A Monthly Series of Advanced Classes for Shiatsu Therapists

Zen Shiatsu Massage School In Chicago

Going Deeper

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Going Deeper

The Going Deeper Class Series consists of one 6 or 12-hour class approximately once per month, designed to specifically meet the needs of advanced students, open only to graduates or advanced students of Zen Shiatsu Chicago or other Asian Bodywork Therapy schools  It is recommended that current students complete at least Zen Shiatsu IV before taking Going Deeper classes, but exceptions may be possible by request.

Zen Shiatsu Chicago graduates may inquire at 847-864-1130 about our Student For Life subscription program, covering these and almost all other CE classes for $95/month.

February 19th, Monday, 9:30am-5:00pm – TRAUMA-INFORMED SHIATSU with Dana Christy

Prerequisite: Completion of Student Clinic 1

Shiatsu is, in many respects, an inherently trauma-informed modality. Its emphasis on supporting optimal functioning centers the body’s generative blueprint and innate capacity for resilience, while its holistic approach holds space for the multifaceted ways in which trauma can show up in the body, brain, and energy field. Even the fact that the work is done fully clothed can make Shiatsu feel more accessible to survivors than other forms of bodywork.

We can further support ourselves and our clients by developing a toolkit of treatment strategies that we can use with clients whose safety and/or accessibility needs may prohibit certain “traditional” Shiatsu techniques. The goal is to offer authentic, effective Shiatsu that respects each client’s agency and bodily autonomy.

We will explore a variety of practices, including working positions, assessment techniques, and alternate ways of supporting harmonious flow of qi, that can be uniquely tailored to each individual, so that no one feels like they have to choose between receiving good shiatsu and feeling safe and empowered while on the table. We will also explore how we as practitioners bring our own life experiences of trauma and resilience to the treatment space, and how we can actually use these experiences to enhance our capacity for sensitivity, empathy, and transformative care.

March 11, Monday  9:30am-5:00pm – GOING WITH THE FLOW – Justin Zelinski

Prerequisite: Advanced Zen Shiatsu

In this class we will focus on cultivating a physical perception of the flow that is described in the foundations of the medicine. Developing this new sense of perception can help bring a deeper understanding of the meridian system and give you more tools to use in your treatments.

In this class we will cover:

  • The pace at which the Qi is described to flow in the channels.
  • We will look at differentiating the difference between the jing and lou layers of the meridian system.
  •  We will look at how this information can add new context to diagnosis and ways in which we can use that to help the shen return to the areas of the channel that are in disorder.
  • Once this basic understanding of flow is understood, we will explore a new method of diagnosing the six divisions in the hara.

April 26, Friday 9:30am-5:00pm – CULTIVATING EXPANSIVE TOUCH – Arlette Greer

Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in or having completed Student Clinic 1
Expansive touch is both a physical and energetic phenomena.

On one hand, it requires a physical connection (which may be light and near the surface of the body or deeper into the body) – the conscious touch of a physical structure.

On the other hand, touching a meridian involves connecting to space. This requires the practitioner connect physically and then move their own awareness to an expansive place.

In this workshop, we’ll explore what it means to maintain a receptive, meditative awareness. We’ll notice where we are holding unnecessary physical and mental contraction, we’ll experiment with how to release the unnecessary and to use focused awareness to achieve an expansive touch.

After the experimentation, we’ll practice shiatsu which keeping our awareness expansive and our body free from unnecessary contraction. In expanding our body and mind, we model for clients at the level of the nervous system what is possible for them. By maintaining a receptive, meditative awareness we will notice more quickly when and how our clients are responding to our work. Put them together and achieve quick, deeply integrative, and lasting results with ease.
 

May 20, Monday 9:30am-5pm – 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE QI – Nathan Torrence

Prerequisite: Currently enrolled in or having completed Zen Shiatsu II

Dive deeper into the essence of what makes Zen Shiatsu elegant, powerful, and beautiful.

In this course we will review the most basic techniques of Zen Shiatsu which can be enriched and refined year after year to add potency and concentration to your Shiatsu treatment. We will delve into the five principles and how they make your movement effortless, spontaneous, and unique to you.

We will be introducing Katsugen to aid in this spontaneity. Katsugen is a cleansing practice that comes from Shinto, the indigenous spirituality of Japan. Sometimes referred to as “soul polishing,” Katsugen shakes off anything that is not-you, leaving behind a clearer version of yourself that is more sensitive and more responsive — in this case, more responsive to your client.

The course will include other practices to help you learn to expand your structure at will, saving you energy and making your touch deeper and lighter at the same time.

June 3, Monday 9:30am-5pm – EXTRAORDINARY VESSELS PART 2 – Steve Rogne

Prerequisite: Completion of Student Clinic 2 and Extraordinary Vessels Part 1

May be attended in-person or by Zoom.

Students who have not taken Extraordinary Vessels Part 1 may join by emailing or calling the office to discuss getting access to the Part 1 audio recording and handouts.

Extraordinary Vessels are much more than specific flows within the body. Extraordinary Vessels describe the most general dynamics by which human beings take shape and story in time and space.

Extraordinary Vessels treatments have profound implications for genetic expression, lifelong constitutional issues, life-threatening illnesses, and evolving stories about oneself and the world.

How do we touch through time? How do we draw on resources from the past and future? How can we align with and make peace with universal evolutionary forces?

This class is an excellent refinement for graduates of the Postgraduate Clinical Shiatsu Studies. It is also accessible to any student who has completed basic shiatsu studies.

This Part Two class will review a few basic competencies in Extraordinary Vessels work, and will focus on treatment of the Yin Wei Mai, Yang Wei Mai, Yin Qiao Mai, Yang Qiao Mai and Dai Mai.

In this 6-hour class, we will review:

  • Qi Cultivation methods for experiencing Extraordinary Vessels in ourselves
  • Concentration Methods and Touch Techniques for connecting with Extraordinary Vessels in others
  • Basic protocols for recognizing when and how to use Extraordinary Vessels in treatment
  • Demo and Practice of Treatment Protocols