Shiatsu and the art of Intuition – Exeter, Devon
Yesterday I was watering the allotment. This involves carrying two watering cans, a fair distance, a number of times……
When I do this I think about my Shiatsu training and the idea of ‘coming from Hara.’ This is the abdominal area and all my movements when giving a treatment ideally come from this area.
Whilst training I remember trying to do every task from Hara – washing-up, gardening, hoovering – one fellow student even tried to brush her teeth from Hara 😁😂😁
Why is Hara such an important focus in Shiatsu?
In Shiatsu it is the centre of energy in the body.
In a treatment my energy flow is at it’s best when it comes from the Hara. This in turn helps the flow of energy in the client’s body.
It represents the ‘Intuition’ rather than the ‘analytical.’ In a treatment it is a grounded and quiet space. This helps the client to feel safe and secure. It also allows me to hear what treatment the body is asking for.
How is the Hara relevant to everyone?
Often in a treatment it becomes clear that either the client is caught up in their own thoughts – constantly using their analytical brain – or that their life demands they use their analytical brain a lot.
I often suggest to a client that sitting quietly and connecting to their Hara (their intuition) may help still their mind – and may also generate more energy across their whole body.
A good exercise to begin to connect with the Hara is to practice some deep breathing. Taking slow deep breaths right down into the belly area.
Also taking a moment to sit quietly before deciding on a decision. What is your ‘gut’ saying? What is the quiet, centred area of your body saying? What is your Hara saying?
This maybe useful as we head out of lockdown. There is likely to be more decisions to make – and maybe coming from Hara can help.
Xx
For more information on my practice you may like to head to my Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/shiatsuinexeter
For more information on Shiatsu you may like to head to the Shiatsu Society page – http://www.shiatsusociety.org
Taking Care of the Shiatsu Shed – Exeter, Devon
In this strange time being at home is helpful in some ways – don’t you think? I have been feeling levels of fatigue and tiredness at times, particularly in the mornings. However when I do have the energy getting to grips with some of those ‘I haven’t got time and space’ jobs has been satisfying.
My husband has been able to give the Shiatsu Shed some care and attention. Giving the outside an extra coat of protection. It is a lovely thing to give some care to our joint work space.
It was looking like it was going to be difficult to fit this particular job in. We use the shed a lot but this unusual situation has provided the space to get this job done.
Whenever the lockdown is relaxed the Shiatsu shed will be ready for more therapeutic and healing work.
Take care all
Xx
Shiatsu and Sleep Disorders, Insomnia, Night Fears – Exeter, Devon
Being a parent and having been through those early years I am aware of the affect of sleep deprivation. I also have some sense of how unsettling it is to lose your own personal sleep rhythm. I have experienced simply surving through the day time, work, home responsibilities, thinking straight, staying awake! Lack of sleep or other sldeep disorders are not funny.
When I have worked clients with sleep disorders, such as insomnia or night fears, there is often a sense that the body is unsettled. Often the client feels like they are on alert at all times.
Generally there is an emotional or mental strain behind the lack of sleep; caring for another, stress or anxiety, personal trauma. This isn’t always the case, there is generally always an imbalance of some sort though.
Shiatsu is essentially energy work and looks to create balance and calmness in the body. This balance can ease the alertness and stress the body and minds feels and can allow the client to relax more. With that relaxation and release can come better sleep patterns.
To really get positive, healthy sleep habits a number of Shiatsu treatments may be required. Each session will build on the previous ones, helping the body to become used to the suggested new habits of calmness and relaxation.
Clients express that they often slept weall the night if the Shiatsu treatment and that they sleep more after each treatment. Night fears have become less frequent for one client, who is more able to wake from them if they do happen.
Shiatsu has been shown to help with sleep disorders. To find out more about Shiatsu and myself have a look on the pages on this site or head to my Facebook Page
Here’s to a good nights sleep tonight.
Xx
Shiatsu Therapy, Exeter, Devon
So what is Shiatsu? How does if work?
A client once said ‘It’s not like any massage I’ve ever had.’ It does use massage techniques but is always given through clothes. It is also given on a futon mat on the floor, although can be given on a couch or chair.
Although it isn’t a talking therapy, psycho-therapy or counselling it can release held emotions, traumas, stresses and strains from the body.
Shiatsu is body-work, most definitely and although it comes at things from a different angle to physiotherapy or sports massage, it can still help ease pain and increase mobility.
Shiatsu is energy work. Although it is different to Reiki and other forms of healing it can still help build the levels of energy in the body. Shiatsu can help with the balance of mind and body and spirit.It is an unique form of hands-on therapy that can provide balance in the body. Whether the clients concerns are physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or a bit of all of them, Shiatsu has the ability to re-balance the energy and ease the symptoms. It can be good for aches and pains, for stress and anxiety, for sleep and relaxation.
It is a pretty physical form on therapy, with some great stretches and rotations. Obviously it is only as physical as appropriate for each client. It is a little like Thai or Yoga massage but looks to work the Meridians, lines of energy, that Acupuncture and Acupressure use.
Maybe you have tried various forms of massage and other therapies, Acupuncture, Reflexology for instance. If what you have tried hasn’t scratched your itch, as it were, then you may want to try a session on Shiatsu with me.
I am interested in providing a space for my clients that is safe – where they can feel and express in anyway they want to. Clients have their own stories and journeys and generally want to move on, away from physical issues or leaving behind past habits or upsets. I look to support them to do this by bringing their attention to their bodies, where and how is the body holding trauma and what touch provides relief or release.
I work in Exwick, in Exeter, just behind Exeter St. David’s train station. I offer appointments on most days of the week and I have evening appointments available.
Check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/shiatsuinexeter
Have a look at the Shiatsu Society Website http://www.shiatsusociety.org.uk
Thanks for reading
Shiatsu Awareness Month
September is Shiatsu Awareness Month. The Shiatsu Society are promoting this amazing hands-on therapy with information about how it can support & help clients.
I have only managed one event this September, to promote Shiatsu, but I am always happy to talk about it, discuss whether it may be of help & to answer any questions. You can contact me through this site or on 07791 070837
Xx
Shiatsu for emotional support – Exeter & Dawlish, Devon
Shiatsu is a hands-on therapy that can be good for helping with physical issues & with pain but it is also a very supportive therapy that can help with emotional & mental stresses.
Shiatsu offers a safe & secure, & confidential, environment that allows a client to be how they want or need to be. There doesn’t have to be a long discussion about the issues or concerns the client feels mentally or emotionally.
The body holds memories of tensions that have affected us & Shiatsu allows a client to feel how their body is & what those emotional or mental tensions feel like. This can allow the tensions to ease or release & can provide a client with a sense of relief.
Shiatsu has been shown to support stress & anxiety, I have also had clients come because of depression or relationship issues, for panic attacks & for fears & phobias.
I offer Shiatsu in a lovely wooden cabin, in my garden in Exeter, Devon. It is a sanctuary away from daily life & is a perfect place to relax & unwind.
I am always happy to talk Shiatsu so please do drop me a line if you would like to discuss if it may be able to help support you.
xx
Shiatsu in Exeter Devon
I write a lot about what Shiatsu is, trying to describe what it is & what it is actually like to have a treatment. There are pages on this site describing Shiatsu & my background so go check those out if you want to know more about this incredible form of therapy.
Today I thought I’d talk about what Shiatsu means to me. I didn’t realise the effect Shiatsu would have on me personally when I started the three years of training. I changed jobs, homes & relationships & have found myself in a much more real & honest place. I feel more happy & content now than I ever have done.
I feel more connected to my body & how it is reacting to what is happening around it. I also feel more connected to the Seasons & to nature, following the natural flow of things. I feel I can get focused & centered in a way I never could before. I have much better self support practices & this allows me to support clients & those around me with gentle kindness.
I feel very lucky to practice this hands-on therapy as my job. It doesn’t feel like work. I get so focused on what I can feel as I work on a body that the sessions fly by. I also love holding the space for a client, a healing space to feel safe & to be however they want to be.
Shiatsu is a very clever therapy in my opinion. It bypasses the analytical thought process & accesses feelings & emotions through how & where they are held in the body. Shiatsu can provide release & relief of physical & emotional tensions. Often because the tension felt has an emotional aspect to it, that has led to the physical holding.
I like seeing the results that clients experience. I have seen it help with chronic pain, with stress, with Sciatica, with knee & other joint issues. I love the fact that it works well with physical, emotional & mental issues. It holds a client in a particular way, it meets the client how they need to be met.
It is such a privilege to be a therapist for people, it is a very personal relationship & I take it seriously. I am so grateful to be part of someone’s healing journey. Shiatsu has an ability to raise energy levels & allow clients to make changes that they would like to make. It has allowed them to see options & opportunities where previously they have felt stuck, or at the mercy of their condition or complaint.
I use Shiatsu on a daily basis, on myself & my family. I support my kids with digestive issues, when they are distressed, if they can’t sleep, if they have a temperature. I help family members with Arthritis & pain, with mental strain & tiredness.
I work in a lovely space in Exeter which I feel works perfectly for Shiatsu. We have put up a real wood cabin in the garden, it’s a sanctuary but still in Exeter. I work here most days of the week & offer evening & weekend appointments.
xx
Modern Day Priorities, Shiatsu in Devon
Down here in Exeter, Devon we have had a strong reminder of modern day priorities. A new IKEA has opened in the town & boy do we know about it. The build up has been immense, & the hype has been unbelievable. IKEA were able to show films inside, the general very sacred, Exeter Cathedral, they have put furniture on the high street & rowed a viking long boat down the river Exe. You can’t say their publicity hasn’t been top notch. Local press have been advising people to plan their journeys as the traffic to IKEA is going to cause delays!
Over the past few days I have found myself repeating ‘it is only a shop’ a lot. It has been a strong reminder of the values we seem to have in this society, we value the ability to purchase products, particularly at a reasonable price with some style it seems.
This blog isn’t a rant it is an expression of the sadness I feel with the loss of contact with nature & the world around us. Also the lack of value of our inner world, the peace & calm we can find within. Generally our society doesn’t value self-care & support much either. We are always on the move, with something to get done or somewhere to be, no time to rest, just be, meditate or take care of ourselves.
The people that I meet who are most at peace with themselves aren’t thinking about when they can next go shopping. These people are giving space & time to themselves. I treat a couple of therapists who use Shiatsu as a support tool for their own healing & development.
Shiatsu allows me to reconnect to what is important to me & to be quiet & still for a time. In a Shiatsu session I create a space that is quiet & still & allows the client to just be, to rest & to heal. The space can create time away from modern day expectations & demands, stresses & strains. A chance to get back to what our personal priorities are.
xx
Healing Shiatsu – Exeter, Dawlish, Exmouth – Devon
April has been a really busy month for me & my family. I have given lots & lots of Shiatsu, which is great. There has been lots of catching up with friends & family & time with my husband & kids. We have had visitors, been away & had bugs come home from school.
Along with all this I have been able to get a few treatments for myself. As a therapist it is quite easy to forget how important it is to get support for yourself. One of my resolutions this year is to get at least a treatment a month & always get a treatment when I do an event.
Having Shiatsu or other therapies also helps with your own practice. As I peel back the layers of my own healing journey I feel I am better placed to support others with their healing. I have learnt a lot about myself since I started giving Shiatsu & it feels that this last month has shown me some really important lessons.
Wow after the last crazy month I am so looking forward to this bank holiday three day weekend. It’s just me, my husband & our boys, we have very few plans & no obligations. As a family we need some down time & personally I need some rest time.
I know that this rest will put me in the perfect place for giving healing & nurturing treatments when I get back to work on Tuesday. I am very much looking forward to bringing the lessons & understandings, I have experienced recently, to my therapy sessions in the coming weeks.
I am back to work in Exeter this week. I do have some spaces on Tuesday, Wednesday evening & Friday, if you are interested in using Shiatsu as a space to continue your own healing journey.
Until then have a great bank holiday weekend. I’m off to chill, relax, enjoy nature, rest & refresh. See you on the other side.
Shiatsu by Amy 