Shiatsu Day for Londoners with ME/CFS

A day for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (“ME”) / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (“CFS”) sufferers in London to have a free Shiatsu treatment.

Intention

To empower people with ME/CFS and enrich their lives by transforming their perceptions of the condition and introducing them to the principles of the Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shiatsu.

Date

Wednesday 4 June 2008

Venue

British School of Shiatsu-Do
Unit 3 Thane Works
Thane Villas
London
N7 7NU

Treatment Times

10am, 2pm
11am, 3pm
12pm, 4pm

Shiatsu   

Shiatsu is integrative bodywork given on a futon, through the clothing, to balance the flow of ki (energy) throughout the Receiver’s body. Ki flows through the body in channels, or meridians, each of which represents an organ in the body. Disharmonies and dis-ease in the body manifest as ki imbalances within the channels; either there is too much ki, not enough ki, stagnant ki or ki moving in the wrong direction.

Stretches and passive structural adjustments are combined with meridian work and acupressure points to create a smooth and even flow of ki within the body, release tension, and promote a deep feeling of relaxation.

Sessions last for one hour, including a pre-treatment discussion of symptoms. Children are very welcome, though a parent or guardian would need to be present during the treatment and half an hour is a more appropriate session length. Half an hour treatments are also available for adults if preferred.

Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shiatsu treats the body and mind as one and can be very helpful for many conditions, such as: Depression, Tiredness, Insomniam, Menstrual Problems, Anxiety Digestive Problems, Stress, Muscular Pain.

Booking a Treatment

There are ten practitioners and six treatment slots so therefore sixty individual sessions available. To book a session please call me on 07929 202 889 or email me at tomhawthorn@hotmail.com.

Sessions will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

My Personal Experience

I got ME when I was eighteen years old. I was a student at the time and baffled by the fact that my body was unable to throw off a virus I’d got just before Christmas in 1993. I went to see the doctors at the medical centre on the university campus and was tested for a range of different illnesses. Glandular fever was a potential diagnosis but all the test results came back negative. My symptoms were constant tiredness, aching muscles, a sore throat, swollen glands and an aversion to sunlight and bright lights. I loved playing sport but physical exertion left me in bed for twenty four hours. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me. They told me to get on and enjoy my life.

I tried to do that but my symptoms didn’t go away. In fact they got worse. I would get up in the morning, eat breakfast, lie down after eating because I felt exhausted, and fall asleep again until lunch time. I went back to see the doctors but they insisted there was nothing wrong with me. I was starting to feel desperate and frightened. The doctors started to look at me a bit strangely, and my friends started to get frustrated and irritated with me as I constantly told them I felt too tired to do anything.

I got through the exams at the end of my first year of university and went back for the second year but I felt more and more confused and angry as my symptoms didn’t improve. I started to wonder whether I was losing my mind as the doctors continued to tell me there was nothing wrong with me. About half way through my second year at university, and over a year after I first got the virus I went to a complementary health centre in Southampton where I was diagnosed with ME. I was given acupuncture, herbs and went to see a psychologist for some counselling. I didn’t feel like the counselling helped that much but I started to feel some physical improvement from the acupuncture and herbs.