our founder
Vimala McClure
Our Founder
Vimala McClure, the founder of our organization, was inspired to bring the practice of infant massage from India to the Western world. Her journey began when she worked at an orphanage in northern India and felt a deep desire to help others and contribute to the well-being of humanity. This experience led her to develop a special baby massage routine.
In 1978, in response to requests from local childbirth educators, Vimala created a training program. She combined the massage strokes she had learned in India with Swedish massage, principles of reflexology and yoga, tailored for babies. She even designed specific strokes for colicky babies. Alongside this, she designed a course for parents, which became the foundation for the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM).
Audrey Downes, a registered nurse at Enloe Hospital in Chico, California, discovered infant massage as a new practice and was eager to learn more. She visited Vimala and became very enthusiastic about it. Together, they founded a non-profit organisation called the International Association of Infant Massage Instructors (IAIMI), which was officially incorporated in the USA in 1986.
Vimala’s groundbreaking book, “Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents,” published in 1978, laid the groundwork for IAIM.
