Asian Bodywork Training

Last month, I completed a training in Asian Bodywork. This training was complementary to my previous Shiatsu training and helpful in expanding my understanding of the meridian system and Asian medicine in general.

During our training, we dove into Chinese Medicine history and philosophy and specifically explored a branch called Five Element Theory. This theory, as all Asian Medicine practices do, looks at the world as a circular or cyclical system as opposed to the linear approach of Western science and medicine. Balance is an ongoing goal, and in this way of thinking, each meridian has an effect on the others and all must be working optimally for the whole to function well. The chi, or energy, that flows through the meridians is our life force, and like faucets along the meridians, the meridian points can be opened or closed through hand, finger or needle pressure.

Chi flow creates our physical experience; when meridians are out of balance we may feel pain, illness, or emotional or other challenges. Working with the meridians allows optimal function for our entire being, whether it be mind, body or spirit.

We also learned gua sha, the practice of pulling toxins out of the body using a gentle flushing with a specific gua sha tool. This work can effect a large or small area, reduce physical pain, and help the whole person become more balanced. This technique, sometimes called "scraping", may produce red or purplish splotches on the body which may last a few hours to a couple of weeks. These markings are not painful, nor do they look quite like anything I have seen before; they are not quite bruises or abrasions. No skin is broken. They are the markings of the toxins (or blockages) leaving the body and are not harmful in themselves. Sometimes the timing or location of the visual effect may not be appropriate, and because of this, care will be taken to help any client choose if/where on the body this may be appropriate.

I asked our instructor, a local acupuncturist and teacher at the Five Elements Acupuncture School in Florida, if there is a way to aid clients' health without making them endure suffering (including visual red markings on their bodies or any discomfort related to any treatment in general). His answer was no. To release toxins or move chi blockages, sometimes we must become aware of them. This means we must actually experience their presence on some level while they move out of our bodies, even if it creates minor discomfort.

The effect of a gua sha treatment was valuable for each of the 15 participants (including a medical doctor) in the training regardless of a bit of red marking on our skin. Mine faded completely within a couple of days and the treatment helped me with chronic back pain. I actually loved it so much I have been searching for someone give me the treatment again!

Our training also included liniment application. If you have been to a massage session with me, you know I have been working with liniments for a couple of years. Their cooling or heating effects are evident in their physical sensation, and they also have a powerful ability to move chi in the body, therefore helping to alleviate pain and discomfort. This training tuned my skills in correct application of the liniments I already use and also introduced new ones.

Questions? Please ask. The more I learn about Asian medicine the more questions I have, and the more I learn the more I fall in love with the approach. This medicine bends my mind...and it works.

It works so well that I am planning on incorporating Acupuncture into my practice within the next five or so years...scheduled among future small children, business planning and implementation, many bodywork trainings including more Asian Medicine, Craniosacral Therapy beginning this fall and my current Aromatherapy Certification education, of course all of this intertwined with my own balance and self-care...