Why the practice of Shiatsu has an essential role in today’s society

As we have become a more globalised species, we have been pushing ourselves to work harder and longer hours, some of us are expected to be at the end of a device from first thing in the morning until last thing at night.  Some work across different time zones, peer into screens for over 12 hours a day, commute long distances back and forth, some of us find ourselves moving less and less, or having to do more physical work to hit deadlines set by those only looking at the bottom line rather than our long-terms health benefits.  And, we are all having to find balance between work and home life.  Eventually, something has to give, and it is usually our health.

As a Shiatsu practitioner over the years, I am finding more people coming into clinic who are spending a larger and larger percentage of time in their sympathetic nervous system; the fight or flight condition, if you will.  What does this mean?

The autonomic nervous system is divided into three parts: the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system.  For the purpose of this article I will be referring to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

The role of the sympathetic nervous system, (SNS) is to kick start the body’s rapid and involuntary response to stressful (and in some circumstances, dangerous) situations. The physical impact is an increase in the release of hormones which boost the body’s alertness and speeds up the heart rate which, in turn, sends blood to the muscles in case we need to run.  In summary, the SNS protects us, and ensures we act instinctively to keep us safe. 

The parasympathetic nervous system‘s (PNS) role is pretty much to do the opposite of the SNS.  Its job is to slow down the heart rate and bring the body into a state of complete rest.  This is where relaxation occurs, and it is in this state that the body is able to heal itself while the body and mind are able to assimilate and digest the day’s events and release any unease and tension.

Evolutionarily, we are designed to switch between the sympathetic to the parasympathetic as part of the body’s routine functions.  However our society, of over stimulation that we have constructed for ourselves, means that an increased number of people are remaining in their fight or flight mode (SNS) for the majority of the time.  This is showing up as anxiety and stress related issues such as pain caused by tension, insomnia and broken sleep, digestive issues, migraines and so on.   We have literally forgotten how to relax in a way that releases the tension that we are holding in our systems. 

And this is where Shiatsu can help bring your body back into a healthier state of homeostasis.  During treatment, the client’s body is shown the way back to the PNS through palpations along the meridian energy channels, gentle joint mobilisation, direct contact with the nervous system, fascial release and other specialised techniques.  All of these approaches are designed to disperse stagnation in the body for smooth transportation of Qi/Ki/the body’s energy and blood, bringing the mind and body into alignment, and releasing those tensions that cause dis-ease in your body.   Treatments are non-invasive and deeply relaxing, leaving you both energised and relaxed as you leave the treatment room and over the following few days.  And this is why Shiatsu is such a fundamental therapy for the 21st Century.

As one client once said to me: 

“I feel as if my whole body has been smoothed out, with all the wrinkles and creases gone”

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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