. There is considerable scientific evidence to substantiate this. Human touch is a life-transforming necessity, not a luxury. Second, our bodies produce a hormone, oxytocin, which generates a calming effect; oxytocin is activated through gentle, healthy touch. Finally, Peaceful Touch entails a permission granting process that helps establish appropriate boundaries. These fundamentals must be present in all P.T. classes.

Karen: Can you elaborate further about the research that substantiates the importance of touch in mental and physical development?

Dori: As far back as 1915, psychosocial studies conducted in orphanages and crowded nurseries demonstrated that failure to thrive in infants and young babies is directly linked to lack of human touch, even when sufficient nutrition and medical attention is provided. The Harlow monkey studies conducted in the 1950’s clearly showed the necessity for tactile affection in social and cognitive development. Your readers might recall that Harlow studied two groups of monkeys. In the first group, the “terrycloth mother” provided no food, while the “wire mother” provided food in the form of an attached baby bottle containing milk. In the second group, only the terrycloth mother provided food. The young monkeys clung to the terrycloth mother whether or not food was provided. In fact, the baby monkeys only went to the wire mother when it had food and they rarely stayed longer than it took to get the necessary food. (When the cloth model had the bottle, they didn’t go to the wire model at all.) The baby monkeys clearly preferred cuddling with the softer cloth model.*

Karen: You are one of a select few Peaceful Touch® facilitator in the United States. What effects have you observed in the course of teaching children, families and educators?

Dori: Every time I bring Peaceful Touch to children and families I witness how it changes lives. It is thrilling for me to see how something so simple, something we think we know so much about, can be so powerful! While I have observed changes similar to those documented in the Swedish programs: improved body awareness, enhanced self-esteem, greater empathy, lower levels of stress, it is the small effects that are most significant to me.

I remember one particular preschool age boy who did not want to participate with the rest of his class. He told me “It’s boring and it’s for girls!” All of his friends were participating; he reluctantly joined his peers. The next day, his mother shared with me that she had been having a terrible time with migraine headaches. Her son approached her and asked if she would like Peaceful Touch to make her feel better. The child brought Peaceful Touch into his home and even remembered to ask permission. What a beautiful thing!  

Teachers frequently report transformations in behavior, for some of their most difficult students, shortly after practicing daily doses of Peaceful Touch. Those who are trained in Peaceful Touch have told me it was one of, if not the most powerful and practical trainings they have attended. I am so grateful to be involved in changing children’s and families lives one Peaceful Touch at a time.

Karen: Tell me more about your creations, EarthWings Yoga and Yoga Wise Programs and the integration of Peaceful Touch®.

Dori: The EarthWings Yoga philosophy is the foundation for all of my classes—those for children, adults, or special populations. Essentially, we begin grounded like roots in the Earth; as we practice yoga our hearts open and our wings spread wide as we soar into personal freedom, which is what yoga is all about. Incorporating a Peaceful Touch activity at the start of a yoga class stimulates a serene mood as the children or families enter into the physical yoga postures. Likewise, by closing a class with a P.T. activity the participants depart feeling very relaxed and connected to one another.

The Yoga Wise programs are created for schools with children age 2 to 18. My philosophy is “Breath + Movement + Creativity = Wisdom.”  It is a documented fact in education that movement directly affects learning and neurological development. Yoga Wise programs incorporate affirmations, movement and social interaction. I carefully select books, songs, games and the physical yoga poses with the intention of nurturing a child’s self-esteem, body awareness, building character and stimulating neurological development. Some of the most prominent gifts of yoga include self-confidence, healthy coping skills to use during life’s daily challenges and major transitions, body awareness, as well as love and respect for one’s self and others. Yoga Wise classes are designed to provide a safe, supportive environment in which children receive the many gifts of yoga… a gift that will last a lifetime.

Karen: Many people have the impression that touch is not permitted in school systems but this is not accurate. Can you elaborate?

Dori: Today, touching is legal, but many school systems have implemented a “no-touch” policy out of fear of legal repercussions. In fact, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) requires healthy and positive touch in its accreditation criteria. Teaching staff are encouraged to express warmth through behaviors such as physical affection, eye contact and tone of voice. Peaceful Touch was developed to bring human contact back into the classroom. In the P.T. curricula children learn to request permission from one another before touching, to honor each child’s reply and to provide feedback to one another. They learn respect for self and others. They learn healthy personal boundaries.

Karen: Any closing reflections that you’d like to share?

Dori: Twelve years ago I started practicing yoga for the physical benefits but realized something more than enhanced physical strength made me feel so wonderful. It’s the power of breathe that leads to an amazing connection between mind, body and spirit. So, breathe. Breathe deeply and breathe consciously.

Throughout my yoga practice and training, I have learned that most of us need to get out of our heads and into our hearts… yoga can help with that. I have learned to teach from my heart and to help others learn to open their hearts.

We need human touch, physically and neurologically—embrace your loved ones, especially your children. If you are going to teach a child “no bad touch” at home or at school—then you must provide a positive alternative. Peaceful Touch is that alternative.

Connect with Dori Sargent: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 860-559-7737;

www.earthwingsyoga.com; www.yogawise.org, Peaceful Touch: www.peacefultouch.net

*Note from KMR:  Harlow was fascinated with the concept of “love” and used that term in his original journal article reporting the results of these studies. Needless to say, this was, much to the chagrin of fellow scientists. Though there has been criticism on Harlow’s studies, over the years researchers in health and psychosocial sciences have continued to demonstrate the importance of “caregiver attachment” in the social, psychological and neurological development of human children from the time of birth. For more information: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/love.htm and http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhharl.html.