My Shiatsu Time
“…Ch’i Po said: the utmost in the art of healing can be achieved when there is unity.
The Emperor inquired: what is meant by unity?
Ch’i Po answered: when the minds of the people are closed and wisdom is locked out they remain tied to disease. Yet their feelings and desires should be investigated and made known, their wishes and ideas should be followed; and then it becomes apparent that those who have attained spirit and energy are flourishing and prosperous, while those perish who lost their spirit and energy”
Shiatsu (from the Japanese shi = finger and atsu = pressure) sees the individual as a whole. It works on the energy flow and stimulates the innate vital resources of each person. The energy rebalancing technique of Shiatsu is very powerful, as it affects each level of the body-mind-spirit.
My practice and knowledge is rooted in several streams of bio-natural therapy, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong and Yoga, and it’s suitable to anyone willing to take care of their well-being.
Simona Costantino
I was always interested in human studies and I graduated in Political Science, specialising in Sociology and Human Resources, and I’ve been working in this field for more than a decade.
Then, more than 10 years ago, my personal development path led me to approach the practices of yoga (in its various forms) and shiatsu.
Training
I started my training at the Shiatsu Xin school in Milan, directed by Franco Bottalo, where I attended the three-year Professional Training Course for Shiatsu Professional.
In the following years, I deeply studied and practiced the Traditional Chinese Medicine and other complementary techniques to shiatsu, such as the wrists and tongue reading, the use of moxa and essential oils. My body-working art also integrates craniosacral technique.
In 2017, I took the two-year Professional Aromatherapy Course: “Essential oils in the Taoist alchemical tradition, according to the principles of classical Chinese medicine”.
Again in 2017, I got the Bio-Natural Topics’ Expertise Certificate, accredited by Lombardy Region (RL00466850 according to the Regional Framework of Professional Standards of Lombardy, regional law 19/07).
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a manual art, a soft practice, customized to the specific needs of the receiver.
The treatment is carried out throughout the body, focusing on the more needy areas and promoting self-healing. It works in the same way as acupuncture but, instead of needles, shiatsu uses a nurturing touch that moves and supports the energy in the body.
If regularly practiced, it maintains the psychophysical wellbeing and deeply stimulates vitality.
It provides a sense of lightness.
Suitable for menopausal women, pregnant women as well as athletes.
Shiatsu treatments are not to be intended as a medical or health therapy, but refer to practices for the improvement and upkeep of health.
Essencial Oils
Essential oils have therapeutic benefits at both physical and emotional level. They work on treating individual disorders, on the overall personal care, on creating a peaceful and stress-free atmosphere, on helping study and concentration.
In Italy aromatherapy is still little known, but abroad, especially in France, essential oils are often used as natural remedies.
The essences are the deepest and most ethereal part of the plant, working on a a higher and finer level than the whole plant or its extract. The different essences can have draining, decongesting, de-contracting, relaxing or otherwise stimulating effects. They also have antiseptic, digestive, diuretic, laxative, wound –healing benefits, and can also regulate the immune and hormonal system. The essential oil blends, properly used, enhance the effectiveness of the massage techniques and the shiatsu-stimulation of specific areas of the body.
How to dress? What to bring?
Comfortable clothes, made of natural fibres: overalls, long-sleeved T-shirt, socks. If you’re a woman, take off your bra before treatment.
What’s the shiatsu treatment setting?
The receiver is lying on a futon, a soft cotton mattress resting on the ground, with a series of cushions that support the operator’s pressure. The setting is quiet, possibly with a background music, in order to create the ideal conditions to unwind and just be with yourself. The mind enters a state of deep relaxation. The body rests and recovers its original energies.
When should I get shiatsu? How often?
Each session is customised to the specific needs of the receiver.
The treatment may be one-off or included in a 4-10 sessions set, usually on a weekly or biweekly basis.
Besides this general criteria though, the number and frequency of treatments may vary depending on the time of the year and to the personal stage of life.