 "Strong emotions have been the order of the day recently. As the UK struggles to wake up to the possibility of life outside of the EU, we are all dealing with our own emotions – shock, anger, disbelief, fear, confusion. Many people may be feeling joy, if the result was in line with their wishes. In these situations we can get caught up in what is called ‘emotional contagion’. This is where we literally ‘catch’ other people’s emotions as though we were catching a virus. We get caught up in collective fear or anger. It works the same way with happiness, but sadly that seems to be in short supply just now.. " - get some practical support from an Edinburgh-based mindfulness expert Ashley Watson
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 People often come to Shiatsu for support in making changes such as:
Each change may require us to take small steps, each a tiny change in itself, and many of these tiny changes may involve breaking a habit. Maybe I come to shiatsu hoping to change the way my body feels (perhaps I feel physical pain, or perhaps I just feel a little 'uncomfortable'). In the course of my treatments, things may start to shift (as muscles relax and tension is eased). And ... as part of the process I may choose to change a habit or two in support of these positive shifts. Changes could be as wide-ranging as dietary habit, exercise or even thought or emotional patterns. Just as an example ... I might choose to sit straight (i.e. stop crossing my legs). Sounds easy? Well, yes it is, I suppose, it’s so small: .....
by Catriona Murray
Breath is important. In the last newsletter we touched on how important an awareness of breath is – especially when stressed – and how we can use “3 deep breaths” as a way to consciously calm, ground and center in moments of anxiety. But we can use breath in so many other ways. It is the cornerstone of many health-giving practices, from yoga to Qi Gong, from singing to pilates. Sometimes we can even just focus on breathing and forget the physical movement, and still feel a benefit …  by Catriona Murray
One thing which I have noticed in my short (3 year!) time as a student practitioner is how often we forget to breathe, or rather, that we forget to breathe fully and deeply. As a child my father used always to say “take 3 deep breaths” before anything scary or intimidating … I always took that as a turn of phrase. Not so! For me, those 3 deep breaths have become one of the most important ways of centring and calming, whether I am about to give a lecture to the great and the good of Edinburgh, or am simply beset by negativity which I have no idea how to dispel – breathing in to the count of 8 (4 seconds), holding for a bit (another count of 8) and breathing out to the count of 8 – I never fail to be astounded by the power of such a simple action. |
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What is Shiatsu?
Shiatsu translates as ‘finger pressure’ and is based on traditional Japanese massage. Combining acupressure, massage, flowing movement and joint rotations helps to disperse tension, reduce pain, promote relaxation and healthy functioning of the body systems (circulation, breathing, digestion etc.). Shiatsu therapists are guided by their experience & knowledge of physiology and traditional Chinese medicine and apply pressure using fingers, thumbs, palms and elbows and combine it with other techniques. |