Where do we turn?
When searching for those feel good factors or life changing experience but we are physically challenged, mentally tired and confused, or distrusting of the different strange claims that are promising the miracle answers we are looking for, to where do we turn?
The internet is a sea of information; gurus are all over the place with claims of having the answers to life’s pitfalls.
My personal journey came via the Martial Arts and competitions, learning how to cause damage and hurt and get hurt I might add, but of course with respect and humility, a painful journey one might say.
Finding Hatha Yoga
Some serious injuries led me to seek a method of quick recovery so as to continue in my favourite hobby. I heard via word of mouth that Hatha Yoga was good for recuperation and restorative measures to the body, so I looked for local classes and was fortunate to find a class run by a lady within the British Wheel of Yoga.
As I was the only man in the class some ladies felt uncomfortable and left the group, the tutor though said I brought a good energy which she felt was needed in the group, as I trained in mixed gender Martial Art classes I didn’t see the problem.
I quickly found out my physical limitations trying to do the Asanas, but as the months passed I became more aware of the limitations my mind was putting on my body and was encouraged to unblock my perceptions of myself and free the energy within to in fact reform my body. As time moved on I wanted more classes of Yoga and had to seek another tutor to supplement my twice a week class already, I found three more classes and ended up attending five classes a week along with teaching martial arts.
The other two tutors both ladies I might add, very few men tutors around, encouraged me to study Hatha Yoga with a view to becoming a tutor myself. This journey I embarked on and so changed my life’s course of physical and spiritual enlightenment.
Shiatsu
Quite by chance within the martial arts came a method of controlling people using a disruption technique of the nervous system and energy flow as a self defence utility.
My instructor in this system is a famous American Martial Artist who has written extensively on this subject. He was also quick to point out that this method can also be used to heal, calling itself “Shiatsu” – Japanese in origin with an interesting history.
Now on this path of discovery I needed more information on Shiatsu, this is where I utilised the internet and found one practitioner in my area, of course I enrolled to study with him and again followed a path of enrichment of knowledge to further my changing life evolution.
The outcome of all this was to gain recognised qualifications in Hatha Yoga and Shiatsu, got the certificates what now?
I have to walk the walk not just talk the talk!
Teaching yoga and practising Shiatsu
The yoga part was relatively simple, one of only a few males opening a yoga class attracted a good mix of men and women, word spread then colleges wanted remedial classes for senior citizens or remedial references from doctors, as yoga seemed to be the answer in the eyes of the medical profession. That’s when the desire to help heal and see the reformative changes in clients demonstrated the power that yoga has for an individual.
One client with MS required one on one yoga combined with shiatsu, this was a challenge for me to combine the two in a way that promoted well being and sustainable energy levels and mobility.
One on One
One on one proved so powerful a method as we could share energy and movement and spiritual harmony for the benefit of one another in a dedicated time slot together, one human being to another.
In a group we share collective energy which sometimes can be fragmented by egos and imbalance of the mind and heart, “Shen Chi”, so as to become superficial in its practice depending on the individual.
On the other hand one on one work lends itself to more intimate challenges we desire to overcome for the benefit of two.
The journey continues “the great path has many gates”. “If you can do no good, then do no harm”
