Bodyworks Studio

dinsdag 30 augustus 2011

what's going on?............two ways to go with the flow!


I thought I should sit down for a minute and think about what Shiatsu and Reiki mean to me and could mean for others. First of all there is the wonderful effect of tranquil quality time for you while being treated, knowing that someone is really listening to you and what is going on in your body. Secondly…..well there are a few hundred of those!

To me personally Shiatsu is a very earthy grounded way to optimize the flow of energy in your body. It’s all yours to begin with anyway. We as therapists don’t put anything in and we don’t take anything out. We just sort out where the boulders have fallen into your little flowing rivers of energy (aka meridians) and try to softly urge those boulders to move out of the way so your energy can once again flow unhindered and freely. This is how harmonization is achieved and the amazing healing properties of your own body kick in and do their part. And all from sticking fingers or needles in a few choice points. Now how is that for amazing and useful? Of course a few thousand years of studies upon studies and lot’s of research into natural healing happened before it became so readily available to us all. I am incredibly grateful and it still brings me joy every day to study and deepen my knowledge (and understand each day that I know less and less in the vast realm of available knowledge!). And I also really enjoy sharing the little bit I do know with others, so they can feel better and take matters into their own hands. You get the point right? I love Shiatsu!

Now the love for Reiki came much less natural to me or so I thought. But now that I am working with it regularly and have finished studying with a few choice teachers, I am quite happy and at ease with it and mostly enjoy organizing workshops to once again share this knowledge with others. That was actually the greatest wish of the founder of the whole movement Mikao Usui. He wanted to have this healing energy (modality) available to everyone everywhere, or at least to as many people as possible. If you want to have more in depth information on Reiki I can highly recommend the books by Frans and Bronwen Stiene http://www.ihreiki.com/reiki_info/and also by Frank Arjava Petter http://www.reikidharma.com/en/index_en.html. Interesting also to see how Reiki evolved and grew in the western world, and how it actually still exists in a more pure and simple form in the traditional Japanese schools of Reiki. But you can find that out for yourself if you are interested!

I perceive Reiki to be a fond sister of Shiatsu, but there where Shiatsu is more earthy and more internal, I find Reiki more “heavenly” aka universal as coming from all around us (air, trees, water, grass, sunlight, etc), readily available, but we just often forget to ask for support or to be connected to the natural flow. So with Reiki we become vessels that temporarily condense this flow so it can be used to cleanse and heal the person we are treating. The bottom line here is, and this is the case with most healing modalities, that we are striving to harmonize the energy in the body and through that invite the natural healing abilities of the body, mind and soul to come back into effect. This also goes for Yoga, Shiatsu, Reiki, Do-In, Bowen therapy, Lomi Lomi, Holistic Pulsing and all the other modalities I could mention. We all want to be whole, healthy and free flowing. It’s as simple as that. I also see energy and energy work as an expression of love, love is energy and both Shiatsu and Reiki are all about energy right? So if you want to come and give it a try…….please feel free! You will know when it is your time and you will know what feels best to you. And I will be waiting here for you, I can be easily teased away from my books and studies if someone comes to visit so we can share this amazing 
energy stuff that makes you feel better! 


".....Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh, he don't know so he chases them away
Oh, someday yeah he'll begin his life again, yeah
Whispering hands gently lead him away........"

woensdag 17 augustus 2011

Reinventing yourself

I've been in the business of bodywork for quite a while now. Recently my whole life underwent a boost on many levels. I realized that it had become easy to fall into the trap of running on autopilot. Not that this means that you give less, or that you are less alert or invested in what you do by any means. But it just sort of creeps up on you. So with the help of my nearest and dearest I am going to revamp my website (will let you know when it is ready!), take a close look at my information folder and start coming out of the stone age and starting to properly use social media and other tools to show the world I'm available and still going strong. I'm pretty sure it will be great fun. I also decided to dip into the world of Groupon and see what it would mean to put my name out there through that medium as well. It's been interesting to say the least. But what warms my heart the most is that this last week it has not brought me shoppers looking for a cheap deal, but really truly wonderful people, mostly very open and definitely walking a very spiritual path. All at their own pace. It was quite an eye-opener for me. And I'm just really excited to be sharing the wonderful benefits of Shiatsu with a whole new generation of clients.
So although re-inventing yourself is at times time and energy consuming, it brings so much. Just like I believe the body works (when properly used) I now also believe that renewing the place where I depart from as a professional also works. It all works! So here I am: taking control of the wheel again.