The Meaning of Grace in Gravity
Grace (noun):
- Elegance and beauty of movement or expression
- Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form or proportion
- The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of the Divine
Gravity (noun):
- The natural force of attraction exerted by a celestial body, such as Earth, upon objects at or near its surface, tending to draw them toward the center of the body
- Solemnity or dignity of manner
Grace in Gravity (tagline):
- The experience of ease of movement amidst the ever-present downward pull of gravity, both physical and metaphorical (ie: life stories, traumas)
- The spark of divinity that we, as earthly human, carry within us; the reality of our true nature. Heaven on earth. As above, so below.
- The intention underlying my shiatsu practice and this website
An analogy: Imagine the stuff we take on in life as layers of clothing, designed to both protect our bodies and make a statement about 'who we are'. The coats, the sweaters, the shirts, scarves, hats, underwear... all personas we wear to appear appropriate in various situations, to please certain people, to guard our vulnerabilities. Necessary? Maybe at one time. As children perhaps. But here we are, all grown up, still wearing all this stuff... lugging it around, bending under the weight of all those layers, not to mention having forgotten what we really look and feel like under there.
What do these articles of clothing represent?
- Unresolved conflicts
- Unspoken and unexpressed feelings
- Bearing of burdens
- Responsibilities (for actions, feelings, etc) that don't belong to us
- Unexamined stories, beliefs
- Fears, worries, and second-guessing
- Inauthentic responses
- Outdated and outgrown roles
How might they manifest in the body?
- Fatigue
- Poor posture
- Aches and pains
- Headaches
- Chronic illness
- Fibromyalgia
- Hormonal imbalances
- Prone to accidents
- Insomnia
- Digestive issues
- Inability to 'be here now'
- Easily overwhelmed
- Etcetera, etcetera...
Is it scary to be naked and revealed? Yes. Absolutely. That's why we put on all this stuff to begin with. But the freedom of movement, and potential relief from pain and illness can be well worth it.
"Touch the surface and you stir the depths." ~Deane Juhan
Our perspective in life affects our posture, and vice versa. Which comes first, the emotional or physical states? Really doesn't matter, in my opinion. To affect one affects the other. To shed the layers is to reclaim grace. There are many ways to accomplish this... my way is through touching the body with shiatsu, particularly the Zen style.
Yi Leads the Ki
The Zen approach of shiatsu is less about accessing specific points to enact specific changes, but more about finding the imbalance between the empty and full energetic places in your body, and bringing your own awareness to them through touch. It's a process of 'giving advice' as described by David Sergal. Where the mind or intention goes, the energy, or ki, goes. For me to focus pressure and intention on various places on your body is to draw your attention there as well, inviting you to notice the sensations and feelings that may arise, and thereby make your own connections, and bring the balance back from within your own body and mind.
Read more about this here, and oh, here.
What I Won't Do
While I believe that healing is really the sole responsibility of the receiver, and self-care issues (whether diet, exercise, speaking up, whatever) tend to be at the heart of what people bring to my office, I don't demand that you make huge changes and force habits in order to come to me. Some therapists would argue vehemently with me on this point, and claim that I'm just taking your money otherwise. But habits are hard to change and tend to have deeper emotional needs keeping them in place. Those changes take time and compassion, if they even happen at all. And besides, I can't say I have any better handle on what's right for you in terms of how you eat or what you do with your life. That's for you to figure out (though I'm happy to be a sounding board). I have experiences. I have intuition. And I have opinions. I'm always studying and experimenting on myself in order to have better tools and tested suggestions if you should ask. I will offer support if you want/need it, within my ability to do so. I might even make the occasional unsolicited observation or suggestion, or poke you in a place that brings discomfort. I do believe there's great benefit in that. But I will never try to push you beyond your limits of what you can handle. What would be the positive in that?
What I Will Do
In my practice, I see myself as a facilitator. Or something that. I view and feel your body through the lens of my shiatsu training and experience. The treatment I then give involves bringing you relief from surface tension, and ideally a deeper awareness of your empty and full places, your limitations of movement, and an encouragement of opening and flexibility. With this experience can come a shedding of the layers mentioned above and a return to grace, freedom, lightness and joy. However, I do also have the skills to relieve some structural or muscular issues (sometimes a tight piriformis is just a tight piriformis)... relax a spasming back, open a stuck hip, soothe aching feet, etc. But above all, I will listen to you (with ears and hands), and be as present as humanly possible as I lay my hands on your body.
**And, of course, if hugs or tissues are needed, there's no extra charge.