Earlier this year, I presented a short workshop on what shiatsu means to me and my understandings within a clinical framework. I have chosen to keep shiatsu or hands on bodywork as my primary modality. In staying present with shiatsu I have found deeper levels of understanding, insight and dealing with the subtle aspects of energetics. I have not deviated into other modalities that move away from touch as the primary mode of healing or interaction with the client. Not because they are any less effective but because of my desire to penetrate to a deeper level, and develop a greater awareness of the physical and energetic body through touch.
In studying other tactile therapies including craniosacral therapy, ortho-bionomy, energetic healing, relaxation massage, Chinese massage, remedial massage and lomi lomi massage, the learning’s from these modalities have always been brought back into a shiatsu framework or context. The same applies to the body/mind disciplines practiced such as yoga, meditation and Tai Chi over the last 20 years.
I place significant importance in being able to feel the body, both physically and energetically. We have our 5 physical senses that exist together with the sense of timing, sense of balance and sense of intuition. These last 3 senses exist without thought processes. In working with a client, we can experience via our hands what we feel at a physical level within the body or non-physical as in via the meridian system or etheric energy of the body. The non-physical information may be felt in our hands or elsewhere within our body. I describe it as being connected to heart. It is what is detected when we are in a state of neutral observation of the client and present in the moment. To be in this state requires us to:
- Have no attachment to an outcome or want of our client.
– Have unconditional acceptance of the client and be objective about their conditions, symptoms, personality, personal beliefs and lifestyle.
– Consider the clients past & existing life experiences to ascertain how symptoms may have arisen and how they may be impacting upon them.
– Not project our beliefs onto them.
– Be in the present moment.
When we approach another human being in this state it creates a space for clients to step into their own healing. I do not believe that we heal clients. I believe each client heals themselves just as we heal ourselves. It may be their belief in us as a practitioner that they will heal that allows it to occur. Just as it is their belief that causes resistance to an illness or disease healing.
As practitioners we can look at existing symptoms, underlying causes or both. Are we looking at illness, disease and problems or can we provide a pathway towards their health, vitality and solutions for them? Do we create a space where the client experiences more of what they have or one where they can experience a sense of relaxation, health, a still mind and change how they feel about themselves?
The concept of kyo and jitsu are relative states. At a simple level they describe one thing in relation to another. They are not absolutes and vary from person to person. Something energetically kyo, weak or hypo function within one person may be a state of jitsu, excess or hyper function within another whilst for another it is normal. Different symptoms will manifest for each person whilst some may have no symptoms at all.
Patterns of kyo/jitsu also arise when the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system changes. With the mind in a parasympathetic state, the body relaxes, regenerates, unifies, calms, heals and rebuilds itself, the effects of stress are diminished and there is an integration/unification of the mind/body/spirit. In a sympathetic or state of “flight, fight or fright” energy is expended and dissipated, there is separation or isolation of body systems and contraction occurs in the body.
Stress will cause the mind to trigger or move into a sympathetic state. The mind triggers into this state when life does not go according to our personal rules or by our beliefs. This is a reaction that is there for when our personal safety is threatened. In this state of “flight, fight or fright”, for short periods our normal organ and body functions are not affected. In this state for long periods of time causes the organs, meridians, nervous and all other body systems to function differently creating a new homeostasis or way that our body functions. Some of the changes that occur include:
- Elevation of blood pressure & blood sugar levels
– Energy gets stored as fat in the body
– Blood forms more platelets becoming less viscous
– Muscles tense, contract and shorten
– The breath becomes shallow and more rapid
– Sexual desire and hunger are suppressed
– Digestion and peristalsis stops
– The brain becomes hyperalert
– The senses become clearer and intensify
– Chest breathing overtakes diaphragm breathing
– The liver produces more cholesterol to deal with elevated blood sugar levels
Conditions arising as a result being in ‘flight, fight or fright’ for extended periods of time include:
- High blood pressure
– Diabetes
– Obesity
– Increased risk of heart disease
– Structural misalignment
– Respiratory conditions
– Sexual dysfunction & loss of libido
– Digestive dysfunction
– Increased risk of mental disease
– The senses become clearer and intensify
– Tiredness, lack of motivation & will
– Addictions
– Menstrual irregularities
Simply through touch or shiatsu, a clients parasympathetic nervous system is activated allowing the sympathetic to deactivate. This temporarily addresses the imbalance caused by being in “flight, fight or fright” for a long time. We learn to live our lives in a state of stress. We can unlearn these habits and beliefs and learn to live in a relaxed state. It requires awareness, practice and daily discipline to do this. Firstly though, it requires us to have a desire or an impulse to change.
We can have awareness of a meridian through utilising it in our day-to-day lives. Or we can lack awareness in that part of the body, meridian or muscle and cannot engage it physically, mentally or emotionally. In effect the parts we use become stronger and the parts we cannot use become weaker or kyo over time. Over time this sets up further imbalances within the physical body.
I look at the meridians as pathways of consciousness. These pathways are states of relative consciousness. Rather than looking at them as relative states in terms of negative or positive, unconscious /conscious, excess/deficient, right or wrong, under active or overactive, I look at them as areas having greater consciousness or lesser consciousness. Lets look at states of consciousness. We have an energy body within our physical body. This life force is actively keeping our body alive ensuring all its processes, functions and structure are working properly. This life force though affects the body depending upon our genetics and our state of awareness or consciousness. Our self-esteem or how we feel about ourselves impacts on how our body functions, our body awareness and how we move our body. This awareness determines what we can or can’t do with our body and how we move about in space. We can only use muscles that are strong and we know how to engage. We can’t engage muscles that are weak. They are weak because they are not used and we do not know how to engage them. With awareness we can change how we go about moving our body and meridians.
In working with clients, we can create a safe space/environment where they are able to experience there bodies in a different way, support them in the changes they desire and give them as unbiased feedback or information as we are able to, given our own level of awareness.