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Reflections on Shiatsu Practice - with Carola Beresford-Cooke

7/24/2018

20 Comments

 
Welcome to our next interview in a series with female leaders, teachers and practitioners in the holistic therapeutic fields. These are women whose teaching has inspired me and I have been keen to learn more about their personal philosophy, experiences and the influences on their professional practice. I hope you enjoy hearing their story too. Let us know your thoughts, Nicole. 

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Carola Beresford-Cooke MRSS(T) 
Carola has been practising Shiatsu since 1978, with a detour into acupuncture in order to learn more about Shiatsu. She was present at the founding of the UK Shiatsu Society in 1981 and in 1986 she co-founded the Shiatsu College.  She has studied with many of the masters of Shiatsu and her principal teacher was Pauline Sasaki. She is the author of the textbook 'Shiatsu Theory and Practice' and of the DVD series 'The Meridians of Shiatsu'.  Carola continues to practise Shiatsu and offer tutorials and supervision in West Wales.  She can be contacted via www.shiatsu-wales.co.uk



Why did you choose to learn about Shiatsu what brought you to the practice?  

I always wanted to learn Shiatsu.  I grew up in the Far East (Singapore, a melting pot of Asian cultures) and although Shiatsu was not mentioned by name I knew about acupuncture and that there was ‘a massage variant’.  I also witnessed, at Taipusam, the festival where men in trance parade with skewers through their flesh, that there is more to the experience of the body than the materialistic approach of Western medicine (which I had a lot of  - my father was a doctor).  When I began to study beauty therapy (yes I know! but it is often the first form of therapy that many women encounter) it was the seventies, alternative therapies were hip and I already had a book called ‘Shiatzu’ and another one called ‘Tsubo Point Therapy’ and had been practising from those.  So in April 1978 when my local health food store had a flyer up advertising Ohashi's workshop at the East West Centre in London I was well ready!  I sat next to Michael Rose at the beginning of that weekend.  And I never stopped from that day.

What does Shiatsu mean to you now, what purpose does it serve for you as an individual?
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I've been through many stages with Shiatsu.  I know how powerful it can be and I have also experienced that it can sometimes not do very much.  I have come to recognise that how effective my Shiatsu is depends on the degree to which I can give myself to a treatment.  I see my own Shiatsu now as a support to people at that crucial point in an illness or condition where they are ready to deal with it themselves but don't have the strength. Like all complementary therapies, Shiatsu is an engagement with the receiver's own self-healing ability, and as such – ironically – it is truly a placebo.  I wish there were more research into placebo instead of the sense that it is somehow a cheat and a fantasy!

I have never thought of myself as more than a competent and experienced practitioner, not a ‘great healer’ - my strengths are in communication with others through writing and teaching.   I recognise that the study of Shiatsu touches very deep needs in many people, as it does indeed in me - to have faith that the non-material is real, to find the best in ourselves and others, to communicate through touch without dissembling.  It carries huge value for our humanity in its practice.  And I still find it a stepping-stone, through that experience of the best in myself, to the philosophies of Asia, the truth and logic of the science of Ki and the peace of the experience of oneness.  I need to do Shiatsu, for my own health and wellbeing.

What is your philosophical approach to your practice - as a teacher and as a therapist? (i.e. what do you see as the purpose of your 'healing' practice in the life of the individual - why do it?) 

I think I've answered most of this question above!  My attitude has definitely changed.  When I began Shiatsu, I really thought it might cure anything and everything!  I had such belief!  So of course it worked really well for people, even though my technique wasn't great.  Then after some years and a lot of study I got into thinking in more of a symptomatic way – press this point or plug away at the kyo meridian and you will ‘fix’ people, but that approach often didn't fix them.  And that led to a huge experience of doubt in myself (never in Shiatsu).  Which was a good thing, I had to re-frame the way I thought about it. 

And I had a great experience too with a God-given receiver.  In the depths of my despair he came like an unlikely angel, an old man droning on and on about his complaints and what he had tried to cure them with.  And I interrupted after about 10 minutes and said “I have to tell you at this point that I am not really in the business of making people better”.  And his face lit up and he said “Well that's great, because I really don't want to see anyone!”  And from there we worked together on what moves or holds put him most in touch with his own self-healing.  It was the beginning of a change for me.  I still can't remember what was ‘wrong’ with him, but our sessions were great.

Who or what, has been the biggest influence on your path as a practitioner and why?  

I'm going to shamelessly duck that one about the ‘biggest’.  Pauline Sasaki was a huge influence, because she visibly treated people by responding to her experience of their Ki and working with it directly.  But Ohashi paved the way by his teaching on the importance of posture and relaxation, without which you can't feel Ki so well.  My colleagues at the Shiatsu College taught me so much too, Paul Lundberg's measured and philosophical approach, Cliff's enthusiasm and logic, Nicola's relaxed and lateral-thinking way of teaching and her inspiring communication of the Light Body.  Michael Rose was a huge influence as well, in the dry patch between Ohashi and Pauline.  After he spent his year with Masunaga in Japan there were a bunch of us who met every Tuesday at his flat in London and worked on our Shiatsu.  Elaine Liechti, Bill Palmer and Harriet Devlin, who had the idea of starting the Shiatsu Society.   Michael Rose's unique style was an inspiration.  And Masunaga himself has been an enormous influence, I have imbibed his ideas like drinking from the spring of life!  I can't separate any of these teachers from my path or choose between them.

What significant lesson/s did one of your teachers teach you?   
​
I would have to go back to Pauline here.  We were many of us floundering when she came along.  We were working to rote, doing what we had been told, moving in a ‘special way’, going rhythmically down the meridians without really knowing what we were doing.  Pauline engaged with Ki, she was fascinated by Ki, it was completely real to her, not a legend, so there was no ritual about her shiatsu, she just got in there, made contact with the Ki in the meridians and dealt with it as she found it.  And by example, and by her clever way of teaching, she showed us how to do that too.  So now I know that if I use a technique it should only be because it will have a specific effect on the receiver's Ki, that contacting and responding to the receiver's Ki is the fundamental requirement when I give Shiatsu.

With the insight you have now what, if anything, do you wish you had known at the beginning of you journey?    

I wish I had known to spare myself more!  I have always thrown myself into my Shiatsu study and practice with such enthusiasm that now in my old age my thumbs are shot and my energy is quite low.  I should probably not have burned the candle at both ends either, I have always partied with considerable enthusiasm too.

What benefits or hindrances, if any, have you encountered as a female practitioner or noticed when teaching / working with women? 

I much prefer giving Shiatsu to women.  I personally find that men don't have such an easy relationship with their bodies on the whole, they tend to think of them in a sexual way or they see them as machines to be fixed.  Not all men, but most of the ones I have treated.  In teaching, it is quite different, they are studying Shiatsu and are as aware of their bodies as women. 

What advice might you give to student practitioners training now?   

Practice, practice, practice.  Just do it.  Do Shiatsu every day, every opportunity, just throw down someone on the floor in your lunch hour and do five minutes of Shiatsu.  There is no substitute for what your hands can learn and what your hands can teach you.

What is the next step or stage for you? What are you working on developing professionally or personally?  

There are so many areas I would like to extend into, and so little time.  I am co-writing a book about meridian massage, Shiatsu with oil, and have filmed an accompanying DVD which needs editing.  I've got a new website in development which has got space for a blog, and this could be great fun for me, to jot down a few words or paragraphs each day about Shiatsu, Qi Gong, Asian medical philosophy, all the things that interest me.  If I had more time and energy, I would like to set up a publishing house just for Shiatsu books and encourage people to write more about their Shiatsu experience, anything from a full book to a leaflet – anything to get Shiatsu on the map, literary-wise.  I think it is a crying shame that Shiatsu is so little honoured in the wider world.  And I am getting into herbs a lot at the moment, I've made a couple of tinctures, dried some of the herbs from my garden, I've made a great elderflower vinegar with a lovely scent....   I think herbs and food-style are a perfect complement to Shiatsu, nourishing the appropriate tissues, ‘fleshing out’ the Ki-work.

Any other reflections? 

Well, Nicole, as you have phrased these questions, done these interviews, got the blog to embed them in, you and all the other bright Shiatsu sparks who are publicising Shiatsu via digital media, I want to say Well Done, and thank you for the interview. 

20 Comments
Tamsin Grainger link
7/29/2018 11:40:34 pm

Thanks to Nicole and Carola for that inspiring interview

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Nicole Bayes
7/30/2018 02:22:47 am

Glad you enjoyed it Tamsin! Thank you.

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Gill halkHall
7/31/2018 01:17:19 am

Thanks to you both. As always Carola, your clarity and sincerity reaches through. Its like having a chat with a friend over a cup of tea and reaching moments of depth, which are tremendously satisfying. So inspiring.

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Nicole Bayes
7/31/2018 07:30:49 am

A lovely and apt sentiment Gill, I would agree. Thank you for sharing your response!

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Kate Burford
7/31/2018 06:00:44 am

Thank you Nicola for doing these interviews - it is so lovely to read the words of inspiring women in Shiatsu and in so doing fallen love with our art a little more and be reminded why it is so special. To bring us into our wider community with these interviews is valuable. You could extend the interviews and do a podcast???!! As Carola says it is a crying shame that Shiatsu is so little recognised in the wider world (I was only telling someone the other day it is at risk of becoming extinct if not a very rare breed) so your work is valuable.

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Nicole Bayes
7/31/2018 07:28:05 am

Hello Kate. Thank you for your feedback. It's really heartwarming for me to hear that this little project is moving people and having an impact. It makes the time and energy it takes to organise it feel worthwhile to know it's valued.

Personally I have found it invaluable to hear the stories, reflections and experiences of fellow women - it is incredibly enriching, inspiring and mind-heart opening. I wanted to share that with the wider community platform to support others.

Yes my initial idea was to do podcasts however it just wasn't happening logistically so this felt like the first step to get the ball rolling and get it started. I am now pregnant however so need to be realistic with my time, but we will see!

Thanks again for your reflections. warmly Nicole

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Liz Arundel link
8/1/2018 04:10:33 am

Hello Nicole,

What a great interview with Carola, who I have known many years. She is an inspiring and authentic teacher with a wonderful heart.
Thanks for making this blog and promoting Shiatsu. We need more of this as Kate Burford says!

I hope your pregnancy goes well and you have a Shiatsu friend with you for the birth. It really helped me with my two births.

Reply
Nicole Bayes
8/1/2018 05:25:24 am

Hi Liz

Thanks for getting in touch. Yes Carola writes beautifully I would agree, she is very inspiring.

I'm glad you appreciate the blog, it's hopefully one small way of bridging a knowledge gap and out reaching to new people / current clients, with no TCM or Shiatsu knowledge but also a space to support the Shiatsu community. If you have ideas on how to do more for the community or have ideas like this I would heartily encourage you to go for it! I tend to have more ideas than I have time and energy sadly (!).

In terms of the birth luckily Dinah lives down the road from me - so I might give her a wave if she is around if I feel I need it when the time comes! She just gave me a lovely treatment, she is very supportive.

warmly Nicole

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Tricia Frost link
8/1/2018 05:52:52 am

Hi Nicole,

Is it okay to share this article on my fb and website.
I did a brilliant workshop with Carola and would love to share.
Kind Regards
Tricia

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Tricia Frost
8/1/2018 06:03:11 am

Hi Tricia

Yes of course, by all means - share the link for the blog article. Spread the word!

Thank you Nicole

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CHris link
8/2/2018 05:44:13 pm

Thanks for this interview. Without Carola’s textbooks, I’d doubt I’d be the practitioner I am today. Always good to read the stories from senior practitioners. 👍

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Nicole Bayes
8/7/2018 01:59:53 am

Yes, we call Shiatsu Theory and Practice our Shiatsu Bible at the Shiatsu College Norwich! Clearly an poetically written. Glad you enjoyed the interview.

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Timothy Phillips link
8/6/2018 07:35:17 am

Loved reading the interview with Carola. I have practiced as a shiatsu therapist in Canada since 1994. I graduated from a 2200-hour program - still only a beginning. Still very much learning. I wish there was something in Canada akin to the groups that spring up in the UK in various parts of the country where people with varying degrees of skill come together to practice. We all have something to learn, even from neophytes.
I especially liked her comment: "Like all complementary therapies, Shiatsu is an engagement with the receiver's own self-healing ability, and as such – ironically – it is truly a placebo. I wish there were more research into placebo instead of the sense that it is somehow a cheat and a fantasy!" I love Carola's humility and feel the same. Sometimes a well-thought out strategy works and sometimes it doesn't. A constant reminder to keep us humble. No God-complex here!
Interesting perspective in working with male clients. I think my ratio is 80% female. I had one of my female clients make a comment to a third person about me saying: I think of Tim as "asexual. " At first, I wasn't sure how to take that but realise that in many ways it is a compliment as my gender as a therapist is not part of the equation.

Reply
Nicole Bayes
8/7/2018 03:03:58 am

Hi Timothy.

Yes I agree humility towards oneself and one's practice, for me at least brings me into deeper connection with those working with. Being brave enough to letting go and trust in a process that's beyond the will of our ego. It is a different approach, supporting the facilitation of a process and being a witness as instead of 'fixing' we create a space to enable an unravelling or unwinding which can lead to greater harmony arising. Our philosophical outlook deeply affects the approach we take with our work and the quality of our touch.

I can imagine that being called asexual might have been a bit perplexing (!). But I agree I think that is a big compliment. I think many people, both men and women, are not aware of their sexual energies or intentions but we, as receivers, can be very sensitive to it, particularly women seeking a safe space to heal. Personally for that reason I prefer to have female health practitioners, and request them because the dynamic is often quite radically different and I feel more comfortable. I think this can come about if you've experienced an abuse of power by the opposite sex, which many of us have, as this leaves us feeling vulnerable.

I'm sad to hear you don't have a greater sense of shiatsu community in your location of Canada. Perhaps you could lead the way...? Looking at other models from different countries will be a very good approach I think to starting something I agree, even if that's an online conversation.

Thank you for your reflections and good luck with your practice!
Nicole

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Daniela link
8/15/2018 08:17:10 am

I can just say that I absolutely love this interview! It is truly inspiring.

Thank you Nicole and Carola

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Nicole Bayes
8/16/2018 01:20:20 am

Oh wonderful to hear you were inspired Daniela. Thank you for sharing :)

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Louisa Carey
10/13/2018 01:26:59 am

Very interesting to read about Carola’s changing yet enduring relationship with Shiatsu, and thereby reflect on my own. I agree that Shiatsu speaks to a very deep need to connect to a bigger story. I wonder, did Pauline Sasaki write anything?

Thank you Carola and Nicola.

Reply
Nicole Bayes
10/15/2018 03:40:56 am

Hi Louisa

Glad you found the article an interesting read. I agree, I find incredibly helpful to hear the experience of others to reflect on my own path and purpose.

In terms of Pauline Sasaki I'm not aware of her writings if there are some however I know she produced this DVD which may interest you:

The Human Potential
In this 48 minute film, Pauline Sasaki, the renowned teacher and creator of Quantum Shiatsu
http://diego-sanchez.com/the-meaning-of-symptoms/

There is also this presentation of her work by Cliff Andrews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVkw-y5B288

warm wishes
Nicole

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Linda Preece (writing as Granny Bonnet on Website) link
5/6/2019 02:32:57 am

Hello Nicola. I trained and qualified in 2003 from Shiatsu College, Norwich under Cliff Andrews with the aid (amongst others), of Carola's supurb book. At age 75, I have no difficulty crawling around and still have two long-standing regular clients as well as giving the odd treatment to other aching friends!

I was lucky enough to demonstrate my fledgling training on one of Carola's teaching visits to Norwich and her super-positive comments ecouraged me enourmously.

I have just written a small article on Shiatsu for my website which I hope will encourage others to seek out this excellent form of treatment.

Reply
먹튀검증 link
12/29/2019 12:34:54 am

먹튀검증 Acupressure is certainly necessary. Blood, blood vessels, blood pressure ... are very important factors for a person's life.

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    Nicole is an Shiatsu Therapist and Advanced EFT Practitioner, in Norwich UK.

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