HOw about a nice Cuppa?

I have been meaning to post about Tea for awhile and several thing have inspired me to do so now. First a great podcast from those great guys at Buddhist Geeks with Kenneth Cohen, honestly go and listen to this it was very inspiring! The other thing is the fantastically nerdy Tea Review blog. A great blog that does what it says!

Well here is the post, basically I have been getting well into my tea and I wanted to share a few of my favourites at the moment,

This one on the right has that lovely mellow warming flavour nice in the evening.

The one on the left is just nice subtle and and a good all round tea

This Jasmine tea on the left is great with and Japanese food especially my favourite quick meal, rice with mackerel (recipe soon!) A really refreshing tea with a good bitterness.

This Mu tea on the left is not really a tea as not made from the Tea plant but is really nice alternative and has loads of good herbs within. Especially good for me as I tend to suffer with Damp (of the Chinese medicine variety !)

Finally, the one below is my favourite ever morning tea! unfortunatly I have run out so here is a pic from the web lovely and refreshing a bit bitterer than the jasmine. More of a green tea than a black one to my mind.

Four Quadrants of Wellness

I am a big fan of integral theory and find it very useful in unpacking complex problems. It was in conversation with my wife the other night that I found that it could be usefully applied to medicine and wellness.

First though, a little about Integral theory and the four quadrants.

The idea is that all phenomena, from the way I understand it, especially human phenomena can be divided into four quadrants.
The upper left which is the domain of I - I feel, I think, all personal, internal phenomena, spirit, soul, 'me' ness.

The upper right which is the domain of It - all personal physical processes, cells, bio mechanisms, CNS, Chemicals, hormones, neurophysiology, basically the science of me.

The lower Left which is the domain of We - all shared internal experiences, conversations, interpersonal communication, how I relates to others.

Finally Lower Right which is the domain of It's - all physical external systems and processes, social structures, society, human systems, governments etc.

How does this relate to health and wellness? Well according to this theory all quadrants are absolutely true but partial. In order to get a complete picture of wellness and to treat disease effectively it is necessary to include elements from ALL FOUR quadrants other wise the treatment is partial and sometimes unsuccessful.

In the west we are particularly hung up on the Upper Right quadrant of Health. All diseases are boiled down to physical systems, a neurochemical imbalances, bacteria so on and so forth. This is fine and incredibly effective especially in medical emergencies and Surgery etc.The danger is that Western Medicine may miss the other quadrants which can have an equal impact on health. Hence the reason why some diseases are classed as incurable and western medicines seem unable to have any impact on. Looked into deeper and it can be seen that there is a quadrant missing in the diagnosis. Chronic Pain and diseases like M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are good examples of this. Western Medicine is sometimes non plussed because there is no Upper Right objective physical causes for the conditions, or if there are they don't respond in a way that would be expected.

It is not just our current medical system that can suffer from this other systems such as Spiritual Healing for example are in danger of seeing problems only as Upper Left problems when another approach might be more appropriate.

Whether all problems are physical manifestations of spiritual imbalances is another question, but even so, some problems can only be dealt with on a physical level, let's face it, it's easier to have surgery on a nasty growth than going to a shamanic healer!

Nevertheless other reductions to single quadrants are less common than the the Upper Right reductionist model we currently have and other approaches to Human health should be welcomed as they serve to balance the top (right) heavy beast we have now.

In short, it is dangerous to assume that everything can be solved by a one quadrant approach, even though some cases may be solved better through one or the other, to be truly integral means to consider all quadrants in each case.

Footnote! This ended up an incredibly rambly post with no real conclusion and hardly any SHiatsu relatedness! Sorry readers! Still if it sparks some conversation then it's served it's purpose!

Hope to dicuss in the comments!!!

Autumn and Letting go.

Hey Everyone!

I love Autumn so I had to write an Autumn related Shiatsu Post. It's really been the two parts of autumn here in the UK these last weeks, the crisp wintry feeling air and warm sun with those lovely autumn skies, and recently rainy, and blowy.

I noticed on my bicycle ride in the morning that the trees have started dropping their leaves and the Autumnal colours of red and yellows and burnt sienna are coming to the fore over the greens of late summer.

So what does all this mean for us humans? Well in Shiatsu terms Autumn is related to two meridians, The Lung and the Large Intestine. These have many important functions, the Lung being a Yin meridian on the inside of the arm and Large Intestine the Yang on the outside of the arms. What I want to focus on ins the breath and the mental/ emotional functions of these meridians.
To give you a feel of how they relate in the body think of how you stretch and take big satisfying in breath, do your arms get involved? Sure they do, this is you inadvertently stretching the Lung meridian which runs from the front of chest by the shoulder down to the thumb. The Large intestine runs into the index finger, think about that pointy finger and when it is put into use, pointing at things and especially when pointing in anger? That jabby action? That is pure large intestine, asserting boundaries and making clear what you don't want.

As the trees loose their leaves and settle down this is a good time of year to reflect on what parts of your body and mind no longer serves you and you can afford to let go of to free you up for winter.

Your breath is a good indicator of this principle. Effective letting go of the breath enables a deeper in breath and in fact it's easier to breathe out fully first to enable the deeper in breath to arrive.

Try this little experiment,

Breath out gently through you nose,

notice your breath leaving and make sure every last bit is out but don't strain!

Notice that pause right...here,

between the emptiness of the out-breath and the beginning of the new in-breath.

This can be a very powerful place, still, calm and full of potential, but don't try to hold on to it! Let the new in-breath arrive, gathering momentum, full of fresh , clean air and vibrant Qi, enriching your body and mind.

As with the breath, the so too in life.
The points on the Large intestine and Lung Can strongly descend Qi enabling the function of letting go of waste matter, they can also enable the body and mind to let go of past trauma and tension especially when held in the shoulder and neck region.

So this is a great time of year to reflect on what in your life you need to let go of in order to enjoy the peace, clam and potential in that space that it has made in you life, ready for you to breathe in the new.

For me, this means reflecting on where my energy is spent, and where it has been wasted. To become more conscious of how I am using my resources and whether the things I'm doing are serving me and serving others in the most effective way. To get rid of inefficient practices and to embrace new ways of doing things.

I hope you find this helpful and/or interesting. If you did please let me know. Feel free to re post, share and copy, just make sure you let people know where it came from!!

Want to try out shiatsu, but not sure it's for you? Just give me a call or an email and I can answer you questions about how Shiatsu could help you. Alternatively, why not try a free no obligation , 20 minute taster? Just contact me to book a time thats good for you.

On another tip I am working some absolutely awesome offers and deals for my clients so watch this space!!

What Shiatsu Isn't

The other day I got caught in a conversation with a very enthusiastic masseuse who was proposing a different style of massage that enabled deep tissue massage without resistance. His spiel was that people associate pain with depth but that it wasn't depth that was achieved, it was resistance to pressure, his technique was better than traditional massage and Shiatsu because it achieved depth without pain. Now this is great, it looks very innovative and the guy sure pulls in the clients, but it reminded me of what Shiatsu is not.

Shiatsu is not just a massage.This is not to say that massage is a bad thing, I go for massage regularly and I love it, it's just the emphasis is different.

The goal of Shiatsu is to re-balance the body and mind for better health there is some massaging of muscles and some of this can be quite deep and some of the points painful, but the intention is to move Qi or not just muscles.

Some Shiatsu practitioners would argue that there is no necessity to make a clear division between Shiatsu and other forms of massage. I disagree, the reason being that you would choose them for different reasons you would choose Shiatsu. You would go for Shiatsu if you want something more than just relaxation or muscular work.

You go to a Shiatsu practitioner because they are able to help you on many levels and help with many different symptoms, from depression and anxiety to digestive problems and PMT.

The oriental medicine underpinnings of Shiatsu enable a good practitioner to focus in on diverse problems and help a person correct all kinds of physical and emotional issues. To declare that some form of massage is better than another because of the depth of the massage is to miss the point.
The aim of the therapy is different. The aim of every therapy is different and people choose according to their needs

In fact I would be tempted to declare that Shiatsu isn't really a massage and is more similar to a Yoga or a medicine than anything else. This, despite the fact I still describe Shiatsu as form of massage! This is because it is the easiest way to give people a picture of what it is that I do without getting too technical but maybe I should start describing it as more a combination of
acupuncture without the needles and passive yoga! What do you think?

Rob's quick guide re-rooting and grounding yo' discombobulated self when it all gets too much, your heads whirring and you can't think straight.

I have been thinking about what to post up here for some while and while procrastinating I was browsing some of the websites that I love an wondering what it is about theese sites that I like so much, and its this; I love free stuff, well, more precisely I love information. I love it when I go to a website, book or person and I can learn something practicle useful or just plain interesting that I can take home and try out, or a new pespective that is going to help me look at things anew.

So I thought this is what I have to put up here. Indeed people have given the best response to posts that have provided some practicle uselfulness. So I shall endevour to do more of these posts from now on.

So as to start on the right path I 'm going to include some practicle stuff right here and now.

Rob's quick guide re-rooting and grounding yo' discombobulated self when it all gets too much, your heads whirring and you can't think straight.

Two things are going to help you out here: your body and your breath (what else is there?).

First things first...

Stop!

It's ok, it's not going to be for long, just long enough for ya to get together, gather and move on like the chilled-out, head together, in control of everything, cool and groovy, nearly zen master you are.*

Next up ...

drop everything, your muscles, your thoughts (but not that shopping your holding!)

and pay attention to your breath, where are you breathing? In your belly? In your chest? How's those shoulders feeling? Tight?

Visualise the tension in those shoulders dissolving, feel them become slightly more heavy and loose, now go back to your breath, try not to control it just ... notice...

in ...

...out.

Now for th body part(s). As you are standing/sitting there paying attention to your breath and relaxing your muscles you can really root yourself and recharge by bringing your attention to two points.

First root down by sending your attention to a spot just in the ball of your foot just behind and in the middle of that pad on the sole of your foot. This point is Kidney 1 or 'Bubbling Spring', it is often used in Qi Gong and other Martial arts, use it now as your rooting point to the earth, really imagine your self being connected to the very center of the earth through this point on your foot,

got it?(if you find it hard to visualise and you happen to in a place where you can sit and take your shoes off, then give the point a good prod just to get some sensation in there, then repaeat the exercise.)

Thats you rooted. Feel less flighty now? feel a bit more grounded?

Finally, point number two. This is approx 3 finger widths below your belly button. It's called your lower dantien or Guanyuan and is your physical center of gravity and source of power in your movement (just ask any martial artist). It is also great for numerous other things but for now we are focusing on recharging and rooting. So, focus your attention on this area ( no need to be too specific) and imagine a ball of radiant light and warmth here ( you can put your hand here to help you focus.)Feel the power and light grooving through your body like a duracell disco.

Now you are ready to go on your way.

See?

I told you it wouldn't take long didn't I ?

Groove calm and powerful you near Zen Master* you.

*I'm assuming you are not a Zen Master, I certainly am not and I can't imagine why one would be reading my blog :-)

European Shiatsu Week Promotion

To celebrate European Shiatsu Week I am offering you the chance to try out Shiatsu for free.

Sign up for your free 20 minute session on:

Tuesday 22nd September 2-6pm at

Lewes Osteopathic Clinic

Falcon Wharf

Railway Lane

Lewes

East Sussex

BN7 2AQ

01273 475735

or Thursday 24th September 2-6pm at

Yogahaven

Kendal House

Donkey Mews

Brunswick St East

Hove

East Sussex

BN3 1AW

(Just off Western Rd, on the border of Brighton and Hove)

01273 329642

info@yogahaven.co.uk

Please pass this on to anyone who you think might be interested in trying out Shiatsu.

Many thanks,

Rob Blackburn

Eskimo Rolls

It's been a week of big changes and with that lots of new challenges and some introspection. The new/old thing I think has been reconnecting with the spirit of what I do and the spirit in what I do. I have been busy rushing around trying to complete my qualification so that I can move forward with making a business out of Shiatsu and this has meant that I have been out in thinky thinky land rationalising, planning, organising and there has been barely enough time to reconnect with myself , where I am going and those around me.

My life has become a host of abstractions and it was time to nail this stuff down.
Several thing s have helped with this whole process Mark's Heart of Business blog posts have been greatly inspirational in keeping me from despair and giving me business tips that have just the right mix of pragmatism and hope without any of that marketing cynicism that leaves me cold. ( I have a whole story of how I heard a salesman training another salesman on the bus, yes bus, about how to extract the most sales out of people, deal closing and the law of averages like he was some sage, it was so cold in made me shiver on a summers day!)


The second thing that's been keeping me on the straight and narrow are the great Insights at the Edge podcasts by Tami Simon @Soundstrue.com, she has a great voice and a great way of quizzing people that really rings true for me. (thanks to the guys at Buddhist Geeks pointing me to these!). Also a great free resource Mindfulness in Plain English by H. Gunaratana Mahathera, which although a little patronising in places has some great tips on mindfulness and has inspired me to get off my arse and sit as it were.

It's an ongoing process and there are various systems that need to put in place and rhythms to be established so that I feel more able to catch the pieces from the fall out of three years study and the start of a new career. Often it feels like doing continuous Eskimo rolls!

(if you are reading this on facebook, please go to my blog to get the links in the post. www.shiatsupages.blogspot.com)