Early in the morning, at 6:30 am, we start with Buddhist meditation, do-in (meridian stretching) and other exercises.
This year we did a lot of back exercices, even during the morning exercises. Kawada-sensei explained that we all have many blockages in the back, but it is a place that we can hardly work on ourselves, you have to work on another person. This year, Kawada-sensei showed the points for the collective spirit, and those for the individual spirit. With these points one can help to find a harmony between the body and the mind. He also showed how to develop our vital energy that is found in the lower belly. This area, called Kikai Tanden, is the ultimate barometer of good health.
In the beginning many students were tense, had a blockage of their emotions, or even physical blockages. As the seminar progressed, with good finger pressure, good breathing and a meditative mind, the bodies became more flexible, more agile and well focused. At the end of the course most of the participants were able to feel an increase in their energy, and in addition they were more aware of their body. According to Kawada-sensei, the importance of this seminar is precisely to develop the consciousness of one’s body and mind, to be able to unite them to have more confidence in one’s body and to develop a psychic and physical concentration.
At the end of the course, the participants improvised a little dance, to thank sensei for his excellent teaching, which gave them confidence in their body and a spirit of serenity. For their departure, Kawada-sensei offered them a calligraphy he had made. Its name is Heaven, Earth, Shin (spirit from the heart unifies body and mind). The notion Heaven, Earth and Spirit of the Heart, plays a primordial role for inner peace (inner truth). When they left, many participants were very moved.
They expressed their gratitude, and expressed appreciation for everything they learned during these three years of study. They particularly enjoyed the experience in both hospitals with their patients. In the same way, these patients really appreciated the care that the students of Yoseido Shiatsu Academy gave them. The students were impressed by the gratitude that the patients showed. Kawada-sensei often says that shiatsu practice is a dialogue between the patient and his therapist, not only at the level of physical problems, but also at the level of human exchange. It creates a psychological and emotional link between them. Often the healing of the disease comes from a positive psychological change of the patient, and very often it is the therapist who brings him this positive change.
This seminar is aimed primarily at people who have completed the three years of training, at the Yoseido Shiatsu Academy, as well as those who have completed their training in other shiatsu schools. There are still many people who do not know of the existence of the 8 curious vessels. Compared to the 12 main meridians, known by many people, the 8 curious vessels remain more unrecognised, hidden by the main meridians. However, these 8 vessels have an extremely important function. They deal, among other things, with fertility, are directly related to our immune system and to all gynaecological aspects of women, including maternity. Many people think that the menstruation problem is managed by the spleen meridian through the point Saninko (union of the three yin meridians). It has a common route with the transversal vessel which is in the family of the 8 curious vessels.
By adding up all the points of the 12 meridians that are completed by the governing and conception vessels, we obtain 361 points. 360 points as the circumference, symbol of the movement of the heaven, and the number 1: the central point. The movement of the circle tells us about the dynamic interaction between the movements of Heaven and Earth.
People usually say that there are 14 meridians, yet the governing and conception vessels are part of the family of the 8 curious vessels, and without these 2 meridians, one cannot sum the 361 points.
The men of antiquity thought that the force of Heaven corresponded to the original movement of the source of life. Without the presence of Heaven, nothing moves. The activity of the energy of the Heaven finds its correspondent in the governing vessel, director of yang energy. On the other hand the elements of the Earth have their correspondence with the conception vessel.
At first, everything comes from heaven, it initiates everything. Having a good command and understanding of these two vessels is absolutely essential to be able to understand the totality of the movements of these 12 main meridians.
The triple warmer meridian has no matching organ unlike all other meridians. Even the meridian of the heart constrictor has a correspondence with the pericardial muscle of the heart. In a way, this meridian of triple warmer would be an invention of the sages of antiquity. They introduced it because they thought it was closely related to the temperature phenomenon. People of antiquity had observed that when the temperature rises, many foods begin to ferment. So they thought that inside the body there was a temperature control mechanism, which allows the digestion, assimilation and circulation of blood everywhere inside this body.
It can be said that this triple warmer meridian is divided into three foci: above, an upper focus, in the middle a middle focus, and below a lower focus. The upper focus is composed of two organs: the heart and the lungs. The middle focus is composed of the stomach and spleen-pancreas. And the lower focus is composed of the kidneys, liver, small intestine, large intestine and bladder. The upper focus is occupied by the energy Soki (宗 気), ie the energy that regulates our breathing and our heart rate. The middle focus is occupied by the Eiki (営 気) defensive energy to nourish our body.
The lower focus is occupied by the defensive energy Eiki (衛 気) to defend against all the bad energies that can destabilize our body. Number 17 of the conception vessel “Dantchiyu” (middle of the chest) can influence the Soki energy. Number 12 of the conception vessel “Tchiyukan” (middle of the stomach) influences the Eiki energy of the food. Number 6 of the conception vessel “Kikai” (middle of the stomach) influences our defensive energy. It should be noted that these three points also correspond to the area of Chakras of Yoga.
The triple heater and gallbladder form a yang couple. They are very close around the ear and take care of the balance of our body, to stay in good posture and to react against all adversities both outside our body, and inside. The gallbladder is closely linked with the eyes, and the triple warmer with the ear. They help to visualize and distinguish dangerous noises from peaceful ringtones. We would be terribly handicapped by becoming deaf and blind. In a way, these two meridians protect our bodies from the dangers that our environment imposes on us.
]]>New York is a city that has had a great impact on the history of the United States as well as that of the whole world.
First there was the great depression that began with the dizzying fall of the New York Stock Exchange in 1929. The rise of Nazism in Germany caused a great emigration of German Jews to the United States, they arrived in New York, passing by the Statue of Liberty, which was for them the expression of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Many different nationalities live in New York, and in this sense it can also look like several cities in England or other European countries. Obviously, the Manhattan neighbourhood is quite different, because its centre is occupied by very tall buildings.
The people of New York work a lot, often late at night, on weekends, and there are not many holidays in the United States. Many shops and restaurants are open 24 hours a day, non stop. All places are very clean, especially the toilets, because the maintenance staff can work day and night. It is quite different from what can sometimes be found in Europe.
The cost of living in New York is very high (groceries, restaurants, transport, taxis, rents …), so to live properly you have to work a lot. The inhabitants consume many organic and vegan products. I did not meet many obese people there. Many people go jogging, walking or cycling, especially in Central Park. There are many police officers, especially in public places like museums, railway stations, and the airport. It is likely that after 11 September 2001, the strengthening of security became the main priority. At the site where the two towers fell, under the impact of the two planes piloted by terrorists, there remains a basement with a black stone where are engraved all the names of those who perished there. It is very sombre as a place, with respect for all the victims.
I visited the Museum of Modern Art, where there is a large collection of abstract art. I was particularly impressed by a huge Jackson Pollock painting. I felt the expression of freedom and all the dynamic energy of this country. If in Europe, on a relatively small territory, one can find many different states side by side, with different languages, customs and values, in this immense territory one speaks only English. If there are slight different accents depending on the region where they live, everyone understands each other. This is obviously not the case in Europe. It is perhaps also this difference that has provoked many wars between the countries of Europe.
Abstract art can be interpreted as one wants, according to the personality of each one, it is thus a freedom of choice which corresponds well to the American spirit. In everything it is very important to keep an open mind with a great sense of freedom. If one is imposed or forced, it is difficult to express oneself freely. In the practice of shiatsu it is also important to have a freedom of feeling. With this spirit of freedom, our intuition to feel the other person develops and we can find the feeling of empathy towards the other person. This is the key to helping others who are sick, or whose energy is blocked.
Sensei shows that there are 4 important points in our body:
- The first is the Shin spirit point, which is located between the 5th and 6th dorsal vertebra, on the governing vessel that directs all the Yang energy of our body. It is a unifying point of body and mind.
- Then comes the point Dantchiyu which is on the conception vessel n°17, and which takes care of all our emotions.
- Thirdly, the point called Indo. This is a point on the governing vessel which is not included in the list of points of this vessel, but which is an extremely important point because it deals with our ability to foresee the future, intuition, premonition, clairvoyance, all the capabilities dealing with sensing things before they happen. Wild animals have all these abilities.
- The fourth point is the Hiyakue point, the point 20 of the governing vessel. This is a point which is at the level of the 7th chakra, and very connected with the notion of Satori, enlightenment. The word Satori is quite relative. It can designate total enlightenment, such as the ultimate illumination of the Buddha, where he could feel total unity with all that surrounded him. He felt completely united with mountains, rivers, insects and birds. There was no longer any separation between them. But here, Sensei Kawada talks about the understanding, the daily decisions that the person makes and that makes them satisfied with the simple conditions that life offers him. This is the notion of simplicity, through which one finds happiness. Sensei tells us about the little satori everyday.
Kawada sensei also wrote a few words on the content of the article.
]]>The view of Yoseido Shiatsu is that Earth is the true carer of all those who populate it. If it is polluted, even if someone has wonderful powers to transmit energy, in the long run it will not help sick people.
But Earth alone has no power to exert, without interaction with Water. Water is the alchemy of everything. It is Water that has the true transformative power over all materials.
But Water alone can not do its job without the help of Fire. Just as a woman alone can not make a child, it takes the force of Fire to be able to transform Water in all the different stages of the elements united on our Earth.
The Earth is composed of different elements, and it is Water that plays the indispensable role of transforming all these elements, and recycling the energy that we all need.
Finally, everything on Earth is just a recycling story. The same element is used to continually recycle its force. In other words, to give ourselves continually a vital force for the functioning of our existence. Our body, continuously, does this recycling of energy. For this, two organs are essential: the Liver and the Kidneys.
In order for the Liver to properly perform its essential recycling work, sleep is essential. Today, more and more people have a disturbed sleep because of the intervention of electric gadgets, and bad waves everywhere in our environment. Our liver can not do its job because we can not sleep deeply. It is therefore necessary to recharge our energy, to clean the toxins of the liver, by taking pure energy at the edge of the sea, or at the top of the mountains. Unfortunately, as our Water has already been polluted for some time, the sea and the mountains are also polluted. It is therefore absolutely necessary to start cleaning the water, to free it from all the products that pollute it.
Shiatsu alone can not do much if we do not have the help of a healthy environment. Organic food also depends on the good quality of the soil and water. Without this, she does not have a real food force. We are in an ecosystem where everything is interdependent. The people of antiquity had indicated it to us with the symbol of the circle, which is also that of Water.