Shiatsu supports my personal development, both for life and for my coaching. This is another in my series of ways to become a better coach that doesn’t involve professional development.
If you don’t know what shiatsu is, it’s a form of bodywork. It’s a bit like reflexology that focuses on your feet, but this is working with the whole body. I am not an expert in the science, but I know it works for me.
I started going to see a shiatsu practitioner when my corporate job was made redundant and I exclaimed to my friend that I felt really tight across the chest as though I could not breathe properly. I also went to see a nutritionist at about the same time and she did some tests that showed that I was on the verge of chronic fatigue. My body wasn’t well. It was holding onto a lot of emotional stuff, and despite being a coach who understands grief and loss in times of change, it was difficult to process the emotions cerebrally. That’s a lie – I thought I was processing the emotions, but my body had other things to say about that.
So I took my friend’s advice to invest in some bodywork, in the form of shiatsu. Other bodywork modalities are available!
I’ve been seeing her about once a month ever since, so for ten years (gosh, where did that time go?).
The reason I keep going back? Because she takes the “bad energy” (my layperson’s words) out and makes room for more good energy.
She can tell when I have been holding boundaries (too) rigidly; she can tell when I have let people push on those boundaries and trample on me; she can tell when I am triggered by something/someone; she can tell when I am trying to be in control of stuff that is uncontrollable; and so much more. And she knows which parts of my body need attention to restore the energy to its rightful place.
She grounds me when I need grounding. She lifts me up when I need a lift. She gets me ready to work with group dynamics when that is called for.
She’ll tell me when my body needs me to get out for a run; and when it needs me to be still.
And when I am not with her, I am more aware of bodily sensations that may need my attention – or the attention of the people with whom I work, as it may be their stuff.
There is a lot of training and supervision for coaches these days on embodiment in coaching. That’s the professional development side of this and I am all for it. Shiatsu gives me the personal development aspect that is so vital to accompany that.
What might be useful to you and your body, other than your usual exercise routines which are working on something different?
This series is inspired by Julia Carden and Elizabeth Crosse, whose research into personal development has got me thinking and stretching myself!
