Shiatsu stretches for bedtime

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Shiatsu massage is a powerful but gentle form of massage therapy that is suitable for all & it can support a large number of complaints. Most people can’t afford Shiatsu treatments as regularly as they would like so they look for lifestyle changes that they can make to support themselves, daily, between treatments. Because Shiatsu massage works with the energy in the body, getting it to flow & move with ease, stretching, meditation, diet & other lifestyle changes can help to keep the energy flowing, helping to alleviate complaints. 

At this time of year we should be resting as much as possible & if we are exercising it shou,d be gentle. When stretching it is always important to listen to your body & not push to far. Warming up is also important as is warming down. A great stretch to do at bedtime is the stretch relating to the Water element, relating to the 5 element diagnosis system that Shiatsu uses as one of its diagnosis tools. The water element governs sleep & rest as well as other things so bedtime is a great time to do it. It is a 2/3 minute stretch. Please see below for the the 2 steps in this stretch. If you are interested in knowing more about Shiatsu massage or would like to book an appointment with me in Exeter, Devon then please contact me through the contact me page.

Stretching for health

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Daily stretching can help keep energy flowing in the body & it’s a recommendation that I give often to clients who want to support themselves between Shiatsu sessions. There are different ways & forms of stretching, sometimes strong stretching is important to a client, sometime restorative, yin stretching is appropriate. I try to stretch morning & evening & have found the evening stretching a little asker now I have included my kids in it. Every night we do this simple set of stretches, moving energy & calming down before bedtime. 

If you want to know more Shiatsu massage please contact me though the cintact me page.

Spring is coming?

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Ok so I am based down in the south west of England, in Exeter, Devon & I appreciate that further up the country & particularly into Scotland there aren’t the small signs of spring coming that we are seeing here.It has been wet here today, & we do get a lot of rain in Devon! So signs of warming up & a change of season are very welcome!

In terms of Shiatsu diagnosis we are still very much in the Water element time of year. Quiet reflection & rest are vital in the colder months, storing & building energy for use over Spring & Summer. If we don’t rest now there is a possibility of burn out by the end of the warmer months. However it is now alright to start looking outwards & forwards a little. Being gentle & listening to our bodies & ourselves we can also start to send out our first tentative shoots, like the first plants of the year. 

If you’d like to understand more about Shiatsu & now it may be beneficial to you please contact me – through the contact me page. 

Shiatsu for pregnancy

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​As Shiatsu is a gentle & supportive therapy it can be perfect for mums to be, women in labour & post natal mums.

Shiatsu works on the principal of creating balance within the body.  Balance gives the client a sense of ‘rightness’ & flow, physically, emotionally, mentally & spiritualy.  This flow helps the body achieve what it needs to within pregnancy, labour & afterwards.  

Shiatsu can help with many prenatal, labour & postnatal concerns, issues, pains & discomforts.  Restoring balance can help with morning sickness & heartburn & tiredness.  Shiatsu can help physical issues such as odema & pelvis pain.  It can also help support the mum to be with any emotional concerns they may be facing.  

Shiatsu can be used for induction of labour, bringing it on naturally. The contraindicated points can be given to the client to use themselves.  Similarly the points helpfully through labour can be provided, for the birth partner or mother to use.  The points can help relieve pain, provide comfort when needed & slow or speed up labour.

After birth there is a level of support a mum requires. It is one of the most special times in life but with the high levels of nurture the mother is providing someone nuturing the mother can be incredibly important.  If the labour has been tough in any way then this is even more important. Shiatsu can restore balance in the body that can resolve physical & emotional issues quickly, allowing mum & baby to get on with their life together.

I work out of Exwick, Exeter, Devon but for late pregnancy or early postnatal appointments it maybe possible to arrange home visits. For general information about Shiatsu & my practice here in Exeter, Devon go to the About page.

I’m really happy to discuss any concerns & issues & whether Shiatsu may be able to help.  Feel free to ring me or contact me through the contact me page.  

Real rest? Shiatsu, Exeter, Devon

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I was in a conversation today with someone who was discussing how tired parents of young children get.  Lack of sleep along with long relentless days, emotional & mental demands from the children & requests for support & attention. You feel like you are just getting back to some level of normality when an illness or growth-spurt strikes & you get knocked right back to pure exhaustion again!

Its not just having children that can make people tired.  There are so many of us, in our non-stop western society, that are running with a level of tiredness. Jobs that demand extra hours or unsocial hours, a 24 hour culture with regards to shopping & socializing, supporting family & homes to look after.

So what can we do to help ourselves, to be less tired? (Well apart from Shiatsu massage of course!) We need to rest, particularly in these colder, darker days of winter.  My conversation this morning began me thinking about how to get real rest.  It is extremely difficult to do this within our busy lives.  My thoughts were regular support & ‘me’ time, Shiatsu, massage, pamper days. Also retreat time, either at an actual retreat or at a health-club, or a holiday away without anyone else. The thing I decide I would do, to help me rest, was to be more regular with daily practice.

Short spells of space can help to punctuate & regulate our busy lives. Meditation once or twice a day, yoga, Qi Gung or Tai Chi exercise for 5 or 10 minutes once or twice a day, resting with a towel over your eyes for 5 minutes a day. Sometimes my daily practise is consistent & in those times I do feel more rest & space.

I think I may go & book a weekend retreat too though! If you are interested in finding out if Shiatsu may help your levels of tiredness please contact me through the ‘contact’ me’ page.

 

 

 

 

Shiatsu for stress, head or backache & chronic pain

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Some of the main reasons clients come to have Shiatsu massage with me are in the heading of this blog. Backache is probably the main reason, lower back pain, sometimes with hip pain & siactica into the legs. Shiatsu has often helped this condition. Because it works with energy flow in the body, there is some discussion & awareness of the structural & muscular aspects of the complaint, the complaint can be looked at as areas of low energy & areas of too much energy & the Shiatsu can help balance these out. This can rectify the issue that the client is experiencing.

Because of the way Shiatsu works it can bypass emotional & mental strains, focus just on the body & the energy flow. The client doesn’t have to talk though their upset, although there is some time in the consultation for verbal discussion & often issues are at least mentioned. The client can get relief from their symptoms without talking at all! Stress & other emotional & mental strains can also easily affect the body, a relief from the physical can also help the mental. 

Chronic pain is one of the hardest conditions I come across. It is such a difficult thing to live with, & a lot of people I have seen have been suffering for years or decades. Clients have come as they have tried many other things to help with the pain & the many side affects, other physical issues, hormonal affects from medication, mental health issues from the strain. Shiatsu has given relief from pain at times, it has given a sense of support & energized the client to help motivate them to push forward with changes they think will help.

I am often really impressed by the affects Shiatsu can have. Obviously I believe in Shiatsu & love working with clients. If you think Shiatsu may be able to support you please get in touch – through the ‘contact me’ page.

Exciting year of Shiatsu here in Exeter, Devon

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Feeling excited about the opportunities that this year may hold for Shiatsu. I have done a few events over the past few years, both on my own & with a gang of local fellow Shiatsu practitioners. This year looks to be the best so far. Collectively we already have three local Exeter fairs that we will attend. It’s always such a great day, lots of Shiatsu, meeting new people & catching up with old clients & friends. 

We are also looking to plan Shiatsu-a-thon’s. These are days filled with reduced priced Shiatsu, so it’s affordable to all. They’ll be in a local Exeter community centre, central to town & they be fundraising for worthy projects. We are hoping they will be popular & will introduce Shiatsu to a whole load more people. 

I can’t wait to see what this year brings – as the event’s get nearer I’ll post them in here. Any queries do contact me – details on the ‘contact me’ page. 

Day off from Shiatsu massage 

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I love working as a Shiatsu practitioner, here in Exeter in Devon. I work hard giving & promoting this form of amazing massage. I am also a mum to two young, boisterous, energetic & enthusiastic boys! So my free time from Shiatsu is taken up, completely & then some. 

Today we headed out of Devon & into Dorset. It is as truly beautiful as our home county & on a day like this it was even more so. We headed to Lyme Regis, as did a lot of other people! We had the obligatory fish & chips, & managed to avoid the scavenging seagulls. They did swop & hit a poor small boy & snatch his sandwich. 
It felt so lucky & heart-warming to be enjoying the sun on a January day, obviously apart form the seagull incident. I managed to get one photo without loads of people in the way!

Being in the sun & the fresh air helped me to remember to breathe, deep into my abdomen, to get the energy moving & flowing around my body. I took my shoes off & ran with the boys in the sand & was reminded that being grounded is also important. I love the life lessons that Shiatsu provides me with. 

If you would like to see what Shiatsu can do to support you in your daily life then please get in touch. Details are on the ‘contact me’ page. I’m always happy to discuss anything Shiatsu related!