My Own Introduction to Shiatsu

When I was first introduced to Shiatsu I couldn’t believe how good I felt after a treatment. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but the subtleties were profound.  I was originally going for relaxation, but soon realised there was more to the treatment than just the amazing softness of the deepest of relaxations.

It was only after a few sessions that I realised the pain I felt in my thoracic spine was disappearing for days at a time, funny how you put up with pain for so long and when it disappears it can take a while to realise why it is that you feel so much more refreshed and well!  Not only was the Shiatsu enabling me to manage my pain, I was able to cope with everyday issues with more clarity and newly discovered internal resources.  I began to wonder what this Shiatsu was, and how it was able to provide me with physical pain relief, internal calm and a clearer perspective on life. In short, it seemed to take me out of overwhelm (on the physical, spiritual, and emotional planes) and into a space of clear life management.

The thing about Shiatsu is that it treats the cause of symptoms, and not just the physical symptomatic issues, so the body learns to rebalance itself from a grass roots level, rather than being forced to make abrupt change. This does mean that each body will respond in its own timeframe, which can be immediate, or take some time. When a pattern has been habitual for a long time, the reversal of this habit can sometimes be a little slower than an immediate ‘cure’, but then again some results are incredibly quick to take hold. Either way, you will notice changes after just one treatment.

My introduction to Shiatsu, and subsequent study of Shiatsu, came about because I found out, at the tender age of 29 years old, that I have an incurable and longterm illness for which modern medicine can do nothing; unless I want to be on pain killers for the rest of my life. Shiatsu means that I do not have to take drugs, and it enables me to manage the pain in a natural and independent manner. While Shiatsu can aid the healing process, it does not promise to heal all illnesses. However, for those illnesses where there is no cure, it does enable you to manage your symptoms in a way that offers you empowerment and freedom, and it helps you come to terms with those frightening emotions, improves pain management, and enables you to work through the feelings of overwhelm.

Of course, there are lots of health disturbances that Shiatsu can aid the body to resolve, and when this happens the results are even more astounding and I sometimes have to pick my own chin up off the floor when clients relay to me the difference the treatments have made to their health!  I, for one, am so glad to have discovered Shiatsu, and have regular treatments to keep my body in balance, my self pain-free, and to enable a more positive outlook towards my own future!

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