A BIODYNAMIC APPROACH TO SHIATSU

The Asian tradition describes the world in terms of energy or Chi / Ki / Qi.

Movement is one definition of Chi. Chi or Ki is not a noun or a subject but more of a process or a sequence of events all done in dynamic relationship to each other in the right timing, like breathing. 

We experience energy in the form of movement or inertia, fullness or emptiness, density or space, heat or cold, light or dark, dry or damp, textures like crunchy or fluidic, speeds like fast or slow, qualities like thick, goopy or clear and free flowing, power like something with a lot of potency and fullness or something that feels collapsed and vacant, clarity or hazy, easy or hard, pain or pleasure etc. Our bodies, organs, bones, joints, fascia, our processes like digestion, immunity & breathing, our thoughts, feelings and our personal growth can have these energetic qualities.

Any blockage or stagnation of energy within the whole energetic matrix that makes up who we are can result in physical, emotional & psychological imbalance. To stay healthy, a person must continually adapt to the changes going on within and outside the body. If these adaptations do not take place, illness or disharmony can manifest. 

Shiatsu facilitates harmony of our inner energies with that of the universe by directly working with the Ki energy and the channels in the body that Ki energy flows in. Shiatsu helps you balance your energy on the physical, emotional and spiritual level, while experiencing a profoundly relaxing and clinically therapeutic musculoskeletal treatment.

WHAT IS SHIATSU?
Shiatsu is a Japanese form of bodywork therapy based on thousands of years of Eastern philosophy and methods of healing. It’s roots come from Five Element Philosophy and Chinese Medicine. It has the same range of benefits as Acupuncture, but is achieved entirely through touch. The word “shiatsu” translates literally to mean “finger pressure,” but we use palms, elbows, fingers, knees, forearms and more.

Shiatsu works on many levels of the body: 

1. The bones
2. The joints
3. The muscles and tendons
4. The fascia
5. The internal organs
6. The blood & fluids
7. The emotional landscape
8. Spiritual integration

LISTEN | A PODCAST ON THE 5 ELEMENTS:
In this podcast I cover the story of the 5 elements, what each element is associated with psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually, and how that relates to life. I also cover traits of each element as they are found in ourselves and the people we know. This is very storyteller style with personal experience of living the elements.

• On iTunes
• On Spotify
• My Website

A shiatsu treatment is a full body, personalized and individualized experience; it directly responds to what is going on physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the person in that moment. Clients come as they are, whether they have an injury that needs attention, some emotions to process, big changes going on, or simply wish to nourish themselves.   

INITIAL SESSION STRUCTURE:
This is a general guide for how I like to work but sessions are designed to meet the needs of the individual so, if there is any part of this that you do or don’t want to do together, that’s wonderful!

1. Check-In
2. Getting Comfortable
3. Becoming Present
4. Self-Regulating Nervous System Processes:
   1. Tracking Physical Sensations
   2. Resourcing
5. Hands-On
   1. Sensing through the entire body and feeling it settling
   2. Sensing fulcrums within the fluidic matrix of the body
   3. Being with and holding fulcrums as they un-bind and the chi & potency that was held within them begins to re-integrate into the system
   4. Channel work to support that chi & potency to re-integrate fully as well as to help the receiver embody the change
6. Ending

FOLLOW UP SESSION STRUCTURE:
After our initial shiatsu session, we will have a good idea about what really works well for your system and about how much time you need for treatment. We can design our follow up session’s structure accordingly!

LISTEN TO ME TALK ABOUT A SESSION (33 MIN): 

• Spotify Podcasts
• iTunes Podcasts
• My Web

NOTE:
Since making this podcast I have adjusted two things.

• I am no longer using the sliding scale.
• I have changed my session lengths.
• Initial session = 2.5 hours
• Follow up sessions can be 90 or 120 minutes.

WHAT TO WEAR:
During your shiatsu session you will wear soft, loose-fitting, clothing such as sweats or yoga clothes. Wear clothing that allows your body to move through it’s full range of motion and is not restrictive in any way.  Full-length pants such as sweatpants, yoga pants, or even pajama pants are ideal.  Jeans and similar pants do not work well for shiatsu because they restrict range of motion and have zippers, buttons and snaps that can be uncomfortable while lying on your stomach.  For a shirt, t-shirts, short or long sleeve work well.  If you tend to get cold easily, wear an extra layer, as the body temperature can drop while lying down.

LENGTH OF SESSION:
Initial Session | 2.5 Hours
Follow Up Sessions | 90 or 120 min

PHASES OF A TREATMENT:

1. CHECK IN
2. GET COMFORTABLE
3. BECOMING PRESENT
4. SELF-REGULATING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
   1. BODY SCAN
   2. RESOURCING
5. HANDS ON
   1. DIAGNOSTICS & TREATMENT
   2. CHANNEL WORK
6. ENDING

PHASE 1 | A CHECK-IN:

We start with a check-in. We spend anywhere from 0 – 30 minutes talking about what is going on in life.  We may spend some time discussing any goals or specific issues you would like to address in the session.  I may also ask some questions regarding your medical history or the specific nature of any issues you may be experiencing.

PHASE 2 | GETTING COMFORTABLE:
After the check in, we’ll get you comfortable. The right amount of padding, pillows, the right temperature, blankets / no blankets, a sheet, air, sounds etc. Getting things just right!

PHASE 3 | BECOMING PRESENT:
Once we have gone through getting comfortable, we’ll go through a little guided meditation to really land in the space and get into the present moment together.

PHASE 4 | SELF-REGULATING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM:
When we are in the sympathetic state of the nervous system, the body puts off healing processes and prioritizes holding and stabilizing them so that we can survive and function. When we are in parasympathetic states, the body does healing processes. There are two processes of self-regulating the nervous system that we will use prior to doing the hands-on part of the treatment in order to usher in the parasympathetic state.

These processes can:

• Bring about deeper self awareness
• Give us profound insights
• Cause the body to start to self-correct
• Empower us to work through the forces in our lives and our bodies from the most resourced place possible
• Help us to access the inherent health of our body that is available to us so that we can process and move through these forces
• Put us at the center of our health and journey and can be very empowering because they create autonomy and are a tool you can leave with and use in day to day life
• Amplify the success of the treatment
• Create safety because, then if something challenging arises during the session the receiver has tools to work with it and meet it

TRACKING PHYSICAL SENSATIONS |
THE “FELT” SENSE:
We will begin with a body scan. We will start with the head, move to the neck, then the chest, the abdomen & lower back, and then the pelvis.   In each area I will ask you to tell me what physical sensations you feel there. 

These can be qualities like: tension, contraction, heaviness, warmth, electric, radiant, a sense of settling or softness, etc. 

RESOURCING:
After that scan, we will use a tool called “resourcing.” This is another way to help our system shift into that parasympathetic state where the body does healing processes. When resourcing, we will look for a sensation of ease, pleasure, comfort, or neutrality. This can be in the body, in the space around us, or we may use a memory. Once we find that resource, we will notice what physical sensations move through the body if we really let that resource in. What is the “felt sense” of that resource? Maybe the skin will soften, maybe there will be an upward rush of energy and lightness, maybe there will be a sense of being grounded or a sense of ok-ness with something that previously felt too difficult. Maybe you will feel some of the sensations that were uncomfortable begin to unwind as the body starts to make that shift into the parasympathetic state.

PHASE 5 | HANDS ON:
I may start at the feet, the abdomen or the back body. I will spend some time with a light touch sensing through the whole system through attuning to the fluid body. The body will go through a shift where it may feel fragmented or like there is quite a lot of activity, little shoots of electricity, all different parts and pieces, to a sense of wholeness and cohesiveness.

Within that wholeness, areas where there is quite a bit of potency / qi gathering or coalescing will start to become clear. I will sense for this. Where is it? Is it in the Bone? Connective Tissue? Muscle? Joints? Organs? Organ diagnostic areas? Points? Channels?

I will spend some time being with those areas with a light touch until there is another shift. Often that process begins with a real sense of inertia or density in an area. Then something feels like it is building inside there, like it’s charging up. Then there is a pause, a feeling of everything going into suspension. Then the body will start re-organizing itself, literally untwisting a knee, there might be a sense of widening or lengthening, two areas that were stuck together will un-couple, anything can happen here. This is where we get to witness the inherent health of the body. It’s knowing of how to heal itself. The return to the blueprint.

Then, it feels as though what was held in that area returns to the system, like a flood of energy or liquid light… kind of like when you drop ink into water, it goes from being in a concentrated drop to streaming and spreading out through the entire glass of water.

After this, I will work the channels to help the body integrate the change. When I work with the channels I may use all different depths and levels of touch. As the recipient, you can just go for the ride or you can let me know you want a deep touch or maybe you need things to be lighter. Maybe you need a deeper touch in some areas or a lighter touch in others, I want you to feel met!

DURING A SESSION, YOU MAY:

• Relax so deeply that you fall asleep
• Enter a quiet meditation-like state
• Feel as if you are dreaming while awake
• Experience memories or insights while on the table
• Enjoy a pleasant sense of warmth, softening, widening or floating

PHASE 6 | ENDING:
AT THE END OF A SESSION, YOU MAY:

• Feel relaxed, but also energized
• Find yourself breathing more fully and deeply
• Stand straighter and taller
• Feel more comfortable in your body
• You may be surprised to feel a new sense of peace and ease as you leave the office to return to your life

No matter what your experience, we will take some time after to check in about how you are doing. This is a great opportunity to find words for your experience and reflect on how differently you feel after your session.

AFTER A TREATMENT: 
A shiatsu treatment will continue to unfold within the receiver as they move through life and often a recipient will continue to notice changes for multiple days and even weeks after a treatment. It is good to track the effects (physically, emotionally, energetically, relationally, insights, sleep, in our life system). I love to hear from you after 72 hours have passed just to see how you are doing and how it is integrating!

In a shiatsu session, I may use light, medium or deep touch depending on what I am connecting with. I may use palms, fingers, thumbs, elbows or knees to treat the meridians.  I’ll use bodyweight and alignment rather than muscle strength to control the amount of pressure.  This is safer for both the receiver and the practitioner and allows for a range of pressure from very light to very deep based on the receiver’s needs and preferences. Here I can operate from a place of listening and intuitive touch, rather than directive and aggressive massage/manipulation. Different pressures reach different layers of the body.  This way of listening through touch allows me to contact the energy level at an appropriate depth and with great sensitivity.

I will check in with you to make sure that the amount of pressure feels right.  A Shiatsu treatment is as deep or as gentle as a receiver requires.

When working with the channels, Shiatsu practitioners use two points of contact. One hand is used to listen, and sound out the responses of the receiver. When the other hand reaches an appropriate depth, an energetic connection passes between the hands of the giver. The receiver’s body tells the giver when the pressure is right. An energetic circuit is created between the hands of the giver, catalyzing change and movement in the body of the receiver.

This unique form of touch, a “mother hand” and a “messenger hand” brings the nervous system into the parasympathetic state and from that place the body begins to heal and the door of possibility opens. 

Shiatsu is very effective for musculoskeletal imbalances and conditions where emotional disturbance or stress is an underlying factor.

• Insomnia
• Anxiety and Depression
• Muscular Tension
• Ligament & Tendon Issues
• Bone & Joint Pain
• Fascia / Connective Tissue Patterns
• Headaches / Head Injuries
• Sinus Congestion
• Breathing Challenges
• Digestive Disturbances
• Menstrual Challenges
• Low Immunity
• Fluid Retention
• Poor Circulation
• Organ Imbalances
• Nervous System Regulation
• Injury Recovery

PAYMENT:

• Initial Session | 2.5 hours | $285
• Follow Up Sessions | 2 hours | $230
• Follow Up Sessions | 90 min | $170

Payment is done at the time of the service and can be made with PayPal, Venmo, cash, check, or through credit card on my Square Store.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:
It is important to me to be able to get to work with those of us that have limited resources. If my rates are not possible for you, because you have to choose between services such as food, housing, and other living expenses as a result of systemic and other oppressions please contact me about a reduced rate.

I have a limited number of reduced fee spots in my practice. Please email me directly to inquire about the availability of reduced fee spots.  To determine if you are eligible for a sliding scale option, you can refer to Alexis J. Cunningham’s “Green Bottle” sliding scale model.