Mark Barwell: Blog

 

Do-In: a self-energising routine
Do-In is the name of a group of methods that promote a healthy flow of bodily energy (Chi, Qi, Prana). These include yoga-like meridian stretches (to be covered in a later blog post), breathing exercises and the focus of this post: a self-Shiatsu style routine. This can be done anywhere where you have a few couple of minutes and (preferably) a quiet space.

Simply use your hands - fingers, knuckles and palms - to tap, rub and squeeze around your body. The following video illustrates a simplified version of this process:
  • With relaxed wrists and fingers, begin to tap the head from the corner of the eyebrows over the head and to the base of the skull.
  • You can repeat this as many times as you like.
  • I like to tap around the cheekbones and the jaw and then down the side of the neck.
  • Hold on to one elbow and tap across the top of the shoulder.
  • Then repeat on the other side.
  • With loose fists you can tap your chest, Tarzan -style, and then down the inside of one arm and up the outside.
  • Swap hands. Come across the chest if you like.
  • Tap down the inside of that arm and up the outside.
  • Brushing down the front of the body, just rub the hands around the belly, first one way and then the other.
  • Then if your shoulders are ok to do so, take your hands behind you and tap underneath the shoulder blades and down to the kidneys where you can flatten your hands.
  • Place your hands over the kidneys, imagining warmth coming through the palms of your hands into your body.
  • Tap down the back of the pelvis, the gluteal muscles, down the sides of the legs, up the inside and repeat.
  • Then you can generally brush off to finish the exercise.
The video was produced by myself for the Shiatsu College from a script developed by Annie Cryar, principal of the Shiatsu College Hastings. The video forms a part of the Shiatsu College's online anatomy training that is available as a stand-alone module to provide additional training for anyone working therapeutically (or indeed anyone with such an interest!). This module can also be taken as part of the 3-year Shiatsu Practitioner's Diploma course. For more details, please visit http://www.shiatsucollege.co.uk
Filed under: acupressure do-in energising learn anatomy learn shiatsu self health shiatsu shiatsu college
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