Shiatsu Post Graduate Course

Yesterday, I started a post graduate course in Shiatsu & Oriental Medicine, in Norwich Norfolk.

I can't believe that it has been over seventeen years since I started my initial training in Shiatsu, eventually qualifying from the Shiatsu College (Norwich) in 1995.

The strangest thing I noticed after attending yesterdays all-day session, was it actually made me feel like only a month or two had passed since my very last lesson back in 1995, which I have to say was a very weird feeling indeed.

It was really nice because I just slotted back in where I had left off. This was probably due to the fact that my original teachers were still presenting the class in exactly the same format as they did all those years ago - relaxed but very informative.

So what did I learn yesterday? Well that's a good question....amongst a variety of subjects being taught, I specifically learnt how to give a very effective neck treatment, which rather paid off this morning as I've already had the pleasure in helping my wife, who was suffering with a rather stiff neck.

As a regular patient of mine, my wife Ali knows what my usual treatment is like, however after this particular session she commented on how different and somewhat refined my treatment seemed, which made me feel that what I had learnt yesterday was well worth all the time, effort and expense.

More important from my own perspective, I also realised how important it was for me to 'receive' Shiatsu myself. Being on the end of several other peoples 'treatments' yesterday, I had truly forgotten how good it actually feels to be a recipient.

So overall yesterday's training was really rewarding in many ways -and I aim to continue with the Post Graduate Course and can't wait for the next session in January 2010.

Shiatsu Treatment

This morning (Sunday) I've been performing a Shiatsu treatment on a very close friend, who is in need of some re-vitalisation.

I might not have mentioned it before in my blog that apart from being a martial arts teacher, I am also a registered Shiatsu practitioner.

I started learning this traditional hands-on Japanese therapy nearly twenty years ago, however I only wanted to study the theory side of things to basically enhance my martial arts knowledge.

Initially I didn't physically want to 'touch' or 'treat[' anyone, however after a short period of time I realised that it would be difficult to grasp the fundamentals without actually touching people.

I also recognised that Shiatsu could help a wide range of conditions, from specific injuries to more general symptoms of poor health. It can also create a deep relaxing experience that can help and prevent the build-up of stress in our daily lives

After graduating from the Shiatsu College in 1995, I then further completed my Shiatsu Society exams to gain registered practitioner status. (MRSS) I opened my own clinic in the small town where I live and started to treat people.

Over a period of about four years I literally treated hundreds of people with a wide variety of ailments including, back pain, headaches, joint pain, and depression, to mention just a few.

I gained some very positive results and my sessions became popular, so much so that even the local GP's were referring patients to me. I couldn't even walk through my own high Street street without people stopping to ask me If I could fit them in for an appointment.

My workload increased to such a degree that I was working all day treating lots of people and then working every evening teaching martial art classes - eventually - you guessed it - I burnt myself out and became quite ill myself. (what a great lesson that was for me.)

With this in mind I made an incredibly tough decision to stop treating people and decided to shut down my Shiatsu clinic. Although disappointed, many of my regular clients soon found other therapists in the area to go to.

These days, I am still able to treat the odd one or two people and have maintained my registered practitioner status.

At present I currently treat only immediate family members and friends, but I still have a couple of clients from those early (clinic) days that I still see.

Shiatsu is a very effective therapy and as I've already mentioned it helps a wide range of disorders.

If you would like to find out more about Shiatsu - then look up the following website it will tell you everything that you need know and more.

http://www.shiatsusociety.org/