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The Nameless Ittybiz

2010-08-30T01:05:14Z

A friend, upon teaching me to play bass guitar, once shared that he didn't have to be an expert to teach me - he just had to know a little bit more than I did.

So, when the fifth or sixth holistic therapist marveled at my website and asked if I could help them with theirs (and they'd be happy to pay me) I started thinking, hmmm....

I'm no expert.

More than anything, I just happen to love futzing with interwebz stuff. Playing with a website has given me an opporunity to use that graphic design training my parents paid for. And blogging started out simply as a way for me to speak my mind without fear of interruption or contradiction.

It just so happened that these things kinda came together and made for a website that impressed a few people. Go figure.

Not to belittle the opinion of those people. There's definitely a bridge that has to be crossed, and a shift of mindset to be made in order to embrace technology as something positive and useful, and totally do-able.

There's also a peace to be made with marketing among some more of the spiritually-minded holistic practitioners.

Hand-holding, really.

But there's more to it than that. The work that Mark Silver* does also helped me to see how I can help creative, intuitive healing types better serve their much needed talents and gifts to the people that are desperately seeking them (aka: "marketing") while staying connected to their hearts.

Most healing practitioners I know: massage therapists, Reiki people, acupuncturists, etc, would much rather be dealing with people than their computers.

Or they're 'old school'... preferring the phone as a means of contact, forgetting to check emails regularly, or just believing themselves to be 'technologially inept'.

And yet, they are resignedly admitting that the world is using the computer much more and they're worried they're going to be left in the virtual dust.

Enter a niche.

I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this. In fact, the second person I met at Creative Healing Arts two years ago was doing pretty much this very thing. She has since moved on, but was willing to pass along some of her wisdom and support, and so, here I am. I want to help holistic therapists develop a web-based marketing strategy that's effective, realistic, soulful, and comfortable for them.

The world needs us. We can do a lot better job if we're able to feed ourselves and our families. And this may mean learning how to get our service out there a little more effectively.

I'm still figuring out the ins and outs, and the specifics of how I can help. Most of this is coming from actually talking to people (I start with offering a free hour fact-finding/intention-clarifying session) and going from there.

A *gulp* sales page is forthcoming, along with a questionnaire/ebook, hopefully accompanied soon by a name for my ittybiz.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know might be a candidate for something like this, email me!

We can just chat, and go from there...

*Affiliate link.. meaning if you click on this, and happen to buy something a little money will come my way.

Well-Rounded or Pathetically Distracted?

2010-08-03T01:56:15Z

It's all a matter of how you look at it, I guess.

While I was unschooling my brood, I quietly railed against the pedagogy of the public school system's insistence that a child excel or at least be proficient in all the 'required subjects':

Reading. And math. And science. And history. And sports. And music. And....

And.. really? Because a good argument would be, say you had to go in to have a brain tumor removed, would you want a surgeon who was really REALLY good at brain surgery to the point of obsession? Or one who balanced his proficiency in medicine with that of Civil War trivia, cello-playing and algebra.

I mean, a person should have a healthy variety of interests. But if my kid showed an unwavering interest in building airplanes, or computer programs, or practiced playing music every flippin' day, I say, let him at it! Let him enjoy the luxury of being consumed with a passion before he has to get a day job.

And, dare I say, maybe he won't have to get a day job because he'll be so darn good at what he loves, he could make a career out of it.

Made sense to me.

And so, here I am.. having been vocally defensive of my reluctance to get certified in other modalities, because, one, I believe the study of shiatsu could keep me busy for a lifetime, and two, I'd rather be really REALLY good at that, than have a smattering of a lot of other therapies under my belt just to impress people.

And besides. Single-mindedness of purpose is the only way we can reach our goals.

Right? RIGHT?

Diversity is Survival.

So, for those who are paying attention, you may have been aware that my life situation is changing. My husband and I are parting ways after 21 years, and sooooo, I have to make a living that actually pays for things I need. Like my car. And my house. And maybe some food and stuff.

The shiatsu biz waxes and wanes, and can be largely undependable in the steady-income department. In times like these, it's good to be resourceful.

I have other skills to draw upon. My website-building experience. My somewhat-shiatsu-related knowledge like qi gong and macrobiotic cooking. My herb gardening experience. My graphic arts degree (oh yeah, remember that...?).

I've decided to revive some packed-away interests, and nearly-forgotten dreams in the hopes of creating several income streams, thereby avoiding getting a Real Job at which I might get paid only slightly more than the cost of having said job.

But I struggle with feeling like a scatterbrain. Like a jill-of-all-trades/master-of-none. Of being accused of jumping all over the place, with no focus, no aim, no expertise. No Goals, or Impressive Single-Minded Determination.

*gasp*

Renaissance Woman.

I worry about unhealthily indulging my insatiable restlessness and boredom, but Damn! I like doing a lot of different stuff! And I really think I can elevate much of it beyond hobby status to being able to feed my kids and all their friends whom I keep finding on the couch.

So, does that make me a bad person? Am I ADD? Am I all over the map? Am I doomed to mediocrity because I'm avoiding honing in on my One Big Thing?

Does it count if I concoct an Overarching Theme to tie all this stuff together? Am I using Too Many Capitals to make a point?

For example, here's what I'm doing (or planning to do):

- A healing touch retreat for couples, co-taught with a massage therapist. (Fair enough, and actually relevant.)

- Infant massage class (Again, makes perfect sense..)

- Basic whole foods cooking class (Yeah, I can see that..)

- Teaching an almost year-long herb class to young homeschoolers (Really?)

- Launching a coaching practice to help holistic healers get a viable web presence (Um, wait a minute...)

- Reviving my old handmade greeting card business using designs inspired by Japanese motifs (Okay, now you're just being silly..)

So, will I have time to get Really Good at shiatsu? Or better yet, will I have time to do any of this stuff, in addition to single-handedly running a household containing four homeschooled boys between the ages of 9 and 20, while cooking, cleaning, laundry, driving, and unplugging toilets... and, oh yeah, writing about it all?

Are you done laughing yet?

Yeah, me neither...

(But, hey, if you're interested in any of this stuff, feel free to contact me... ;)

C'mon In! The Web's Fine!

2010-07-20T19:11:09Z

Over the last year or so, I've been approached by enough inquisitive holistic practitioners to finally get the hint (duh!) that maybe I could turn my small wealth of experience creating a website for my shiatsu practice into an ittybiz.

For a number of practitioners I know - people who are generally very intuitive, creative, and well, people-oriented - the idea of having and maintaining an 'online presence' brings out feelings of intimidation, helplessness, aversion, impatience... all kinds of stuff. This has had the (to me: humorous) effect of making them look up to me with starry eyes and admiration, as if I were a computer genius.

As my musical mentor/friend has demonstrated, he doesn't need to be an expert in bass to teach me how to play... he just needs to know a little more than me.

I'm not a web developer, or an A-list blogger-type, but, yeah, I love playing with my website. To me, the whole nature of it has allowed me to bring in my graphic arts background, my hobby of writing, and, of course, my passion for shiatsu and holistic healing. And if ya like something, chances are, you'll spend more time figuring it out.

I know not all of these people are in this same boat. And yet, they've come to believe having a website might be a good idea.

And so... I believe I can help. I can do some hand-holding, ask some clarifying questions, define some mysterious terms and point them in the right direction. Even help set up and maintain the webby stuff, if needed.

I'm crafting a preliminary ebook now, with a variety of support tools to follow, but tell me, is this you, or do you know someone like this? Someone who cringes at the thought of websites and blogs and twitter and whatever but feels like they're getting left in the dust?

I would love to hear from you! Tell me your thoughts, your fears, your concerns... let me know what I can do to help you!

Contact me!

transitions and you

2010-06-17T11:45:01Z

Summer and all that entails seems to finally be taking over.

In my shiatsu practice, this means not only futzing with a temperamental office thermostat that can't decide if I'm running a sauna or an ice cream truck, but also, the temporarily losing several regular mommy clients now trying to navigate new schedules, leaving less free time for them for luxuries like self-care.

This change of pace, as they've expressed to me, has been met with mixed feelings: relief from the lunch-making, sleepy-head rousing, school-bus catching, homework-chasing, never-ending activity routine. But also a little sadness over the loss of 'me' time; and in some cases, the challenge of entertaining bored children.

Summer rocks, in the opinion of many, but even so, it is a transition: a break from the normal routine. And no matter how welcome this can be, it takes getting used to.

And like with almost any shifting of the norm, the first thing to go is usually the self-care. Which is probably the most necessary thing during times like these.

In times of change, how do you stabilize?

I've talked before about the Earth element being associated with late summer in Chinese medicine, but also with the times between seasons .... the transition times. This is when we often feel most out of sorts and out of rhythm with our environment. Earth element governs the flesh... the muscles, the body .. stability, groundedness.. centeredness.. all things to be nurtured when life is in flux.

Summer's energy is very yang, and expansive... so much to do, so many directions to be pulled toward. And really, beyond even the seasonal changes, modern life itself at this time is so unpredictable, moving so quickly .. getting in touch with the feeling of being rooted will keep you from being overwhelmed.

Sure, I will admit I'm trying to woo back my wayward mommies and my world-traveling jet-lagged vacation-goers but seriously, whether you come back for some nice centering bodywork or not, be sure to take care of your physical body. Eat well. Stretch often. Do what you need to do to feel good in your phsyical body, which will provide you with safe haven and strength when all is mayhem around you.

Look on caring for yourself not as a luxury, or self-indulgence, or even pampering. (Ugh, do I hate that word!) No matter where you go or what you do, you have to live in that body. This is health care at its most basic.

It will help you get the most enjoyment out of your time during these months, and just maybe you won't be left feeling like you need a vacation after your vacation.

Survey Says....

2010-06-09T13:27:12Z

In my last post, I mentioned how there are some of us on a mission to define shiatsu in ways that make it meaningful and relevant to the world at large, and hopefully establish its status as a integral part of one's well-being routine... rather than an esoteric, exotic luxury.

It would be remiss to overlook what the actual experience of shiatsu fans has been. I mean, I know how awesome it is, and how majorly it rocks. But it would help to inform our process of defining if we could hear directly from you.

So, here's a survey, created by Tony Brown of Worthing Shiatsu in the UK. Please note that you don't have to be a client of mine to participate... any experience with shiatsu will do.

It's short and easy.... and your input would be greatly appreciated! And you can sleep easy knowing you will be doing a great service to the Cause!!

Click here for the survey...

And thank you.

Thumbs Up for Shiatsu

2010-05-21T14:59:44Z

There is a quiet revolution happening amongst some of us shiatsu practitioners.

A movement fueled by our passion for this amazing work, and a desire to elevate its status beyond just an esoteric technique, to recognition as an effective holistic modality, even unto a way of approaching life, if I may be so bold.

A powerful means of healing bodies and changing lives.

Readers of mine might have noticed this is how I approach shiatsu, and you can't imagine how thrilled I am to find other fanatics like myself - (Hi Rob and Helen and Tracy and Tony and Andrew and forgive me if I left someone out...!) - therapists who've been disgusted by 'shiatsu machinery', as if mechanical chairs could possibly come even close to offering the same healing and nurturing experience a trained and compassionate therapist can.

And, as Tony Brown nailed in his post, regarding those practitioners who've included 'shiatsu' among their litany of modalities offered, are they really getting it? Or just collecting a 'modality dujour' to give the people what they want and make themselves appear more, um, versatile?

This seems to be one of the few topics which incites me to rant.

Suffice it to say that for those us us among the faithful ... the ones who believe shiatsu is far more than just a technique, and who are disappointed by the lack of understanding within the mainstream about its benefits (not to mention confusing it with a small dog), as well as discontent with the very associations that are supposed to be promoting our worthiness ... we are taking matters into our own hands. No pun intended. Or maybe there is. Whatever.

Tony is hosting a blog carnival on his site, and has invited us shiatsu blogger types to weigh in on the deceptively simple question, "What is Shiatsu?"

I have a topic. I have a deadline. (May 31st.) And now I have to stretch my brain far beyond the elevator pitch and get to the heart, soul, meat and bones of this question.

I am fired up, to say the least.

Check back soon.

Leaving Ourselves - A Guest Post

2010-05-21T00:33:00Z

This was one of those weeks where I had a bunch of stuff I had to do, mostly involving wellness fairs and chair massage for a great many people (not complaining, mind you!) but I wanted you to have something to read in my absence.

Enter Tara Sophia Mohr: writer, personal growth teacher, and coach. She writes the blog, Wise Living, and I expect you all to behave and treat her nicely while I'm gone.

Enjoy! (And please feel free to let either of us know what you think!)

In my life, I’ve had two major compulsions. The first one was over-eating. That started at age two or three.

By five, I was an overweight kid.

The second one was what I call project compulsion. Even as a child, I would dream up elaborate, overwhelming projects: set up a (stuffed) animal hospital in my bedroom, today. Recruit all the neighborhood children to put on a play of Annie and perform it next Saturday. Write and illustrate a cookbook by bedtime. I’d leap into a dizzying whirlwind of activity that would leave me exhausted, overwhelmed, spent.

Looking back, I can recall the feeling that precipitated a project launch. In the moments when any loneliness, boredom, sadness, disappointment, or anger was arising in my childhood self, I would begin a project. That was my fix. That was my flight path.

First I’d dream up the vision. Then I’d get lost in the work. The project would eclipse all else. I’d worked whipped up, in a focused, urgent frenzy. The discomfort of the present moment, the difficult things about my childhood—all of that would vanish.

Even in my adult life, many of my proudest professional accomplishments – projects that reflect my passions and interests – were also the fruits of project compulsion--reflected in symptoms like these:

A sense of sudden, dramatic urgency about a project
A feeling that I have to master it all, and be an expert, immediately (or better yet, yesterday) – the opposite of a “one step at a time” attitude
All other things - relationships, self-care, exercise – get eclipsed
Becoming tired and overwhelmed but not feeling able to stop

Bottom line? In doing the project, I leave myself and I leave the present moment.

Over-eating is no different. It’s about filling up—physically and mentally. It’s about distracting. The distraction comes not only from the act of eating and the over-full, dulled state that follows, but from the unrelenting, negative thoughts that complete the cycle: “You did it again.” “Time to start the next diet.”

Life, when experienced without all our compulsions and crutches, is actually like a light that burns so bright it hurts our eyes a bit to look at it. Life itself – even in the empty moments – perhaps most in the empty moments in fact – is full, vivid. So we dull, numb, distract in a thousand ways. It takes strength and practice and habits to lean into and stay with the present, distractions absent.

What I’m learning now, still a novice, is that if I stop before I’ve eaten too much, if I don’t fill the space with food or caffeine or work or some other distraction, I get to face the moment. I get to be with that vividness, that bright light, with true sensation or emotion. Sometimes it’s joy or gratitude, sometimes worry, fear or resentment.

But here’s the secret: everything passes when we face it fully in the present moment, when we breathe into it, when bear compassionate, attentive witness. Every emotion moves once we allow the emotion to be center stage fully as it is. Every emotion becomes simply like weather in the sky of our minds, weather that passes quickly.

As it turns out, compassionate, attentive awareness is a magical tonic that changes everything. It creates a shift. It takes us from one present moment to the next, and the next present moment will be different from this one.

When we distract ourselves with some compulsion – from facebook to frappucinos to our cherished to-do lists, we run from reality. We never turn and face it. And so we don’t move through it.

We also miss out on experiencing ourselves as a mysterious being that breathes like the tide going in and out, whole in just being, one that can handle and move through anything by compassionately facing it.

Take a moment and consider, how often do you fully experience the full vitality, vividness and emptiness of the present moment?

How often do you sit with all the emotions that are there for you in the present moment?

When do you reach for something to leave yourself and to leave the present? What do you reach for? Look carefully for hidden or subtle compulsions.

Start some simple practices that replace reaching with being: simply taking a few deep breaths and feeling your body, placing your hand on your belly to feel your breath going in and out, sitting still and watching nature for a moment, quieting yourself to feel what you are feeling.

It will be difficult. Let it be so. Keep returning your awareness to your own present moment experience, and hold that experience with curiosity and compassion.

Tara Sophia Mohr is a coach, writer and teacher who brings a unique background to the personal growth field. Tara's writing has been featured in numerous publications, including USA Today, Forbes, Ode Magazine, the International Business Times, The Change Blog, GoodlifeZen, Wisebrain.org, and many others.

You can read more about her here, and sign up to receive her free, unconventional guide, "Turning Your Goals Upside Down and Inside Out to Get What You Really Want" here.

The Heart Feeds Itself First

2010-05-12T10:38:10Z

Perhaps you've heard this little physiological factoid.. that the heart has its own private supply of oxygen-rich blood which it circulates back to itself with first, so as to have the strength to pump blood to the rest of the body. An awesome and tireless job to be sure.

It makes perfect sense to do this.

This is not an original metaphor, but is a good one to describe the vital importance of nourishing your own core before you can adequately take care of anyone/anything else in your life. It's not selfish - it's common sense and ingenious design.

In shiatsu, the Heart meridian is paired with that of the Small Intestine meridian (each meridian is paired with another.. yin/yang style). Might seem like an odd match, but consider that the SI's function is to assimilate nutrients from our food (we are what we eat), and to 'separate the pure from the impure'. Similarly, the Heart represents what we've integrated from our life experiences and transformed into our Core, our "Who We Are".

So, not only is feeding ourselves first a priority - being mindful of what we nourish ourselves with is really important.

The Heart Reigns Supreme

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Heart is considered the Emperor. (Each of the meridians are given a 'government official' position.) The Emperor, as the "son of heaven" - the embodiment of divine authority - required protection, and all the other officials (meridians), ultimately served or protected the Emperor.

The Heart is also said to "house the Shen" - Shen being our Mind/Consciousness/Awareness - and the link between Heaven and Earth ... the spiritual and the physical. When the Shen is properly rooted in the Heart, our thinking is clear, our decisions are sound, and our responses to what's going in our lives is appropriate. We could even say our character and destiny is directly related to the health of our Hearts.

How do we nourish our Hearts?

As with any governmental body, the health of the Heart depends on the strength of those who serve it. There are particular 'patterns of disharmony' that more directly affect the ability for the Shen to be rooted than others...the symptoms of which would appear as insomnia, anxiety, inner conflict, but these will be discussed elsewhere.

The ancient texts advised, that to nourish the Shen, it should remain 'free of attachment'.. mostly along the lines of 'not burdening oneself with depressing thoughts, not getting anxious about future events that may never happen, not dwelling on things that are in the past.'

Easier said than done, I know. But this is a good place for meditation, I think.. a practice that allows for us to return to that free and clear spaciousness that is the true nature of Shen, like an open sky which holds everything.

Shizuto Masunaga, founder of Zen Shiatsu, illustrated how the Heart/Small Intestine stretch position resembles that of a prayer pose, and he said, ".. withdrawal into stillness in the core of ourself must alternate with outward responsiveness in order to maintain balance in our emotional life. Thus the movement of the Heart energy is similar to that of the blood in and out of the heart organ."

So, what can learn from this?

The soundness and integrity of our Core is paramount to the quality of our lives. To be intentional in nourishing and protecting our Hearts ... being vigilant about what we take in and make a part of ourselves ... is of supreme importance. And to do that requires rhythmic retreat from the worries and chaos of daily life in order to gain a clearer, more detached perspective, and to make choices informed by the 'divine spark within'.

What do you think?

Heart of Money

2010-05-06T20:33:29Z

I am beside myself.

And probably a little late to the party, but Mark Silver is opening up enrollment for his Heart of Money Transformational Journey 2010 tomorrow (May 7th). (He also has a home study version, in case you can't make the classes..)

Mark has consistently blown me away with his wisdom, his insight and his amazing ability to reconcile spirit with seemingly un-spiritual things like business and marketing. (For those of you who've expressed appreciation for my blogwriting - thank Mark!)

In this course, he takes on the enormous task of developing 'right relationship' with money and finances. This material, I think, would be relevant whether you're in business for yourself or not, because how many of us don't wake up with 3 am money panic attacks?

I'll let him describe it to you here. And if you want, check out his no-cost Heart of Money: 3 am Money Worry Attack teleclass, just to get a sense of where he's coming from.

(Again, these are affiliate links, meaning that if you decide to sign up for the class using my link, I will get a little money in return. And you will have my immense appreciation. But for the record, I would rave about this stuff anyway, because Mark rocks...)

Bearing Witness

2010-04-28T10:01:42Z

Still at a loss for what to write about that would be of direct use to my readers, but I woke up this morning thinking about the last handful of people that have shown up to work with me.

Women, mostly, within a decade of my own age... carrying mysterious aches and pains - from odd nagging stuff, to fibroids, to infertility - most are navigating turbulent life changes, both from within and without. A few wondering if what's happening with them is simply a function of 'getting older' and maybe they should just accept it, but, honestly, really aren't yet ready to.

I see a little of myself in all of these people... being 43, on the other end of the intense parenting phase, about to embark on a much more challenging segment of life in a very uncertain world.

Feelings of loss, fear, anticipation, excitement, fatigue.. these are part of the daily menu of emotions, and yes, they show up physically. I like to think I can relate, at least a little, to what my people are going through. I tend to their bodies, but I think I'm also bearing witness to their experiences... providing some sort of anchor and sense of stability as their worlds are shifting so dramatically.

Helping them find themselves again amidst all the chaos, by reflecting back the beauty and strength that I can see and feel in them...

Is that enough?