Shiatsu and Masunaga exercises

I had a little bit of the Spleen and Gianfranco gave a nice hand. In the true sense of the words, considering that his, by hand, is more than expert. The treatment we did on the shiatsu week was sweet. But this is not an adjective to be taken in a limiting way. Rather than an experience that goes in the direction of listening. And listening implies a sweetness, a time ; listening wants its own serenity.

Gianfranco Ferraro, shiatsu operator, explains it to me well, with a metaphor that brings us back to the Chinese Tui, the lake. "When I begin to work, the more calm the water the more I can reflect what those with me want to tell me. I understand the need, I get in touch."

A lake that knows how to stand up. "When necessary, I also know how to make myself a mountain, especially on an emotional level."

He explains to me that in shiatsu there is no strength, that one uses the weight of the body, the relaxed weight of the whole body . The metaphor is that of Masunaga himself: a child walking on your back. Precisely:

"If you've ever tried to walk

a small child on your back,

you know what is meant by natural pressure "

(Shizuto Masunaga)

The practice allows the operator to acquire sensitivity, consistency. The feeling brings out the understanding of energy, which can be slow or fast, excess or stagnant.

Masunaga himself was a professor of Zen psychology and philosopher, his work of study and application was continuous work of fusion and deepening. Masunaga himself had codified some specific exercises for stretching and opening the Meridians (specifically, with Gianfranco we did Makko-Ho for the Earth element) .

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"By working in listening, the person's limits are respected." Gianfranco explains to me. "We need to be present without necessarily imposing or imposing a task." When we probe the differences between physiotherapy and shiatsu, Gianfranco explains to me that the first, as a physical rehabilitation work, is indispensable in some cases. Shiatsu can be complementary to medical care, as it works on the energy level. "For example, I dismissed a client who, after an intervention, wanted to replace the physiotherapy cycle with my sessions."

Shiatsu operators who work seriously can, at the first session, show you an informed consent form to fill out in their fields. Gianfranco showed it to me. In addition to the fields that the recipient fills out, there is information about the operator (for example, in the case of Gianfranco, the qualification of professional shiatsu operator, Law 4/2013, the registration in the List of Professional Members in the Italian Register of Shiatsu Operators of the Italian Shiatsu Teachers and Operators Federation ). The module specifies the energetic nature of the treatment aimed at recovering and maintaining physical well-being. "We are not in the field of aesthetics, we are not in the health field, these distinctions must be clarified, in order not to create confusion."

In the days of the earthquake in L'Aquila, many shiatsu operators poured into the rubble like angels. I asked Gianfranco if in case of natural disasters the kidneys are the first to suffer. "Without a doubt, fear goes to alter the energy flow of the kidneys . Then the breath stops, followed by the rejection of what is external, what is outside."

Gianfranco has also worked with people who have been treated with Parkinson's . "The effect, not the cause, in that case is a lack of rooting, which concerns the energy of the Wood." But, even in the case of Parkinson's, he points out that "every person is a unique and priceless being and every case is different."

Gianfranco collaborates with nutritionists and dentists, has actively participated in the recognition process of the professional figure of the shiatsu operator. On 11 February 2013, Law no. 4 of 14 January 2013 "Provisions concerning unorganized professions", a law that regulates the activity of shiatsu operator together with all other unregulated activities. From February the professionals - shiatsu operators of the Italian Shiatsu Teachers and Operators Federation - will be able to ask to "qualify" on the market by registering for the association and by issuing by the association itself a certificate describing all the qualifications professionals and the guarantees given to users.

Small steps towards new possibilities for openness and collaboration.

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