Motion, Emotion, Energy
In Shiatsu, we are working with Ki (Qi) or the energy that flows through the body and sustains the workings of our organs and regulates our physical health. Ki is defined by movement. It is an impetus, the motivation and texture of the force behind action.
Once Ki is felt and understood, it becomes significant to ask what is it that causes the flow of Ki to be interrupted? There are many factors, as our lives and worlds are made up of many interactions between forces of all kinds. The environment and atmosphere around you has great affect on ki flow. Internally, your emotions can dictate the state of your flow. You can’t really do anything about the weather, but you can do something about your internal emotional state.
“Using pressure, […] [shiatsu] attracts the body’s ki to weakened, distressed areas. This internal attention again serves two vital functions. It augments the flow of healing/ nutritive resources to the afflicted cellular community and materially assists its recovery. Secondly, it heightens the entire body’s awareness of suffering among its cellular constituents, hopefully inducing its executive “head” toward corrective changes in behavior.” (Kubiak, Kyotojournal.org)
The very word emotion means "to move." In contrast, when emotions are unable to move, we feel “stuck” or “depressed” and are unable to find the internal motivation to support the movement of these thoughts and feelings. As quoted above, with Shiatsu we are touching these low spaces and bringing attention, warmth and awareness to them. Just like you might unclog a stream as a child playing in the woods for the pleasure and joy of watching the water flow freely, on our mats, we can clear our own pathways for the pleasure and joy of feeling oneness and flow inside of ourselves. It does not mean the emotions will not come, it means they will keep moving and make way for the many experiences and highs and lows of your life to flow through this sacred vessel you call home.
Come, be moved, and allow your emotional body to flow freely.
