Angela Bromley Shiatsu
7 St Andrews Ave L3M 3R9 Grimsby, ON, Canada

May I introduce you? We work with Shiatsu in a large care facility for the elderly in Austria. It all started there with a research project on Shiatsu and dementia in 2018. Here ist a short report we want to share.

Throughout February we’re sharing nuggets about our wonderful therapy, in celebration of Shiatsu Awareness Month. Find out more and find a list of Member Practi...tioners who are offering 1:1 or group classes online, so you can book a session to enjoy Shiatsu (and Shiatsu-based practices) from the comfort of your home: https://www.shiatsusociety.org/.../shiatsu-awareness... About Shiatsu Shiatsu is a physical therapy that supports and strengthens the body’s natural ability to heal and balance itself. It works on the whole person - not just with the physical body, but also with the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of being. Shiatsu originated in Japan from traditional Chinese medicine, with influences from more recent Western therapies. Although shiatsu means ‘finger pressure’ in Japanese, in practice a practitioner uses touch, comfortable pressure and manipulative techniques to adjust the body’s physical structure and balance its energy flow. It is a deeply relaxing experience and regular treatments can alleviate stress and illness and maintain health and well-being. #ShiatsuAwarenessMonth #shiatsusocietyUK #shiatsu

Happy Valentines Day...

NHS Holistic lifestyle service : Lockdown symptoms ‘demand management’ Once in awhile an opportunity arrives, one that you’ve quietly waited for .. October 2...020 I was presented with a task I couldn’t refuse - and those who know me will know why ... The task was to establish a holistic wellbeing service within the NHS , as part of the governments long term plan. Success depends not only in the planning and execution, but also working with associates who share the same values, vision and passion with total transparency - it’s often rare to meet someone who fits the Yin and Yang equation to create something magical. So when I met Russell, and we exchanged our thoughts, it was a RARE mix, almost as if the universe has conspired our union. Together we established the NHS lifestyle and wellbeing service for Havering North PCN , literally within two weeks! It was effortless. Our combined strengths and having complete autonomy from the PCN board, created the ideal conditions for the service to unfold organically and flourish. The lifestyle service is composed of a team : social prescriber, health coaches and physiotherapist, and now thrives at full capacity serving population health with clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and mapped referral pathways. A holistic lifestyle service equipped to manage the recent health demands caused by lockdown upon the NHS. Prevention is better than cure - Over the last 16weeks patients have reported positive outcomes ( reduced stress / anxiety, improved sleep and energy etc) as well as reducing GP workload, enabling them to deal with COVID casualties. Deeply humbled to be serving population health during these unprecedented times. Anyone concerned about their wellbeing or those they care about, please don’t suffer in silence. There are so many voluntary organisations and community help available. Do reach out and connect / talk to your GP or healthcare associates. #mentalhealthawareness #mindbodyspirit #lifestylecoach #wellness #wellbeing #holistichealth #stressrelief #healthylifestyle #healthcoach #NHS #preventionisbetterthancure #lockdownlife

KD6: calms the mind, fear & anxiety . Guidance: Find the point, press as you breathe out, feel for warmth or tingling, and hold as long as it feels good. NOW A...VAILABLE - Shiatsu for Seasonal Affective Disorder Visit the Shiatsu Society UK website https://bit.ly/2YOaSpC to download the resource. We've put together free-to-download resources released every two weeks, to the end of January. You can receive all the resources straight to your inbox by signing up here: https://bit.ly/3nvnyMI #shiatsu #onlineshiatsu #shiatsusocietyuk #touchforlife See more

Goodbye 2020... HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Merry Christmas.... I will be out of the office until January 2021

Here is a Japanese resource also in English detailing many published articles and research papers of the effects of Shiatsu therapy. Not sure if members knew about this site or not.Journal of Shiatsu Society of Japan:http://www.shiatsutherapy.org/

Winter wellness....

Love for my Beetle....

Thank you Jodi Ahad for the beautiful Christmas arrangement outside my Clinic...a lovely surprise!

Working from home? Here are 5 tips to help support your neck. Get more great tips here: https://bit.ly/2xIQgFu

This is what I saw when I looked up while doing my exercise...simply can be beautiful!

Autumn is in the air isn't it? We are eating snacks by the fire as I type this, enjoying being out of the rain. A new season calls for different kinds of self care...

10. Have a Shiatsu

Autumn...the way forward with Shiatsu!

Receiving regular Shiatsu treatment also boosts happy chemicals!!

Shiatsu for wellness....

The Importance of Being Held~~ The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds. But the researchers have discovered something fantastic. When a hug ...lasts 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a sincere embrace produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many benefits in our physical and mental health, helps us, among other things, to relax, to feel safe and calm our fears and anxiety. This wonderful tranquilizer is offered free of charge every time we have a person in our arms, who cradled a child, who cherish a dog or a cat, that we are dancing with our partner, the closer we get to someone or simply hold the Shoulders of a friend. A famous quote by psychotherapist Virginia Satir goes, We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth. Whether those exact numbers have been scientifically proven remains to be seen, but there is a great deal of scientific evidence related to the importance of hugs and physical contact. Here are some reasons why we should hug:: 1. STIMULATES OXYTOCIN Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that acts on the limbic system, the brain’s emotional centre, promoting feelings of contentment, reducing anxiety and stress, and even making mammals monogamous. It is the hormone responsible for us all being here today. You see this little gem is released during childbirth, making our mothers forget about all of the excruciating pain they endured expelling us from their bodies and making them want to still love and spend time with us. New research from the University of California suggests that it has a similarly civilising effect on human males, making them more affectionate and better at forming relationships and social bonding. And it dramatically increased the libido and sexual performance of test subjects. When we hug someone, oxytocin is released into our bodies by our pituitary gland, lowering both our heart rates and our cortisol levels. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for stress, high blood pressure, and heart disease. 2. CULTIVATES PATIENCE Connections are fostered when people take the time to appreciate and acknowledge one another. A hug is one of the easiest ways to show appreciation and acknowledgement of another person. The world is a busy, hustle-bustle place and we’re constantly rushing to the next task. By slowing down and taking a moment to offer sincere hugs throughout the day, we’re benefiting ourselves, others, and cultivating better patience within ourselves. 3. PREVENTS DISEASE Affection also has a direct response on the reduction of stress which prevents many diseases. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine says it has carried out more than 100 studies into touch and found evidence of significant effects, including faster growth in premature babies, reduced pain, decreased autoimmune disease symptoms, lowered glucose levels in children with diabetes, and improved immune systems in people with cancer. 4. STIMULATES THYMUS GLAND Hugs strengthen the immune system. The gentle pressure on the sternum and the emotional charge this creates activates the Solar Plexus Chakra. This stimulates the thymus gland, which regulates and balances the body’s production of white blood cells, which keep you healthy and disease free. 5. COMMUNICATION WITHOUT SAYING A WORD Almost 70 percent of communication is nonverbal. The interpretation of body language can be based on a single gesture and hugging is an excellent method of expressing yourself nonverbally to another human being or animal. Not only can they feel the love and care in your embrace, but they can actually be receptive enough to pay it forward to others based on your initiative alone. 6. SELF-ESTEEM Hugging boosts self-esteem, especially in children. The tactile sense is all-important in infants. A baby recognizes its parents initially by touch. From the time we’re born our family’s touch shows us that we’re loved and special. The associations of self-worth and tactile sensations from our early years are still imbedded in our nervous system as adults. The cuddles we received from our Mom and Dad while growing up remain imprinted at a cellular level, and hugs remind us at a somatic level of that. Hugs, therefore, connect us to our ability to self love. 7. STIMULATES DOPAMINE Everything everyone does involves protecting and triggering dopamine flow. Low dopamine levels play a role in the neurodegenerative disease Parkinson’s as well as mood disorders such as depression. Dopamine is responsible for giving us that feel-good feeling, and it’s also responsible for motivation! Hugs stimulate brains to release dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Dopamine sensors are the areas that many stimulating drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine target. The presence of a certain kinds of dopamine receptors are also associated with sensation-seeking. 8. STIMULATES SEROTONIN Reaching out and hugging releases endorphins and serotonin into the blood vessels and the released endorphins and serotonin cause pleasure and negate pain and sadness and decrease the chances of getting heart problems, helps fight excess weight and prolongs life. Even the cuddling of pets has a soothing effect that reduces the stress levels. Hugging for an extended time lifts one’s serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness. 9. PARASYMPATHETIC BALANCE Hugs balance out the nervous system. The skin contains a network of tiny, egg-shaped pressure centres called Pacinian corpuscles that can sense touch and which are in contact with the brain through the vagus nerve. The galvanic skin response of someone receiving and giving a hug shows a change in skin conductance. The effect in moisture and electricity in the skin suggests a more balanced state in the nervous system parasympathetic. Embrace, embrace with your heart.~~ art: Kathe Butcher

Autumn strength...

The strength of our foundation brings growth...our roots and the ability to take care of ourselves is important for wellness! Being thankful today for those that have gone before us and those that surround us, giving us support! HAPPY THANKSGIVING.....

My room is ready for treatments....

Difficult not to feel sad in these times of change and loss. Losing jobs, losing loved ones, not seeing friends, not seeing family, canceling plans - the joy a...nd spontaneity seem gone. But remember this is autumn, the time of loss, when the trees shed their leaves and the earth turns to quietness. Spring will come again, things will change and we will open up. It's important in times of sadness that we don't become isolated and alone. In Chinese Medicine, the Autumnal Season is linked to the emotion of grief and loss. It's part of the natural cycle. The organs related to this season are the lung & large intestine. When we cry our breathing is shallow - so keep your chest open and your breathing deep. Come practice with me and over 100 others, every morning so you don't get stuck in your sadness. Feel your feelings but don't make them who you are. I have kept the Chi Flow as cheap as possible - at only 20 for the whole month and if you can't afford that - there is an abundance fund where you can RECEIVE A MONTH FOR FREE. Give this post a like and a share so that everyone knows there is someone out there who cares. https://joannefaulkner.ie//chi-flow-with-jo-high-flying-e/

A beautiful arrangement Jodi Ahad...thank you! A good start into the Fall!

via @sumbu.official

I am excited to have my next guest, fellow Canadian from Toronto, Canada; Leisa Bellmore. It is an honour to have you as my guest this week. We will be talking... about the important research on self care and Shiatsu that Leisa Bellmore as been a part of. Part of Shiatsu being recognized by organizations, governments/governing bodies and medical professionals; is having research to back up our claim that Shiatsu works and is really effective. Please share these with your colleagues and groups as you have been doing. Thank you very much for your support and kind words, they keep me going.

Better Late Than Never...

Walking the Talk Shiatsu has been in existence for around 100 years, give or take. It has been here in the West for around half of that time. Some feel that thi...ngs are going too slowly, and that Shiatsu has not made the breakthrough into the hearts and minds of the common man and woman that it ought to have done by now. We look at the enormous benefits we have received on our way to becoming practitioners, we observe the effects every day of the treatments we give, we revel in the multi-level transformations we regularly witness among our clientele and we wonder: why don’t more people want this? How come we are not being begged to appear on morning TV shows, radio programmes and web podcasts all over the world every day to tell people of the miracle in our hands? How can it be that Reiki is on its way to becoming a household name? Why is massage and even Thai massage the stuff of everyday conversations but not Shiatsu? How come acupuncture is routinely discussed (albeit with plenty of skepticism) but Shiatsu continues to live its life in the shadows? There are good partial answers to all of these questions and some of them lie completely beyond our power to affect in any way. We cannot alter the fact that acupuncture has been around for thousands of years and is attractive to medical personnel and naturopaths in a way that Shiatsu never will be. We cannot alter the fact that millions go on their holidays to Thailand and receive treatments an inexpensive session in the local high street massage parlour is a wonderful way to bring back holiday remembrances. This is an advantage Shiatsu will almost certainly never come close to having. How come students are falling away from Shiatsu? Shouldn’t they be thronging to our schools in droves, banging on the door and demanding to partake of our special and arcane knowledge? Well, let’s do the math very swiftly. Basic Thai massage training can be done for a fraction of the price and in a very short space of time. Ditto massage. Reiki can be mastered in a matter of months if you have the financial muscle. Shiatsu takes three years. Realistically and conservatively speaking, if you want an authentic Shiatsu diploma from a reputable school, it takes three years and then some and that is exactly the way we have decided we want it. We have striven to set up what we believe are realistically high standards for Shiatsu training in every country and even on a Europe-wide basis. One might even argue that the standards are not nearly high enough. In the European arena, efforts are fairly well on the way to formally establishing the profession of Shiatsu. The training levels we will have to agree on will almost certainly be higher than they are today. Part of the reasoning behind this is that once we have a real profession, we can insist that the level of training required truly reflects the professional status we yearn for and claim to deserve. We will be able to call the shots and schools will be full of people lining up to take their place in a profession that can stand straight-backed and tall and be counted. We are not quite there yet however, so the discussion remains an interesting and fertile one. What will it take to make Shiatsu a household name? The work going on in the National and European Shiatsu associations has been in progress for thirty years or more. It is slowly but surely showing signs of bearing fruit in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, what can be done at the other end of the spectrum the grass roots, if we might use that term? Each and every student, practitioner and teacher of Shiatsu has a valuable role to play in this regard. Some are less interested than others that’s fine. Not everyone wants Shiatsu to become a household name and that is a perfectly reasonable opinion to hold. Many prefer to stay under the radar, off-grid and out of the limelight. There are excellent reasons for this, and no arguments are needed around that topic. But for those of us who would like to see Shiatsu - finally - take its place as a profession among others, how to proceed? The answer may be as simple as it is undramatic: let's walk the talk. If you love doing Shiatsu, be Shiatsu. If you enjoy being part of Shiatsu classes, gatherings and teachings, become Shiatsu with your person as well. If you practice Shiatsu as part of your livelihood, make sure it becomes part of your lifestyle as well. If you teach Shiatsu, make sure your life becomes a lesson in the applied principles of Shiatsu. If you run a school, be sure to run your life in the same way holistically and according to the ideas that form the basis of everything we build into our lessons and course plans. A central question then becomes: What is Shiatsu? There are a million responses to this and once we’ve considered them all, a million new versions will mutate forth. We will never be able to exhaust the question because it is one that is subject to change and fluctuation just as the principles underlying it prescribe: change is the only constant. We know this from day one of our Shiatsu studies when our teacher showed us the Yin-Yang diagram, the Taiji. The moment the flow between polarities stops is the moment of death. We fervently hope that Shiatsu will not die and therefore we accept that we will never be able to capture its true essence more than fleetingly in words or concepts: the Dao that can be described in words is not - and never will be - the true Dao. How then to define this wonderful, ever-changing, multi-faceted art we love so much? If we cannot define it, then obviously we have to allow each other to describe it in different terms and to include and exclude different features. No two people will be able to agree on all aspects of what is or is not Shiatsu. For the sake of appearances, in the various political arenas and when dealing with the outside world we coin descriptions and decide on definitions. We hope that they will not appear too contradictory from one organisation to another, but differences do exist and will continue to do so. We have to learn to live with this for it will always be so. It will continue to be so simply because each individual approaching and experiencing Shiatsu does so in a unique way every single time a living miracle that we all celebrate on a daily basis. Returning therefore to the main question under consideration, how to walk the talk when we cannot agree on the language? It’s not easy to discuss this in any definitive way. Principles are all we have, and freedom is something we all - rightly - insist on. When we study Shiatsu, we allow it to seep into our skin, our movements and finally our very consciousness. When we practice Shiatsu, it gradually becomes part of our way of looking at the world. The more we live with Shiatsu, the more Shiatsu transforms our everyday actions: as we apply and teach the principles and techniques of Shiatsu, we allow them to determine the choices we make and the decisions we take. The more time we spend with Shiatsu, the more we become Shiatsu. Surely this is the only way Shiatsu will become a part of everyday life. Let’s continue to walk the talk and patiently allow Shiatsu to seep into the movements, thoughts and awareness of those around us. It may not happen quickly. It may proceed like a glacier almost imperceptibly. But the movement will persist as long as we do. Text by Chris McAlister, ESF President. (A version of this text was recently published in the UKSS Journal, summer 2020 edition)

Hello Clients, I am preparing a safe place for you...

Dear Clients, A time for me to reflect, restore and renew with Shiatsu....

Keeping well...thank you Tim for sharing

Kishi developed his own style called Seiki Soho through his Shiatsu training with Masunaga...

Shiatsu for your mental and physical health...

Hello Clients... I will garden and keep my hands busy...see you soon!

This is so lovely...thank you Joanne

A little something for Earth day...

Hello Clients and friends, I hope you are feeling well and going with the flow....

Hello Clients and friends.... I miss treating you and hope you are all staying well! I will be in touch to reschedule appointment as soon as I get a green light! In the meantime I am happy to be contacted by phone, email or texting to help you! Be grateful Be mindful... Just be... See more

Trauma...structure and time!

Try a little movement...

Music healing the world...

Hello Clients...I will be closed until April 6th! Practising Social distancing Recommendations: building the Kidney energy ready for Spring ... 1. Get out into Nature 2. Eat well ( quality not quanity) 3. Remember the Makka Ho stretches 4. A little Tai chi 5. Sitting breath Meditation 6. Self Shiatsu ( pressure Points) 7. Reading 8. Listening to Music 9. Journaling of your thoughts 10. Lovely Epson salt bath I am available by Texting, Email, Facetime and good old Telephone! This too will pass....see you soon

Just a thought...go natural!

For you pregnant ladies...

Wonderful...check it out!

Some of our members have opted to close their practices temporarily to protect themselves and their clients. The current information from the Ministry of Health..., Health Canada and the WHO does not indicate that this is necessary at this time, if proper and frequent hygiene is practiced. If the advisories change, we will be sure to update our members. Shiatsu Therapists are able to implement policies to not treat patients that are showing flu-like symptoms. You can also impliment a policy to not treat individuals who have been outside of Canada for the past 14 days. The Ministry of Health recommends you undertake active screening (asking questions about symptoms and travel/exposures) , which can be done over the phone before the patient arrives, and passive screening (signage) of patients for COVID-19. Symptoms to look for: According to Health Canada, symptoms can include: Fever Cough Shortness of breath

"Breathing in, I enjoy my in-breath. Breathing out, I enjoy my out-breath. Breathing in, my whole body is harmonized with the in-breath. Breathing out, my whole... body is calmed with the out-breath. Breathing in, my whole body enjoys the peace of my in-breath. Breathing out, my whole body enjoys the relaxation of my out-breath. Breathing in, I enjoy the harmony of my in-breath. Breathing out, I enjoy the harmony of my out-breath." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Living Photo by: Jeffrey Friedl Title: Jizo figure praying in the leaves - Kyoto lis

So how to flip this #isolation to #connection. I see it happening in so many ways around the world I want to do my bit so if you fancy joining me at 8.30 every... weekday morning for the next 2 weeks on facebook live, I will be sharing my morning routine of Chi Gong movement and Makka-Ho stretches - share it around to anyone you know would like to join in for morning movement and motivation. See more

Support and strengthen your Lung energy...

Bring on the Sun...get into nature...

Essence of Shiatsu...learned alot from Kishi

Eat well and have a Shiatsu....

Preventative and support....

For good health....

Happy Valentine’s Day...

Tai Chi for health...

Be feed like a Tree...

I love the Sea....the rhythum of the waves are like our breath, taking in what we need and letting what we do not need!

To a new start with Shiatsu after the Holidays...