Shiatsu, a miracle solution for menstrual pain?

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu is a powerful touch-based tool that can release physical and emotional tension. It uses simple but effective pressure-based techniques to work with the energy points and pathways of Chinese medicine. More concretely, shiatsu is about discovering what is in your body and allowing it to nourish you in the best way possible. You can easily learn to use some of its basic skills for yourself or with another person.

Shiatsu: a solution to regain energy after your period?

In this modern age of medical dependency, we have tended to forget the power of touch. The use of targeted touch on certain energy points and pathways can help you regenerate your energy. At the end of our female cycles, such as after our period or childbirth, and even during menopause, we tend to feel tired or empty emotionally or psychologically. In Chinese medicine, this is due to the loss of blood, which is considered to be a nourishing energy.

There is a key meridian to help replenish the blood: the penetrating vessel. This vessel connects our heart and womb to our brain and kidneys and helps us feel grounded to the earth and our external food sources.

How do we do this?

• The easiest way to connect to this vessel is to place one hand on your heart and one hand on your lower abdomen (to connect with your uterus), close your eyes and simply breathe deeply, feeling the warmth and sensations under your hands and perhaps even feeling a connection between the 2. You may find that this helps you feel calmer.
• Then slowly move down the inside of your legs until you reach the ground you are standing or sitting on.
• Then you can hold your feet, especially along the inside edge. This can help you feel more grounded and present.
• You can again place your hand on your heart and lower abdomen and see if you feel a difference.
• After you have done this, you can place one of your hands on your lower back, in the hollow of the lumbar spine. For the Chinese, this area is connected to our energetic kidneys (i.e. lower than your physical kidneys) which store our ancestral memories and support. By placing a hand here, you can connect to the support of your past and ancestors.

As you breathe while being touched, images often arise. You can use these images to help you feel nurtured, such as the image of the stability of the earth and rootedness in the earth as you touch your feet. Holding your heart, you can visualize all the people who support you in your daily life. Holding your belly, you can connect with all the creative aspects. By holding your kidneys, you can feel the ancestral support.

There are also exercises you can use to move these regenerative energies through your body. A one-on-one session with a practitioner consists of lying dressed on a futon (padded mat on the floor) and receiving this supportive touch for about 45 minutes. It can also include breathing exercises and stretching.

Shiatsu allows you to regenerate your energy, but it can also be an excellent way to calm your period-related pain.

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For more information on shiatsu, you can consult

• https://www.wellmother.org/quest-ce-que-cest-le-shiatsu/
• Blog - https://www.wellmother.org/quest-ce-que-cest-le-shiatsu/
• Books https://www.wellmother.uk/livres/?language=fr
• Suzanne Yates https://www.wellmother.org/meet-the-team/suzanne-yates-3-2/?language=fr