by Sebastian Deans FwSS
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What comes to Mind when I say the word ‘Heart’? ... Heart …

Do you see the organ in our chest with its constant beat that changes appropriately to our conditions and feelings? Or perhaps the Blood that is ceaselessly circulating around the body, filling all our veins and arteries, filling every part of us?

Maybe there is more of the metaphorical Heart? The centre of our feelings, where we can know the joys of simply being alive, “lifting the spirits”, or the suffering of knowing too much sensitivity to life’s harsher sides, “utter heartache”. Maybe the centre of our lives in general, who we are; from our everyday personality to the basis of consciousness itself and the heights of Spiritual interconnection with all that is.

​By Cliff Andrews FwSS, Edited by Dinah John FwSS

The Shiatsu Centre Norwich has been a dedicated Shiatsu clinic since 1983, now located right in the historic ‘Lanes’ at the heart of this  Cathedral city in the east of England. Its small office and 2 treatment  rooms support 5 practitioners and provide the working base for New  Energy Work - an international online training project for Shiatsu - and  for the Shiatsu College Norwich - our regional school branch of the  Shiatsu College UK.  

It was one day before the first national lockdown in March 2020. I  looked at the dry, chapped skin of my hands as I washed them, yet  again, between clients - following government advice. Blood actually  started to leak from the lesions - just the tiniest glimpse of the pain and  suffering we would witness in the coming months. What we could never  have dreamed of though, was how much kindness, support, dedication,  love and gratitude we would experience alongside that pain!  ​

By Nicole Drummond. Edited by Dinah John.

Do you hate the cold? Me too! So why on earth would you try this therapy...? Because the health benefits will blow you away and the positive results start immediately.

I first heard about the Wim Hof Method a few years ago when I watched a short documentary about ‘The Ice Man’. The film showed how this Dutch athlete, Wim Hof, taught two reporters how to walk up a freezing snowy mountain in their shorts, resisting the cold by using a breathing technique and ‘cold therapy training’. I filed it in my mind as a bit mad, curious, and not relevant to my daily life.

However, what I really didn’t pick up from the documentary was the potential for extraordinary health benefits from this simple, accessible technique. ​

On this evolving blog page, the team will be recommending books that have inspired them, in the hope that it may support you on your healing journey too.

There will be a range of titles which will also feature in our quarterly e-news, so join the mailing list if you would like the suggestions to drop into your inbox. 

Here is Cat, our resident Meridian Yoga Teacher, as well as Shiatsu Practitioner, demonstrating some quick and simply yoga mudras and postures to help you release your stress and anxiety. 

Ganesha Mudra
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Bring your palms to touch in Prayer position at chest level.

Then swivel your hands so that your fingertips point toward opposite elbows, with your right palm facing your heart.
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Bend your fingers and slide your hands across each other until your fingers lock. Keep the shoulders softening down the ribs at the back and the spine growing toward the sky. Repeat on the other side. This can be done sitting (on the floor or a chair) or standing. Take a few breathes in each Mudra.
 
Benefits of Ganesha Mudra are: to lift your spirits, boost your confidence and to relieve stress and tension.
 
It is named after the Hindu deity who removes obstacles!