Kyo – the vulnerable part of our Ki (life energy)
In a shiatsu treatment, we ensure the flow of life energy in our meridians. A meridian is not just an energetic line through which we can connect; it also represents a vital function. Vital functions allow us as human beings to breathe, move, think, and feel – in short: to live. Each meridian includes a group of functions in which mental and physical aspects are inextricably linked.
By working with the right pressure – with our thumbs and hands – we can ensure that meridians that are blocked will begin to flow again. And that meridians with weak life energy will be strengthened. Meridians that contain too much energy are called Jitsu. Meridians that have a lack of energy are called Kyo.
What does it mean that a meridian is Kyo?
Kyo means that the relevant function is not able to function properly. The circumstances in which we find ourselves require more from the life function (the meridian) than what it is capable of at that moment.
A good Shiatsu therapist can feel whether a meridian is Kyo temporarily or for a longer period of time. When a meridian is Kyo for a long time, there is often a deep underlying problem at the root of it. This can be a dysfunctional lifestyle with persistent patterns, or a deeper underlying theme that can be traced back to circumstances from a person’s youth or past traumas.
The most vulnerable part of us
A Kyo meridian represents the most vulnerable part of us. That part that cannot fulfill its function – and that we often protect or hide. During a shiatsu treatment, the part of a meridian that is deeply Kyo is usually the most difficult to find. It is protected and keeps itself hidden. It also represents, in conversations with a client, the part that does not yet want or can show itself.
Only when other parts of the process are addressed, and the vulnerable part feels invited to show itself, can it be approached and treated. At that stage of the process, this is often experienced as healing by the client – and sometimes deeply rooted patterns can be broken.