[Image: Courtesy of New Global Wellness Institute]“Massage Makes Me Happy”, a new Global Wellness Institute Initiative, launched today 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 preventative health and wellness, will provide a global platform to support the initiative as it focuses on elevating the work of massage therapists and promoting careers in massage and bodywork.
Through the past decade, massage therapy has experienced tremendous growth with more and more consumers seeking out massage to support and enhance personal wellbeing. However, even with this growth, there is still a lack of understanding of the facilitation mechanisms, therapeutic benefits and deeper impacts that massage and bodywork has on people of all ages. Receiving massage creates happiness and this initiative will focus on creating educational outreach that promotes this message.
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The idea for this initiative began with Lynda Solien-Wolfe and CG Funk. These two wellness powerhouse professionals developed the concept during the 2015 Global Wellness Summit held in Mexico City. Both Lynda and CG are deeply passionate about massage therapy and had a vision to share their passion to a global audience.
One of the first completed projects for the Massage Makes Me Happy Initiative was to declare an official Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day. The date of March 20, 2018 was selected, which coincides with The International Day of Happiness also known as Happiness Day. Additional information on this special day and planned celebrations will be shared later this year after the 2017 Global Wellness Summit.
Initiative chair Lynda Solien-Wolfe is a renowned innovator, networker and veteran in the massage spa and wellness industries. Lynda’s vast experience of over 25 years includes licensed massage therapist, licensed esthetician, author, spa consultancy, day spa ownership, product development, educator, corporate leadership and legislative advocacy. She is the Vice President of Massage and Spa for Performance Health, makers of Biofreeze, Bon Vital’ and TheraBand wellness products.
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“I have been a committed receiver of massage therapy for over 25 years and can personally attest that massage makes me healthier and feel happier. I am very excited to see the Massage Makes Me Happy Initiative come to life as I have been using this slogan for over 20 years. 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 throughout the globe,” says Lynda Solien-Wolfe.

Initiative vice-chair CG Funk is a 25-year veteran of the spa, beauty and wellness industries. Her national leadership has helped shape the US massage and skin care markets over the past two decades. CG’s industry roles include corporate leadership, franchising, school administration, trainer and writer. She is also an inspirational speaker and story-teller. CG currently owns and directs Funk Consulting, a boutique company specializing in spa, wellness and franchise business and operational development.
“Human beings need positive touch and I am committed to supporting the work of massage therapists and their professional growth. I personally have experienced so many profound benefits from receiving massage therapy and look forward to the day that massage therapy will be fully understood and honored as the powerful healing modality it is. Everyone deserves to know that massage creates happiness,” says CG Funk.
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 with Lynda and CG 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.”
The Massage Makes Me Happy Initiative is proud to have Dr. Tiffany Field, Director/Founder of the Touch Research Institute (TRI) from the University of Miami, as an initiative member and research advisor. Dr. Field is the pioneer of massage therapy research and founded TRI in 1992. To date, TRI has completed over 100 studies on touch and massage.
