SHIATSU

"When you touch a body, you touch the whole person,

the intellect, the spirit and the emotions."

Jane Harrington

One of the very best way to understand shiatsu, is to receive it.

Here is a brilliant description from the director of the Bristol School of Shiatsu, Keith Phillips:

"I would describe it as soul medicine. It helps and heals all kinds of health conditions but this seems almost secondary when you see the effect it can have on your overall life.

Our difficulties often contain the seed of their own healing. There is untapped energy in our stress and untouched soul in our exhaustion. To access this, we sometimes need help from another, and Shiatsu offers a way to do this. Where massage releases tension from tissues – Shiatsu restores vitality where it is blocked.

Every moment is an invitation to heal if we slow down long enough to feel and embrace life, just the way it is. Healing spontaneously arises when we connect deeply with the felt sensations in our bodies and open up to our feelings and the mystery of life."

What happens in a shiatsu session?

Shiatsu is a form of bodywork developed in Japan that can have profound healing effects on the body and mind.

The beauty of this therapy resides in the use of the meridian energy system (in which our 'Qi' or Life Force flows) combined with the power of touch and intuition.

Shiatsu can be experienced in many different ways and each session varies depending on how you are feeling in any given moment. One of the main benefits that can be felt is a deep sense of relaxation. It is often when we allow ourselves to drop fully that healing occurs. Deeply nurturing for some, grounding or energising for others, a shiatsu session is unique and tailored to each individual’s needs.

There is time at the beginning of each session to discuss and explore anything you wish to bring to the space, be it a physical or emotional pain, a chronic illness or maybe a challenging life situation you are going through. We will use body-focused dialogue to help you with what is present for you, before moving onto the futon (or table for those less able to get down to the futon) for the bodywork.

We will listen and connect to your body and being, using diagnostic tools, intuition and techniques from pressure into the muscle (with palms, fingers, arms, elbows or even feet), nourishing holds, acupressure points, breathwork, gentle joint rotations and stretches.