Example of conditions helped by Shiatsu

• Stress
• Backache (upper, middle and lower)
• Neck stiffness
• Shoulder tension
• Headaches & migraines
• Joints and muscle stiffness and pain
• Reduced mobility
• Hips and pelvis misalignment
• Digestive problems
• Asthma, breathing problems
• Palpitations
• Menstrual problems
• Urinary problems
• Fatigue, insomnia.
• Anxiety, depression

There are many different reasons to a condition. Is the cause physical or more emotional, is it related to life style, is it an injury, and accident. Is the person prone to holding tension and why. Is the energy unevenly distributed around the body, more in the upper body than the lower body? Etc… I will try to find out from the client relevant information that will help guide me to provide the most adequate and more efficient treatment.

Example of a treatment format for tension in the shoulders

From my initial diagnosis I find out which energy system needs addressing and which meridians (energy channels) need working on. Then I release the shoulders using various techniques from Shin So Shiatsu and bodywork.
This treatment format will be applied to any conditions, whether a hip, back or knee problems, headaches, stomach cramps or emotional problems…

How Emotions affect the energy system and the physical body.

Emotions affect the flow and the health of our overall energy system. In the case of long term heightened emotions, the energy imbalance will affect the structural body and how someone holds themselves, their body language. Shiatsu can help re-open the body to allow energy to flow freely.

When feeling grief, sadness, or depression, our energy contracts and becomes internal. The shoulders might begin to droop, the chest might collapse a little reducing space for the lungs to breath fully. This can lead to poorly oxygenated blood leading to fatigue, lethargy. This can also lead to chronic respiratory problems.

Joy spreads energy to the whole body and gives us a sense of being open. When being over-joyous or when joy is excessive or a need, the energy is concentrated at the level of the heart. This could lead to feeling ungrounded, to inappropriate or nervous laughter and vulnerability in the chest region.

Anger wells up our energy like a tidal wave. It tenses the body and when it expresses itself, it pushes out through our hands (punch), feet (kick), mouth (shout). When anger is suppressed and unable to come out, it bottles up and turns inwards. Long term repressed anger turns into depression and similar symptoms to sadness can occur. Repressed anger lodges itself on the horizontal planes in our body: the shoulders, the respiratory diaphragm, the hips. Muscles and joints become stiff and held.

Worry gathers energy in the head, knots the gut, and leaves us agitated and ungrounded, unable to think clearly. Undigested thought are like undigested food: thoughts go round in the head like food stays in the stomach. A pattern of over-thinking can lead to digestive problems. The energy becomes stagnant in the abdomen and can lead to feeling bloated, nauseous, and lead to constipation or diarrhea.

Fear affects our nervous system, the flight or fight response. Emotional daily fear and anxiety is debilitating and exhausts the energy. In extreme fear we can loose the use of our limbs and can become immobilised, even wet or soil ourselves.