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Shiatsu: What Do We Actually Know?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:11:55 GMT

An exploration of the research, the experience of Shiatsu, and where the two meet

Shiatsu: What Do We Actually Know?

An exploration of the research, the experience of Shiatsu, and where the two meet

I have practised Shiatsu for more than thirty years, and one of the things I value about it is that it is difficult to reduce to a simple formula.

People come for Shiatsu for all sorts of reasons. Some are experiencing physical tension or discomfort. Some are stressed or exhausted. Others simply feel out of balance and want some time in which they can stop, reconnect with themselves and be looked after.

As a practitioner, I have seen many people find Shiatsu enormously beneficial. But personal experience — however valuable — is not the same as scientific evidence.

So what does the research actually tell us?

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu developed in Japan and literally means “finger pressure” . A treatment normally involves pressure applied with the fingers, thumbs, palms and sometimes other parts of the body, together with gentle stretches and movement.

Unlike many forms of massage, Shiatsu is generally given through clothing and without oils.

There are different schools and styles of Shiatsu. My own approach has been influenced by the traditional understanding of Ki — the movement and balance of energy within the body — and the meridian system familiar from East Asian medicine.

These ideas provide one way of understanding what happens during a treatment.

This is coupled with an understanding of anatomy and physiology, giving a modern approach to Shiatsu.

My rather poetic way of describing Shiatsu is to say that our body, mind and spirit are continually on a path to heal themselves. However, this ability to heal can become interrupted by life. A Shiatsu practitioner has learned how to “listen” to a person’s body holistically and nudge them back towards the path of healing.

Science asks whether measurable changes occur in people receiving Shiatsu and whether those changes can reliably be attributed to the treatment.

These are different ways of looking at the same experience, and I don't think we need to pretend that they are identical.

What does the research say?

The first thing to say is that there simply isn't enough high-quality research specifically into Shiatsu to make sweeping medical claims about it.

A major systematic review published in 2011 examined the available evidence for both Shiatsu and acupressure. Although the researchers found considerably more evidence for acupressure, they found only nine Shiatsu studies that met their criteria.

Their conclusion was that the evidence specifically for Shiatsu was insufficient in both quantity and quality.

That might sound disappointing, but it is important to understand what it means.

“We don't yet have good enough evidence” is not the same as “we have good evidence that it doesn't work.”

It means that larger, better-designed studies are needed.

Shiatsu and pain

One area in which there have been some interesting results is pain.

A small randomised controlled study published in 2019 looked at people with chronic lower-back pain. One group received standard care while another received Shiatsu in addition to standard care.

The results were mixed. At the first assessment there was no statistically significant difference between the groups on the study's primary measure of disability. At later follow-up, however, the Shiatsu group showed improvements in some measures of pain, disability and quality of life compared with the control group.

The researchers themselves were appropriately cautious and called for larger studies.

There has also been a small pilot study involving people with fibromyalgia which reported improvements in measures including pain, sleep and the impact of symptoms on daily life.

Again, these are encouraging findings rather than proof.

Small studies are useful because they can tell researchers whether something is worth investigating further, but they cannot carry the same weight as repeated, large-scale clinical trials.

Stress, tension and wellbeing

Another interesting piece of research looked at Shiatsu as it is actually practised in everyday life.

Researchers followed 948 people receiving Shiatsu from 85 practitioners in the UK, Austria and Spain. Participants reported their experiences over a six-month period.

Many reported improvements in symptoms, particularly those associated with tension or stress and musculoskeletal problems.

This study is interesting because it reflects real-world Shiatsu rather well. But there is an important limitation: it was an observational study , not a randomised clinical trial.

In other words, it tells us that people receiving Shiatsu commonly reported feeling better . It cannot establish that Shiatsu itself caused those improvements.

For me, both kinds of information are valuable, as long as we don't confuse one with the other.

Shiatsu isn't simply acupressure

This is another important point when reading research.

Shiatsu and acupressure are sometimes grouped together because both involve pressure on the body. There is considerably more research into acupressure, with studies suggesting possible benefits in areas including pain, nausea and sleep.

But Shiatsu is not simply the application of pressure to a collection of prescribed points.

A Shiatsu treatment may involve movement, stretching, sustained pressure, observation, touch and an ongoing response by the practitioner to the person receiving the treatment.

Research published since the original systematic review has specifically argued that Shiatsu and acupressure should be regarded as distinct techniques.

So we should be cautious about taking research into acupressure and simply claiming that it proves the effectiveness of Shiatsu.

Connection to Acupuncture

Shiatsu is sometimes referred to as “Acupuncture without needles” , meaning that similar points are activated in the body but using thumb pressure instead of needles. The crossover comes because both acupuncture and Shiatsu frequently use similar models and theories to explain their work.

The description of acupuncture without needles would better describe acupressure, owing to the wider scope of Shiatsu work using stretches, rotations and many other physical techniques.

There is more research into acupuncture, and there is evidence that it may be helpful for some conditions, particularly certain types of pain. Research suggests benefits for conditions including chronic low-back pain, osteoarthritis pain and some types of headache, although the size of the benefit and the quality of the evidence vary between conditions.

It would be fantastic if Shiatsu were to get the funding for research to explore the areas of benefit it may share with acupuncture, which practitioners have long recognised intuitively.

What does it mean for Shiatsu to “work”?

This is perhaps the question I find most interesting.

If someone comes to me with back pain and afterwards their pain has disappeared, it is tempting to say that Shiatsu has “worked”.

But suppose someone's pain remains, yet they sleep better that night, feel calmer, move more freely or feel more comfortable in their own body. Has the Shiatsu worked?

Or suppose someone arrives feeling overwhelmed and spends an hour simply becoming calm.

How do we measure that?

Clinical research quite reasonably needs measurable outcomes. Human experience is rather messier.

That doesn't mean we should abandon scientific scrutiny. Quite the opposite. I would like to see much more good-quality research into Shiatsu.

But it does mean that we should be careful not to assume that everything worthwhile about a treatment is necessarily captured by a single clinical measurement.

What I have noticed as a practitioner

After many years of giving Shiatsu, there are certain things I see repeatedly.

People often become noticeably quieter during a treatment. Breathing changes. Muscular tension sometimes softens. Someone who arrived talking rapidly about everything that has happened that week may gradually become calm.

People become aware of parts of their body they had almost stopped noticing.

That interests me.

We spend a remarkable amount of modern life in our heads — thinking, planning, worrying, remembering, looking at screens and responding to information.

Shiatsu is profoundly physical.

For an hour or so there is very little that the recipient has to achieve. They don't have to perform, analyse themselves or even make conversation.

They can simply experience what is happening.

I might describe some of what I feel during a treatment in terms of Ki and the meridians . Those concepts remain important to the way I understand and practise Shiatsu.

But I don't present them as scientifically established anatomical structures. They belong to a traditional model of understanding the body and our experience within it. As I am not a doctor, I certainly do not offer a medical diagnosis.

I am comfortable allowing those two perspectives — traditional and scientific — to sit alongside one another.

So, does Shiatsu work?

The most accurate answer at present is: we know less than I would like us to know.

There is some encouraging research. Small clinical studies have reported improvements in particular symptoms, and larger observational research suggests that many people receiving Shiatsu report benefits including reduced tension and improved wellbeing.

But the scientific evidence specifically for Shiatsu remains limited, and it isn't strong enough to justify claims that Shiatsu can cure or treat a long list of medical conditions.

That doesn't diminish my enthusiasm for Shiatsu.

If anything, I find the uncertainty interesting.

After many years as a practitioner, I don't need Shiatsu to be a miracle cure. I value it as a gentle and deeply human form of bodywork which can give someone the opportunity to slow down, experience touch, become more aware of their body and perhaps find a little more space within themselves.

Sometimes that can be surprisingly powerful.

And perhaps the most useful position is neither unquestioning belief nor automatic dismissal, but curiosity:

What happens when we stop for a while, pay attention to the body, and allow ourselves to receive?

A note about health

Shiatsu is a complementary therapy and should not be regarded as a substitute for appropriate medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have unexplained, severe or persistent symptoms, please seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

Robinson N, Lorenc A, Liao X (2011) — The evidence for Shiatsu: a systematic review of Shiatsu and acupressure

Kobayashi D, Shimbo T, Hayashi H, Takahashi O (2019) — Shiatsu for chronic lower back pain: Randomized controlled study

Long AF (2008) — The effectiveness of Shiatsu: findings from a cross-European, prospective observational study

Yuan SLK et al. (2013) — Effects of Shiatsu in the management of fibromyalgia symptoms: a controlled pilot study

Cabo F et al. (2018) — Shiatsu and Acupressure: Two Different and Distinct Techniques

Traditional Yang Style Sword Form Movement Names

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:21:55 GMT

Traditional Yang Style Sword Form
Movement Names

English movement names only
Based on the teaching of Chris Pei
Compiled for Ki-Ways

1. Ready Posture

2. Opening

3. Secure the Moon with Three Rings

4. Big Dipper

5. Swallow Swoops Over the Water

6. Right Block

7. Left Block

8. Little Dipper

9. Swallow Returns to the Nest

10. Cat Seizes the Rat with Agility

11. Phoenix Picks Up Its Head

12. Wasp Enters the Cave

13. Phoenix Opens Its Right Wing

14. Little Dipper

15. Phoenix Opens Its Left Wing

16. Casting the Fishing Rod

17. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake (Right)

18. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake (Left)

19. Poking the Grass to Seek the Snake (Right)

20. Embracing the Moon

21. Birds Lodging in the Forest

22. Black Dragon Sways Its Tail

23. Green Dragon Gets Out of the Water

24. Lotus Swirls Around in the Wind

25. Lion Shakes Its Head (Left)

26. Lion Shakes Its Head (Right)

27. Tiger Covers Its Head

28. Mustang Jumps Over the Ravine

29. Reining the Horse

30. Compass Pointing South

31. Dusting in the Wind (Left)

32. Dusting in the Wind (Right)

33. Dusting in the Wind (Left)

34. Pushing the Canoe with the Current

35. Comet Chasing the Moon

36. Heavenly Steed Brings Good News

37. Lifting Up the Curtain

38. Car Wheel (Left)

39. Car Wheel (Right)

40. Swallow Carries Bits of Earth in Its Beak

41. Roc Extends Its Wings

42. Fishing for the Moon at the Sea Bottom

43. Naza Explores the Sea

44. Rhino Watches the Moon

45. Hunting the Wild Goose

46. Green Dragon Shows Its Claws

47. Phoenix Opens Both Wings

48. Step Over and Block Up (Left)

49. Step Over and Block Up (Right)

50. Hunting the Wild Goose

51. White Ape Presents Fruits

52. Falling Flowers (Right)

53. Falling Flowers (Left)

54. Falling Flowers (Right)

55. Falling Flowers (Left)

56. Falling Flowers (Right)

57. Fair Lady Works at Shuttles

58. White Tiger Sways Its Tail

59. Tiger Covers Its Head

60. Fish Jumps Over the Dragon's Gate

61. Black Dragon Twists Around the Pole (Left)

62. Black Dragon Twists Around the Pole (Right)

63. Fairy Points the Way

64. An Incense for Heaven

65. Plum Flower Is Swept by the Wind

66. Presenting the Tablet

67. Returning the Sword to Its Original Position

🍂 Autumn, Earth Energy and the Art of Adapting

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:38:46 GMT

There is something about the arrival of autumn that invites us to slow down.

The heady days of summer have given way to a gentler season. The days are becoming shorter, the evenings draw in, and nature begins to turn its attention towards the harvest.

We must say goodbye to the summer! But perhaps we don't need to see that as something sad. Autumn has its own beauty, and its own invitation.

It is a time of gathering, of giving thanks, and of preparing for the months ahead.

The Harvest and Earth Energy

Throughout the world, we have harvest festivals, ranging from the Chinese Moon Festival and the Pagan Lammas festival to the traditional Western Harvest Festival.

The common theme throughout is to give thanks for what has been provided and to share it with our friends.

And perhaps this is where the harvest connects most beautifully with Earth Energy.

In traditional oriental medicine, early autumn is represented by Earth Energy. The organs related to Earth Energy are the stomach (yang) and the spleen (yin).

Earth Energy is about the relatedness we have with other people. It is the compassion we feel for those around us – the wish to care for them, feed them, and help them feel safe.

Think about the feeling of coming home after a long day. Perhaps someone has made you a cup of tea, or you sit down to a meal that has been prepared with care.

There is something deeply reassuring about being fed, supported and welcomed.

This is something of the quality of Earth Energy.

If your Earth Energy is strong and settled, you will be able to create a feeling of serenity akin to an autumn sunset. You will feel supported, and you will be able to nurture others.

When that sense of support is missing, we may find ourselves worrying, looking for reassurance, or feeling that we have to hold everything together ourselves. We may feel “ungrounded”.

Worry and insecurity are balanced by compassion and loving kindness.

The harvest reminds us that we do not have to provide everything for ourselves. We are part of a much larger web of life, and we are supported by the Earth, by nature, and by one another.

Nature is constantly adapting

But being supported does not mean that everything around us remains unchanged.

Nature is constantly responding to the conditions around it, and we are part of that same living world.

2026 has been an interesting year in this respect. We have experienced some very warm weather in the UK, and it has been interesting to see how nature has responded. Farmers have had to bring some crops in early, and many of us have noticed changes in the timing of the seasons.

Many older people will tell you that the seasons have changed since their childhood. The timing of nature’s harvest can shift, and the familiar signs of autumn may arrive earlier or later than we expect.

But the Earth itself has not changed its place in the solar system. The seasons are still governed by the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the tilt of its axis.

What changes is the way the weather and the living world respond to those conditions.

If we look at nature, we can see that it is constantly responding to its environment. Plants and animals change their cycles, and they find ways of adjusting to the conditions around them.

This does not mean that nature always finds it easy. Sometimes changes in the weather can be stressful, and the living world can be affected in ways that are not helpful.

But there is something for us to learn from that responsiveness.

Finding our own balance

Humans do not always have quite so much freedom to change and adapt.

We get into patterns and routines that help us cope with our day-to-day lives. We have work, responsibilities, and commitments, and it is not always easy to change our plans when the world around us changes.

It is easy to become disconnected from the world around us.

We can get so caught up in our own routines that we stop noticing the seasons, the weather, and the subtle changes in nature.

Perhaps this is where Earth Energy has something to teach us.

Being grounded does not necessarily mean standing still. It can mean being settled enough to respond to what is happening around us.

It can mean knowing when to hold on, and when to let go.

It can mean allowing ourselves to receive support, rather than feeling that we must always provide everything for ourselves.

And it can mean remembering that we are part of a much larger web of life.

Going with the flow of nature

Ancient wisdom gives us many tools to help us adapt.

Meditation, healing, qigong, and simply taking notice of the world around us can all help.

They give us an opportunity to pause, to reconnect, and to become a little more aware of what is happening both within us and around us.

So, as we move into autumn, perhaps we can take a little time to notice the changing season.

To appreciate what has been provided.

To recognise the support that is already around us.

And to ask ourselves:

Where in my life am I being asked to adapt?

Where might I be able to let go of an old pattern, rather than trying to make the world fit around it?

Perhaps, like nature, we can learn to respond to the changing conditions with a little more flexibility, a little more compassion, and a little more trust.

And perhaps that is one of the gifts of autumn.

If you would like to explore these ideas further, we will be spending the morning together at our Autumn Equinox Meditation and Energy Session , taking time to reconnect with the Earth, with nature, and with ourselves.

�� Monday 14th September, 9:30am–12:30pm
£30

Through meditation, gentle energy work, and shared intention, we’ll create a calm and supportive space to reconnect, restore balance, and leave feeling clearer, lighter, and re-energised.

The Ten Essences of Tai Chi and Qigong

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:55:59 GMT

The Ten Essences

The Ten Essences of Tai Chi

The Ten Essences have been a vital part of my understanding of Tai Chi and Qigong. In fact, I’ve found that very few skills in life cannot be improved by applying their logic. Their scope is far wider than can be covered in a single blog, but here we’ll explore the basics.

History

Tai Chi has many formulae designed to help practitioners reach higher skill levels. Each has its own value, history, and wisdom. Over the many years that I have practiced, the Ten Essences — as taught to me by my Yang Style master, Chris Pei — have been invaluable.

Master Pei did not invent the Ten Essences, but he arranged them into a natural flow: starting at the head and moving down to the feet, then gradually working inward with coordination.

The original Ten Essences were codified by Yang Chengfu (1883–1936) , although aspects of them had circulated in Tai Chi teachings for generations before.

Personally, I’ve always found the wording a little obscure, so here is my attempt to keep true to Yang Chengfu’s knowledge, honour the flow taught to me by Chris Pei, and add a layer of clarity.

(You’ll find the Ten Essences listed in the slide attached to this blog — print them out and learn them!)

The Ten Essences of Tai Chi and Qigong

Lift the crown of the head to awaken the spirit.
In my opinion, this is the most important essence. Think about meeting someone for the first time: if they look directly at you and say “Hi,” it feels very different compared to when they stare at their shoes!
Standing tall benefits body, mind, and spirit. Tai Chi is an ongoing process of strengthening the spirit in this way.
Lower the elbows to relax the shoulders.
Tai Chi is about balance and opposites — Yin and Yang. If the head lifts, something else must sink. That “something” is the shoulders. High, tense shoulders tighten the whole body. Lowering the elbows helps the shoulders release and tension dissolve.
Soften the chest and round the back.
Throwing the shoulders back restricts breathing and forces the chest forward, harming posture.
When the chest is soft (Yin) and the back rounded and stable (Yang), the body aligns in its natural order.
Loosen and free the waist.
Once the first three essences are in place, your centre of gravity naturally drops into the lower abdomen. This improves balance and allows you to move from your centre — the hallmark of Tai Chi.
Clearly separate weight-bearing from non-weight-bearing.
Loosening and rotating the waist shifts weight from one foot to the other. This is vital for Tai Chi. It improves balance and strengthens the legs.
Let the upper and lower body move in harmony.
Imagine you want to push: if your hand finishes before your feet, you lose power. When upper and lower move together, your movements are strong and effective.
Maintain unbroken continuity in movement.
Moving from the centre, with upper and lower bodies synchronised, produces continuous motion. If the movement is broken, at least one of the earlier essences isn’t working properly.
Unite the inner intention with the outer form.
Tai Chi and Qigong unify body and mind. Once you’ve built the physical foundations, it’s time to connect the internal intent of the mind with the external movements.
Use mind and not force.
With skill, we learn to relax more deeply. In martial terms, this allows us to redirect oncoming force with very little physical effort. Tai Chi and Qigong become moving meditation.
Find stillness within motion and motion within stillness.
At this advanced stage, body, mind, and spirit harmonise. From this internal stillness, movement arises naturally and effortlessly.

And Back Again!

Reaching the Tenth Essence is not the end of the Tai Chi journey — it’s a new beginning. When you return to the First Essence, lifting the head and raising the spirit takes on a deeper meaning than when you first started. You are not beginning again; you are spiralling upward , expanding both knowledge and spirit.

The Ten Essences have been faithful companions in my own Tai Chi journey — always challenging, always rewarding. They give structure and depth to practice, turning simple movements into something far richer. In the posts to come, we’ll explore each essence more deeply and see how they connect, so you can bring their full benefit into your own training

Tai Chi Venn Diagram

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:17:35 GMT

It is not uncommon to see people practicing Tai Chi - or to give it the full name Tai Chi Chuan. Usually their movements look graceful and sometimes powerful but unless you have tried Tai Chi, it looks at least a little bit weird. What are they doing? They look happy enough but what are they actually up to?

I believe that this question should be a friend to the serious Tai Chi player. What are you doing? If you already practice, then think about that for a moment. If you keep a notebook for your Tai Chi, why not spend a few minutes writing down what you are hoping to achieve with your practice.

If you have not had a go at Tai Chi yet, just have a think about it. What are these people doing?

Don't worry about getting the answer wrong - it's not possible. Your practice is what you define it to be. Not anybody else's definition. If, though, you can introduce some clarity into what you are trying to achieve with Tai Chi, you are a lot more likely to get there.

After you have had a think, take a look at this diagram. In it, I am giving a few ideas of what Tai Chi can mean for you and perhaps help you to focus more on what you want to get out of it. It is not definitive and other people have different ways of understanding Tai Chi. Have a think and see where it gets you.

What is the difference Between Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga?

ray@ki-ways.co.uk (Ray Pawlett) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:39:14 GMT

Everybody know what Yoga is don't they. But do you know what the word actually means?

It comes from the Sanskrit word "Yuj", which means "yoke" in English. My interpretation for "yoke", is a frame that fits over a person's shoulders to carry a load equally divided between two ends. Think of a person carrying a bucket at either end of a carrying bar with them in the middle, carrying the load evenly.

In one bucket, we have our physical bodies and in the other bucket we have our mind. If you fill one bucket more than the other then it is difficult to carry. If we simply work on our physical bodies then this is not true Yoga. We have not filled the bucket for the mind, the reverse obviously applies. If we only work on one side of the equation then we do not gain the true improvements for body, mind and spirit that Yoga offers.

Tai Chi and Qigong work in exactly the same way. You need mental development and physical development coupled together in order to gain the wonders that these disciplines offer.

Tai Chi was originally and indeed still is a martial art. This does not mean that everyone who practices Tai Chi aspires to be like Bruce Lee! The "martial" side of Tai Chi is one facet of a vastly multi faceted diamond.

The martial aspects of Tai Chi however are vital to gain the true benefits of the art. It is how we fill the bucket for the "mind". An understanding of how the martial aspect of Tai Chi works will alter the way that you move and the way that you think about moving. This is sometimes called "intent".

In Tai Chi, we balance the physical training with the mental, "intent" training . From this dynamic balance we achieve the full scope of body, mind and spirit training that Tai Chi offers. This should be true at all levels of Tai Chi training whether you are a beginner or a master.

Qigong is exactly the same. The training is a union of body and mind, or physical with intent. Qigong, however is not a martial art. It can be used to supplement martial arts training but it is not in itself a martial art. This means that the "intent" used in Qigong cannot be the same as that used in Tai Chi. However, if we ignore the intent part of the art and focus entirely on the movement, we do not gain the full benefit of our training.

So, instead of a martial intent, we learn how to send our attention inwards to our fascia, meridians, chakras or whatever the exercise demands, but we still have the unification of body and mind that allows the spirit to lift.

There are many cross-over areas between Tai Chi, Qigong and Yoga. This is not surprising as they are all aiming at achieving similar things. An important thing to remember with these art forms is that if you are just training with your body or just training with your mind that you are missing a huge part of what is on offer and will struggle to gain the riches that are on offer.

Where is your Mind - Science and Taoism meet in your belly!

ray@ki-ways.co.uk (Ray Pawlett) — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:32:11 GMT

Our belly brain and the vagus nerve.

Where is your mind?

What a silly question! Obviously, your mind is in your brain.

Or is it! Have you ever had a "gut reaction" or enjoyed music that "comes from the heart", fallen in love or had butterflies in your stomach? OK, the brain may be the central processor in the middle of all thought - but these thoughts and emotions certainly feel like they come from your body.

The ancient Taoists thought about this a lot and came up with an idea that we actually have three brains - the head, the heart and the gut.

Your head is supposed to observe and manage the rest of the body. The gut brain is for your instincts and your heart brain is where your true self resides. If you remember the last time you had an intuition that something was going to happen, you will probably remember feeling it in your belly.

Maybe you remember listening to a piece of music and feeling like the music was singing to your heart? It's not an intellectual thing - you just feel it in your heart.

When your head brain relaxes allows the heart and gut brain to work, then we are working at our optimum levels. The trouble is that the head brain is like an over controlling boss. It is always telling the other brains what to do.

Have you ever had a boss like that? So busy telling you what to do that they never listen to you. You just give up in the end and let them get on with it - but you are not happy!

Modern science is catching up with the Taoists. We have an important nerve called the vagus nerve that goes from our guts to our brains and connects our internal organs to our nervous system. The communication is two-way.

This means that if our guts are feeling stressed that the message goes back to the brain and we feel stressed. Also, if our mind is in a stressful state, it will affect our gut. We end up in a spiral of stress.

The condition of this nerve system is deteriorated by many aspects of modern living such as stress, poor posture, the wrong food and other contributing factors.

Here's the interesting bit. According to modern research, if you want to improve the condition of your vagus nerve, some of the best ways to do it are slow and mindful breathing with a movement and stretching.

The disciplines of Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation are all known to increase vagal tone - the technical name for the condition of your vagus nerve. Having a Shiatsu treatment is like re-booting your nervous system and is also very helpful.

A high vagal tone is associated with lower blood pressure, improved blood-sugar regulation, improved digestion, better mood, reduced anxiety, and reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Perhaps one of the largest benefits of a higher vagal tone is the ability to relax faster after stress

The language of modern science and ancient Taoism may be very different but here we have a very clear example of ancient meeting modern and coming up with the same result.

The Inner Smile - Waving at Magpies

ray@ki-ways.co.uk (Ray Pawlett) — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 13:09:10 GMT

A simplified version of the Taoist Inner Smile exercise

Many people know about the superstition of waving at magpies. The idea is that if you see a single magpie, it will bring you sorrow unless you wave at it. As with all superstitions, there are many variations.

When I was younger, one of the older people that my Mum knew from the fens talked to me about magpies. She said that it was a good idea to wave at single magpies but not to get rid of bad luck.

She said that when magpies find a mate, they keep the same partner for the rest of their lives and that if you see a single magpie that the chances are it has lost its mate. So, the old lady's idea was that instead of being focussed on my own sorrows, the focus should be on making the magpie feel a little bit better by being friendly to it.

This was just a bit of fun really but looking back on the story, it can be interpreted in some interesting ways.

The emphasis was not upon my own emotions but on making the magpie feel better. A good lesson for modern times, I would say! To shift the focus of a child from themselves to an awareness of their inter connectedness with nature in a playful way was indeed a crafty trick!

The wise folk from indigenous and traditional people around the world say the same thing. If we learn to shift our focus away from our own gratification and what we can do to help the world that we live in that we will be a lot happier.

The story also reminds me of an ancient Taoist technique called "the inner smile". When we learn how to create a smile from the heart as a matter of routine, we generate a feeling of positivity around ourselves that becomes tangible and helps others to relax and feel better.

Then - guess what happens! The smile comes back to you - except it's grown a bit. The smile that you send out always finds its way back to you.

So, at 53 years old, do I still wave at magpies? With the possibility of it bringing greater happiness, connection to nature and less self centeredness - you bet I do!

Try this inner smile exercise:-

• Sit quietly for a moment.

• Think of a day where you were REALLY happy.

• Remember that day with all of your senses - vision, smell, taste, touch.

• Actually smile! Force a big cheesy grin on to your face.

• Notice how your heart feels different - slightly uplifted from doing the smile.

• Get out there and smile at someone - or a magpie!

The inner smile is just one of a whole range of Taoist exercises and treatments to help you feel better with your body, mind and spirit.

Metal Energy

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:33:48 GMT

How the season of the year may affect you

In the world of Energy and healing, we split the year up into five seasons - water, wood, fire, Earth and metal. Deep winter is water, spring is wood, summer is fire, harvest time is Earth and late autumn is metal.

Each of these "elements" has correspondences to our body, mind and spirit. The common name for this idea is "Five Element Theory".

At the moment, the season is in "metal" energy. A way that I often describe it is that metal energy is the energy that cuts the leaf away from the tree so that it can go into winter hibernation to be reborn in the springtime.

Metal energy allows us to let go of what we no longer need so that we can take in new energy. Our large intestine lets go of what we don't need any more as do our lungs when we exhale. For that reason, the lungs and the large intestine are strongly associated with metal energy.

Traditional ancient wisdom says that when we die, we get rid of that which we no longer have use for - our bodies - so that we can re-emerge in the springtime of the spirit after winter hibernation.

Healthy metal energy has us believing in a brighter future. If our thoughts tend towards grief, nostalgia for "the good old days", depression and introversion then our metal energy has become weakened. The strength of the Energy flowing through the metal energy organs and meridians has become compromised.

This time of the year is when we are most affected but it is also the time of the year where we can do the most to help our metal energy. To do this we must start with the belief that we can do something about it - creating a brighter future for ourselves.

Just thinking it is a start but not enough. Something like a Shiatsu treatment would really kick start things but we also need to make our own interventions. Most of them are quite simple and focus on the energy of the lung and large intestine. Try some of these to enhance your metal energy and feel brighter :-

· Eat leafy green vegetables daily - things like cabbage and kale that does not wilt quickly

· Eat mild pungent foods such as ginger, horseradish, radish, onions, mustard and garlic.

· Connect with sources of inspiration and humour

· Aerobic exercise such as swimming and vigorous walking

· Try chanting, singing or anything that involves expressive use of the voice.

Some Information about Meditation

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:57:40 GMT

A story about meditation

Several years ago, I was attending a meditation at the Amaravati Buddhist monastery near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. It is an amazing place and if you have never been there, it is well worth a visit.

Her injuries were so bad that she could easily have bled to death. However, she had a trick up her sleeve. She actually thought that her time was probably finished, so she decided to meet her end in a state of meditation. This is what saved her life!

My brother and I met an elderly lady who was a retired nun. She was a wonderful and very wise person. The sort of person that makes you feel relaxed just by being there. She told us a story about when she was a lot younger; she was in a nasty car crash.

When we learn how to do real meditation, as opposed to simple relaxation, we learn how to change the state of our nervous system so that we are no longer in "survival mode" but in a much different "relaxation" mode.

What happened with our friend, the nun, was that she had gone into relaxation and this slowed down her heartbeat sufficiently for her to not bleed to death.

Benefits of meditation

Meditation has been around for a long time and is done all over the world. Consequently, much work has been done to work out the benefits of meditation. Most of them derive from better regulation of the fight-or-flight response. Here are some of the many examples of the benefits of meditation:-

1. It Boosts Your Health

· Increases immune function

2. It Boosts Your Happiness

· Decreases depression, anxiety and stress

3. It Boosts Your Social Life

· Increases social connection & emotional intelligence

4. It Boosts Your Self Control

· Improves your ability to regulate your emotions

5. It Changes Your Brain (for the better)

· Increases grey matter

6. It Improves Your Productivity

· Increases your focus & attention

A Simple Meditation

Meditation does not need to be complicated. Sometimes it is - and that's part of how the meditation works but I like to keep things simple in my classes - both online and in person (within the COVID guidelines of course!). Here is a simple meditation for you to try:-Here is a simple and powerful meditation for

you to try:-

· Sit in a comfortable quiet place

· Straighten your spine

· Close your eyes and listen to your breath

· Notice how inhalation and exhalation sound different

· Every time that your mind wanders - come back to the sound of your breath

That's it! Meditation demystified and simplified. There can be more to it than that but if you can manage this simple version of what is called Zazen meditation then you are getting the idea!

The more you practise, the easier it becomes.

Earth Energy

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:52:47 GMT

Back to Earth

Summer is ending. How does that statement make you feel? Does your heart sink at the thought of the dark nights to come or do you feel relief from the knowledge that the hot nights are going and at least you will be able to sleep?

As the year changes, the challenges and rewards of the season change. So do we! It's obvious really. On a simple level we feel different in the middle of winter to how we feel in the middle of summer. This wisdom was certainly not missed by our ancestors - no matter which part of the planet you come from.

It can be missed by modern people though. We wake up in our centrally heated houses. Walk over concrete and tarmac to our air conditioned cars and then sit staring into a computer or working in a place where we cannot even see out of the window all day. Then we come home - perhaps go to an the gym or watch TV and go to bed. The natural world does not get the chance to interact with our bodies.

This has a big effect! Our bodies react to the seasonal changes in many ways. Our body chemistry is altered by such things as light levels, what we eat, what we do and just about anything really!

Cutting ourselves off from the natural world can make us feel "ungrounded" or stressed. This can lead to all sorts of physical, mental and spiritual complaints.

Harvest time was said to be the time of "Earth Energy". This makes it an ideal time to ground ourselves and come back to the world that we live in. It is a time when we prepare for the cold winter ahead by bringing in the crops that have grown in the year. This is both a metaphor and a fact.

The farmers will have just about finished their harvests by now - what seeds have you sown and what are you reaping? Such awareness enhances our feeling of connectedness with the planet and the rest of our lives.

There are some things that you can do to help your "Earth Energy", here are a few suggestions:-

Get outside and feel the air around you, smell the autumn, enjoy the sights of autumn, put your favourite jumper on if it's cold, listen to the change in birdsong as the summer migrants leave and the winter migrants come in. Make friends with nature!
Eat with the season. Food that has been grown locally has the local energy and is connected with the local environment.
Get some local food and think about this as you are preparing and eating it.
Cut out refined foods and sugars as they ruin your Earth Energy.
Take a Shiatsu treatment to help your body adjust
Find something to share. Don't expect a swap - just share for the joy of doing it.
Use your muscles - get a feeling of your body. Tai Chi and Qigong are excellent for this as is gardening!
Consider what YOU need to nourish your body and soul.

Home

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:52:47 GMT

Have you ever thought about what the word "Home" means to you? If you have ever been forced to leave your home, you probably didn't think about much else! Yet, somehow we easily forget how important the feeling of coming home is.

I was born in Bourne, my parents and my grandparents were/are from South Lincolnshire. This means that my Lincolnshire roots go back for many generations. This gives me a strong sense of "home", and the settling qualities of that feeling.

Yet, there is much more to it than that. I love going to Cambridge Folk Festival. When I go there, it feels like going home. There are several other places that give me that feeling. Not places that I have ever lived in but certainly places where I feel comfortable.

Let's dig deeper. When I practice Tai Chi, meditation or have a Shiatsu treatment. I feel like I have "come home" to myself.

This, I think is the crux of the matter. We all need to have that feeling of coming back to ourselves. Coming home. Home is literally "where the heart is" - not necessarily "wherever you lay your hat".

In oriental medicine, our heart is like our spiritual compass. If we are aligned with the energies of our hearts than we are aligned with our "true self". Heart energy also stands for joy, love, communication with others and self.

When we have feelings of joy, love and communication then the heart is singing. On a very deep level, our souls hear this song.

I was lucky. My childhood was full of all of the positive feelings of love and joyfulness. It makes sense then that being in the area that I grew up in will resonate with those feelings. Likewise with the folk festival. It is a place of great joy and communication to me. My heart feels it and enjoys that feeling.

Not everybody is so fortunate! There are many reasons why the simple measures that work for me may not work for you. Nevertheless, our hearts all desire love and joy for their good health.

So, what can you do? A simple answer would be to try a Shiatsu treatment to bring you home to yourself but whilst you are waiting for that appointment, have a try at this:-

Choose a moment when you will not be disturbed for around 30 minutes
Sit and be quiet
Ask yourself "What do I feel like when I come home?"
Allow thoughts and images to travel through your mind. You will probably find a lot more than just the house you live in!
Feel into your heart - any thoughts and images that cause a feeling of joy in your heart are putting you on the right track.

This is simple but powerful. It can help you to unlock your unique "heart code" and open the way to a deeper level of joy and love within your heart.

Would you like to be an astronaut?

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:52:47 GMT

If you asked me that question when I was a young lad, like many young people, the answer would be a very certain YES. Even nowadays in my 50's, I think that if Elon Musk or some other friendly billionaire asked me if I wanted to go on a space flight, that the answer would be the same. I can't imagine that happening though, so I guess that I will just have to stay terrestrial!

Did you know though that many astronauts suffered with their mental health after they came back with things such as depression and "mental fog"?

NASA did a lot of research, and came to the conclusion that a variety of factors were in play. One of the major factors was the effect of zero gravity on our proprioception. Proprioception is just a fancy word that refers to the body's ability to perceive its own position in space. For example, proprioception enables a person to close their eyes and touch their nose with their index finger.

When we are in space, our nervous systems are stimulated in different ways to when we are on the ground and this is one of the weakened proprioception is one of the results. The good news is that through special exercises and training that the astronauts were able to strengthen these parts of the nervous system and recover their mental health.

This information stimulated much research within medical and holistic professionals. These days, many people spend a lot of time with their consciousness directed towards a TV or computer screen and don't get enough exercise. This along with natural ageing will weaken our sense of proprioception.

We don't get as bad as the astronauts but our sense of where we are in the world reduces along with balance and the possibility of mental health issues increases.

It's not all bad news though. Losing our sense of proprioception can be seen as a natural effect of ageing but unlike so many things that come with ageing, it's one that we can do something about.

When we exercise our bodies to improve our balance and coordination, then we are strengthening our nervous systems in a way that can help. Simply standing on one leg for a few minutes a couple of times a day will help.

If you wanted to really help your body to stay younger or even recover some of that posture and vitality that you had when you were younger, then you would be well advised to take up a suitable exercise program.

There are many such exercise programs about but one of the most effective is Tai Chi. When we practice Tai Chi, we strengthen our bodies and nervous systems in many ways. If we get "the bug" for it, then practicing most days for a while is not difficult. We integrate it into our lives.

Before you ask, yes, a lot of retired astronauts are very keen on Tai Chi!

The Breath Connection

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:20:19 GMT

The way you breathe affects everything in your life

I like a good film! Star Wars is one of my favourites so you can probably guess my age from that!

Have you noticed that when you are watching your favourite good guy battling it out with the arch villain, that your body changes. Your heart rate is elevated and your breathing has become shorter and shallower.

This is because the film has activated the "fight or flight" part of your nervous system. The example chosen here is a pleasurable one but many things can activate your fight or flight response and they are not all fun! I could be mortal danger, stress, caffeine or anything that makes your body think that there is a risk.

Our nervous systems have two main states - fight or flight and relaxation. They have evolved over a long time - many thousands of years. Unfortunately, modern life tends to pressurise people into the fight or flight part and so many people never really relax properly which is bad for your health.

Breath is the major link between your body and mind. Long slow breathing will make you more relaxed but short sharp breathing gets you ready to fight or run.

There are many people who have breathing problems and find it hard to take long slow breaths. This will also activate the fight or flight response and give that person a higher base line of stress in their lives and is detrimental to health.

I have been very fortunate to have been the Tai Chi coach for a group of people in Spalding called "Happy Breathers". We give these people with COPD weekly sessions where we use a combination of Tai Chi, standard exercises, stretching and meditation to make them fitter and have the opportunity to make friends.

It really does work! There is no "quick fix". This group has committed to a regular programme of exercise and relaxation and can see the benefits. All of the regular attendees with COPD have improved their health by attending the groups.

You may at this point think that if you do not have COPD, then there is nothing to worry about. There are many other health issues that are connected to the fight or flight response. These can be very diverse - some examples are fatigue, inflammation, stress, aches and pains and many others.

I used the example of the COPD group because it is a concrete real thing that is going on now and it is a good example of how using Tai Chi, fitness training and meditation on a regular basis can make all sorts of unexpected improvements to your health.

Perhaps people with COPD have a lot of motivation to improve. They start gently and gradually get stronger and feel better for it. If you have the motivation and persistence then seemingly unsolvable health problems can sometimes be improved - or avoided in the first place.