“I am working for NHS with Covid patients, and find this work very supportive and calming.”
“Invaluable for self care and righting my boat.”
We are delighted to have received National Lottery funding for the second year running to be able to offer support to local women who wouldn’t normally be able to access Shiatsu or Qigong and are struggling with their health. The project “Well Women” is a continuation of our successful ‘Supporting Women’ project, adapted for the current situation The project will benefit women struggling to cope with health issues including “Long Covid”.
It is a series of six one-to-one Shiatsu treatments for a minimal donation, followed by the offer of a fully funded place on a 5 week Qigong course – aimed at supporting women’s health, and providing self-help skills.
In Shiatsu, our experience, over many years, has been that women come with symptoms such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, PMT, Menopausal or other hormonal problems, during or post Cancer treatment, joint pain, exhaustion, and fatigue. If these symptoms are not addressed early they can lead to more serious long-term health issues. We know (from our consultations) that Shiatsu and Qigong also address the currently prevailing feelings of anxiety, helplessness and isolation caused by the Pandemic by bringing (safe) physical contact, connection and empowerment into women’s lives.
The project is open to applications from all women, focusing on those on low incomes and those whose income or physical or mental health has been adversely affected by Covid. Over the last year we have seen participants’ symptoms significantly improving after Shiatsu treatment and with more tools for self care, through our Qigong classes, women have been able to adapt their relationship to their health, vitality and immunity enabling them to participate more fully in their lives. This work feels particularly important during these times of pandemic that we are living through.
The project aims to help women to feel supported in their health, increasing resilience and giving an opportunity for empowerment through self-help skills, having a positive impact on long term health.
“Receiving regular shiatsu treatment … is an essential and transformative source of support for me, living with secondary cancer and the effects of ongoing cancer treatment.”
For some time, through chatting to clients, it has been clear that, although lots of women need and want treatment and want to become more responsible for their own health, many can’t afford it, and feel their health suffers accordingly.
This project is born from these conversations.
Shiatsu is a form of bodywork which originated in Japan. It is given fully clothed on a soft futon on the floor.
The basic idea behind Shiatsu is to help the body adjust itself by helping the Qi to function. Qi (sometimes spelled ‘Chi’ or ‘Ki’) is our life-force. Qi provides the energy for all our life processes.
To help the body adjust itself in this way we use gentle pressure, stretches, holding, joint mobilizations and rocking. In this way Shiatsu is a little like massage. However, Shiatsu also works with the energetic condition of the body helping to re-energize weak areas, relax tension and bringing harmony to body and mind.
This means that your body can transform physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically, helping you change patterns that make you feel ill, stiff or stuck.
Oriental therapies, such as Shiatsu can so often help when Western medicine has not been able to and help in areas that people may not automatically associate them with. In Shiatsu we can work to help support all of the systems in the body, so the work can have an impact on digestive issues, breathing issues, regular and common illness, issues around pregnancy, fertility and menstruation as well as the things that might more immediately come to mind like muscular skeletal problems.
Benefits of Shiatsu
Independent research carried out at the university of Leeds finds that:
- 89% of Shiatsu receivers felt calmer and more relaxed.
- 86% said that Shiatsu was effective in treating stress and tension, structural and postural problems, low energy and fatigue.
- Up to 60% of Shiatsu receivers slept better.
- Shiatsu receiver’s symptoms were significantly reduced during the 6-month study.
- Shiatsu receivers had a reduced usage of conventional medicine.
- Overall, Shiatsu receivers adopted a more relaxed, healthier and balanced approach to life.
If you would like to apply for a place please fill in your contact details here, and we will be in touch.
The group was held with care, expertise and attention. I felt strengthened and grounded by the practice, and felt like I was being invited to explore the wisdom of my female body. These are practices I could easily integrate into my life, which is empowering.
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