Spirit as the root of life. In my practice as well as in my own life, I regularly experience the deeper meaning of this sentence from the classical texts. Spirit is our connection to the Universe, to the divine, if you will. The unlimited source and true power behind everything in our lives. The spiritual connection between us as human beings. When we are in connection with the Universe, our lives are easy and full of possibilities. You are open to all the beautiful things around you and within yourself. You feel the vibration of life within you and all the possibilities it offers.
In our natural state, we are open and free and are in constant connection with the Universe through our Spirit. Through the pressure we put on ourselves, our fears, and everything that is our ego, we put limitations on ourselves. We are no longer free, but we are limiting ourselves. Our body, our organs, and our chi reflect this.
We are not only constantly interacting with the world around us; we are also creating the world around us. I myself notice that when I react from my ego and remain stuck in it, I feel mentally and physically locked in. I am no longer free in my thoughts and everything becomes more difficult. The world becomes less beautiful, and often even more comes crashing down on me at once. I think this is relatable for everyone. Teaching is a great mirror in this regard. When I teach in a tidy and enjoyable way, it becomes a nice, interesting lesson. When I teach with less tidiness, it is a struggle. Students suddenly ask difficult questions, are less interested, or don’t understand what I am trying to explain. Teaching suddenly becomes no longer that enjoyable. What works for me is finding my own inspiration again or going on first to do something practical where I can also move and my qi can flow again. I think we all know such examples from our daily lives. Children are also a great mirror! When we create the world around us, everything is easy and natural. When we are free and open and in contact with the Universe, everything is easy and natural. When we limit ourselves by closing our minds, we shut ourselves off from all the beautiful things that should be natural.
The result of our self-imposed limitations is most evident in our upper body. It is the part of our body that is closest to the sky. Just like the sky, this is the part of our body that should be most open and free by nature. The more free and open it is, the easier it is to connect with our spirit and the universe.
In iokai shiatsu we know 12 main meridians that are present in both the lower and upper body. Each of these, usually several at the same time, can cause the ki to be unable to circulate freely. To determine which meridian (or meridians) is most involved in a disruption of the ki, we let our experience and our natural intuition guide us. We feel which meridian, and which part of this meridian is most affected by a given disruption. When we are able to allow the ki to circulate freely in the upper body again, this will almost immediately bring about relief for the client and make them feel lighter and freer mentally. There will be more room for connection with the spirit and the universe. All the beautiful will then come naturally.
The above article was published in English on the Website of the European Shiatsu Congress. Curious? Then visit Norbert’s workshop at the European Shiatsu Congress from September 4 to 6, 2020.