The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has launched a new campaign in order to spread awareness of the positive impacts of touch therapies to consumers and medical professionals.

GWI will set up a platform to support the initiative, which 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,” GWI said in a statement.

“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.”

The scheme is the brainchild of wellness entrepreneurs Lynda Solien-Wolfe and CG Funk, who developed the concept of Massage Makes Me Happy during the 2015 Global Wellness Summit held in Mexico City.

One of the first completed projects for the initiative has been to declare and establish an official Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day.

The date, 20 March, was selected to coincide with The International Day of Happiness.

Information on the day and the planned celebrations will be shared later this year, following the 2017 Global Wellness Summit held later this month in Palm Beach, Florida.

“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,” said Solien-Wolfe. “I am very excited to see the Massage Makes Me Happy Initiative come to life, as I have been using this slogan for more than 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.”

CG Funk added: “Human beings need positive touch and I am committed to supporting the work of massage therapists and their professional growth.”