The Whole Kit and Kaboodle

You may have read all the details on Shiatsu being a type of massage using meridians and points etc etc. You may have even heard that Shiatsu is a bit like acupuncture without the needles, or that its a gentle technique using stretches or burning a smelly weed (moxa) to move this thing call Qi or Ki…

These are not incorrect statements in a sense, but they are extremely reductionist in description.

Shiatsu is classified in the Holistic Health section of healing modalities not simply because  treatment often incorporates diet, exercise and meditation but because it helps to heal the structural philosophical and cultural hurdles we find embedded in our own psyche.

Shiatsu in a way can be said to be a non religious way of introducing Spirituality to healing the Being.

This is done via ensuring the flow of Qi within and without the body.

If Qi is a motive force for the entire universe, if it in fact helped to birth the universe and everything that resides within it, then it goes without saying that the Qi within us is undoubtedly the Qi of the universe.

Through that understanding we are able to see the possible connection of everything.

And if we are able to understand that connection and use it to heal our own disharmonies, we are then able to heal all that is within, and without, this particular dimension.

As we glide turbulently forward into an ever increasingly rapid future, we find more and more of the western world searching out collective, cooperative and connected modalities that are based upon Spirituality.

Shiatsu, Yoga, mediation, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, breath works, permaculture just to name a few.

These practices are based upon the idea that the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual elements of every Being can be connected and resolved.

Shiatsu has a deep connection to Chinese Medicine and Oriental healing.

Chinese medicine often talks of The 3 Treasures:

This can be correlated on different levels:

It is believed that by treating one of the energies on the axis the ripple on effect will essentially begin to heal the other levels.

The four levels that Shiatsu focuses upon when making a treatment plan and whilst sensing the states of the client are:

In a reductive society each of these levels are divided and treated separately by a range of different psychologists, doctors and religions.

A Shiatsu approach incorporates these as a collective whole, each influencing the next.

Shiatsu utilises touch to help connect the four levels.

By moving awareness between specific focal points and widening the perception to incorporate the entire energy system, a practitioner gets a full view of the clients biological functioning and can make changes as the body responds.

This is done by working with the meridians and acupoints primarily though touch. Pressure applied to the body using hands, elbows, knees or by moving the body though stretches, rocking and percussion.

Chinese medicine works on the Qi within each Organ in the body. Each Organs’ health defines the scale of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fruition.

Organs attach to meridians that travel throughout the body, connecting all other parts to the whole.

Along the meridians there are small ‘portholes’ that enable specialised and specific actions to motivate Qi in differing ways.

These are called acupoints.

Knowing these meridians and points is complimentary to the ability of sensing Qi.

The physical connection between client and practitioner holds a common intention of healing, understanding and kindness.

In this space the physical, emotional and energetic bodies relax, brainwaves calm enabling the parasympathetic nervous system to respond and drop into rest and digest.

In this space it is then possible to smooth out the Qi within the body eliciting the immune system to repair.

From an emotional space, when the physical body can consolidate and commence healing, its connected emotional body can begin to ground and mediate trauma stored within the body and dissolve stories written within the primal brain, wired for survival.

Moving from the primal brain forward to the neo-cortex, our Spiritual space can be readily accessed once we heal and remove physical and emotional pain.

When no longer responding reactively via sympathetic nervous system we can start using creative energy to develop our senses to be more sensitive to reality and all its connections, hopefully reconnecting us to our higher selves.

By deciding to walk the path of healing with Shiatsu, I often have the pleasure of witnessing change in the clients I treat.
Physically definitely, emotionally absolutely.
But the beauty I find is seeing when clients become aware and understand their own reality and start to shift and shape their views and perspectives to a healthier, happier and aligned existence. .

Life begins to have more purpose and contentment, their ability to create their reality becomes stronger along with intuition and listening to themselves and their surroundings and thence gratitude naturally increases.

If you’d like to experience or know more about Shiatsu, please feel free to get in touch.

I’m always happy to talk shop.