Shiatsu Introduction - week5 notes

This week we looked at the Makka-ho again. Some of you have noticed a change and I encourage you to read the various possible methods of using the stretches and complementary exercises. We recapped the front routine so far - see last weeks notes below - and everyone's Shiatsu is looking good. Remember to create enough space for yourselves and most importantly to be comfortable.

We looked at one acupressor point. Stomach 36 (ST36) named Leg three miles is an excellent point for knee trouble but more than that it strengthens the whole system and regulates the stomach and helps with the intestines. There are two books that I brought in, details below:

This is a new edition but the old one is also available. The isbn for the old one is 0-7499-1114-X. The book covers most common ailments but looks at acupressure as something that can be applied with pressure alone. We investigated the energetic connection we can make and all saw the effects of holding a point for some time. With Shiatsu it is quite important to remember that we are trying to give the receiver an experience of their body, energy and mind connection so use points with that quality in view.

The Chris Jarmey book is excellent. It gives clear indication of where the point is and also the effective area of acupressure stimulation. The diagrams are very clear and the use of the point comprehensive. It is, of course, expensive though not if you are serious about learning and using points. isbn: 978-0-9543188-4-0

Remember that the introduction course is not deep enough to give you the full range of skills to use points on people who are ill or have chronic conditions. Also please remember DO NOT USE ANY POINTS ON PREGNANT WOMEN as you are not trained to do so safely.

Try using the points on yourself too where you can.

We finished the routine off by looking at some very simple head work. Again the course is not designed to give you a complete picture of what is possible but to encourage you to connect with the receiver's energy in a simple way.

Slide your fingers under the neck (it may not be possible to get them completely underneath and it doesn't matter). Then, using your palm to support the side of the head, twist their head so that it is now resting on one palm. Place the other palm at the back of their now exposed head and turn their head back. You should now be holding their head on your palms so that your fingers are free enough to reach down the neck. From this position use the fingers to to move the neck gently from side to side - working from the shoulders up to the cranium. You may be able to tell that one side is tighter than the other. If so work more on the less tight side. You can then work on the ridge at the back of the head (occipital ridge) where lots of tension can build. Finally slide your hands back a little so that the head is resting on your hands completely. Make your hands softer and softer as if you were disappearing eventhough you don't actually move. You will almost certainly feel them relax quite deeply. When the time feels right lean backwards very very slowly so that your hands come out from under their heads and they are once again resting on the pillow.

This is a good place to end a session if they are deply relaxed, otherwise go round to the side and connect with their hara again.

Thank you all very much for your enthusiasm, attention and patience. Everyone's Shiatsu looks excellent and I have enjoyed teaching you a great deal. I will let you know when the next courses are.

Shiatsu Introduction - week4 notes

First some photos that may be of use to clarify stuff from last week as well as this. When rotating, stretching or shaking from the ankle make sure that you hug the foot closely to you so that it is part of you - when you move so do they.

We spent a bit more time with the Makka-ho stretches and hopefully you have remembered which the easy stretch was and are doing it and the complementary exercise for the hardest stretch.

During the morning we also experimented with a circle of energy. Stand with your arms in front of you and connect your palm. Press the palms together as hard as possible and ask a partner to try and separate them. Feel how the focus of the energy is in the hands. Now connect the palms again but imagine energy travelling around a circle so that one hand has energy leaving it and the other receives the energy and the circle continues through your body back to the original hand. Keep this image strong in your mind and ask your partner to separate your hands again. Hopefully you will not only be stronger but you will not feel a focus of effort. The energy is absorbed by the whole.

When giving Shiatsu we try to create this circle. One hand is the mother, the receptive, listening hand and the other is the working hand. The circle then consists of the working hand sensing into the receivers energy for a connection and the mother hand listening for the energy to arrive. The circle will be complete once you join the two hands and the receiver will sense a larger self than if you simply work with one hand or focusing on only one. Two handed connection is critical to Shiatsu.

We recapped working down the front of the leg with the variation of stepping across and working the leg on the opposite side. Remember that when using this position (when kneeling on the receivers right use your right leg on the other side and work their left leg) you are in quite a yang position so be aware of the pressure you use.

Stretch, rotate and shake the leg when you get to the ankle and then work the other leg in the same way. If this is not comfortable then go back to working the leg nearest you.

After doing both legs do a 2 leg stretch and then move forward so that the receivers feet are resting on your lap. Out your hands under the knees and gently lean back, move your hands toward the ankles and lean again and repeat until your hands are back under the ankles. Again put your hands under the knees but this time lift the knees at the same time as moving forward so that their feet stay in contact with your hara and when the knees are bent enough you can put their feet on the floor. Keep contact with the side of the knees so that you can work with their breath. Ask them to take a breath in and then out. On the out let their knees slowly drop to one side (make sure you are stable enough to support them at all times). On the next in breath lift the knees and then on an out breath take the knees to the other side. Now move around to the side and put your arm under their knees so that you can straighten them safely.You should now be at the side of them again and you can connect with hara briefly. From here you are going to work their arm. Move their arm so that it is lying out to the side (see picture) and work from the shoulder to the hand.

After working the arm keep contact underneath close to the armpit and step over and turn so that you can kneel, on knee each side of the head, facing their feet and connect with both shoulders. From here you can simply move to the other side of the head from which you came, move their other arm out to the side and work as before.

This is as far as you got.

Shiatsu Introduction - week3 notes

This week we focused a little more on the stretches at the start of the class. They are called Makka-ho and are designed to open each of the meridian pairs. The details of the stretches have been sent but as they were written about 7 years ago I though I would just add my current perspective too.

I find that doing these stretches before giving Shiatsu opens my body to all the possible movemt of both my and the recipients body. They remind me how important the breath is (something we will be looking at this week).

Every time you do the stretches it is different. The body and mind are always different and how we feel (remember one of my basic principles is to remind ourselves how we feel when we are working) reflects in how easy or difficult each stretch feels.

As I explained the basic use of these stretches is to find the easiest and the hardest. We then do the easy stretch and for the difficult one we do the complementary movement.

I have found over the years that doing the Makka-ho on and off will not show as much change as doing them regularly. So I encourage you to do the stretches you all chose last week and then we can measure whether or not you feel different when we do the whole set. Long term change takes a long time and it is important we understand that if we ever recommend exercise. It is always the individuals choice and it doesn't suit everyone.

This course does not cover theory so I will not go into the theory that I have sent you but if it interests you please do let me know through the blog and I will respond.

As far as the Shiatsu goes we recapped the back routine that we have learnt. Everybody's Shiatsu looks good and your hands are sensitive and in the main relaxed. Remember to create enough space for yourself. You are looking to have a sort of bubble formed by your chest and abdomen, your arms and the receiver's body.

We have started learning a front routine. Starting with making contact with the hara - the soft area bounded by ribs, hips and pelvis. Connect firmly. Be there but do not be hard or invasive. Explore the soft area with curiosity. The difference in muscle tone, energetic response to your hands and where you are drawn to. Though we did this for quite a long time remember when giving Shiatsu this is the point of saying I am here and it doesn't take that long.

We tried various positions. Kneeling, half kneel (one foot on the floor), facing the head, facing across the body etc. Find your own. All you need to remember is:

1. Be comfortable
2. Have enough space energetically
3. Connect with two hands.
4. Be close enough to lean but still be in control of how much weight you give
5. Be far away enough to not crowd either yourself or the receiver

After connecting with the hara we worked down one leg. Since we are not exploring meridians in this course but focusing on quality of touch and a basic routine the actual position of where you work isn't as important as how you work. Having said that we looked at turning the leg slightly inward (point the toes toward the other foot) and working in the fleshy muscle area that is presented. As with the back routine work downward toward the ankle and when there pick up the ankle and rest it in your lap.

Holding the foot firmly to your body (don't grip tight but make it feel like a solid hug) use your movement to explore the movement of the ankle. Moving from your own hara (lower tummy) rotate your body and see what their foot feels like. Both directions and then lean toward their head and away from their head to give the ankle a stretch.

I will be working on some photographs to make it clearer but until then just explore what you can. I hope you are all enjoying the course - I know I am, you are all doing very well.

See you next week

Shiatsu Introduction - week2 notes

This week, apart from building the back routine, we looked at energy filling spaces, not by force but by allowing. "what has no substance, enters where there is no space". Soft hands are essential as is the non-desire for anything to happen.

This helps with quality of touch.

We have finished the routine for the back. As this is a five week course we haven't included everything that is possible but the routine is a good starting point for Shiatsu. The full routine is:

Settle yourself kneeling on the left hand side of the receiver (they are on your right).

Connect with their sacrum and use some gentle intention to connect with them.

Change position to be looking across their body with your left hand in the middle of their upper back and your right hand on the sacrum.

Moving weight on and off, moving your left hand when the weight is off so that you work down the nack to the sacrum

At the sacrum change so that the left is on the sacrum and the right hand works down the leg nearest you.

Move so the you are always comfortable and never over- reaching.

At the ankle move to hold both and then move to the other side of the body to work down the other leg.

At the ankles again, this time rest the front of the ankles in the palms of your hands and as they breath out lean back to give a nice gentle stretch.

From this position take a step up so that you are half-kneeling, on foot on the floor, with hands on the backs of the thighs.

Take another step to half-kneel the other side with hands in the middle of the upper back.

You should now be astride the body, on one knee, with one hand either side of the spine.

Lean in three times moving your hands down toward the lower back each time the weight is off.

Now take a step (however you can) so that you are above the head facing the feet, kneel with one knee each side of the head, hands resting on the shoulders. Lean

Retreating cat: With hands contacting body enough to slide, slide down to the hips and lean, then retreat back toward to shoulders like a cat kneading.

Return to starting position

Sorry no pictures this week but will perhaps add some later.

Keep a look out (you can bookmark the blog or follow it) for updates. I will add something about the stretches we are using to warm up.

See you all next week. Good luck with practise.