Shiatsu, Integrative, & deep tissue massage therapy | Boulder, CO

In the last couple of days the community of Boulder witnessed the destructive effects of fire.  We saw homes destroyed and thousands of people displaced by nature’s violence.  The element of fire transforms all that it touches, turning fuel into heat, water into steam, and metal into malleable forms.  These transformations are profound, and when they occur too rapidly or unexpectedly they lead to tragedy as it has with the wildfire that is still raging through Four Mile Canyon.  The fire spread far too quickly, transforming the lives of those it touched without allowing them the time to process these changes.  The best definition of trauma I ever heard calls it “any thought, emotion, or experience that can not be fully processed at the time.”  The body reacts to periods of anxiety by holding this trauma, trapping it in the muscles to come back later as pain, ticks, headaches, or other symptoms.

As a Shiatsu practitioner I regularly work the Asian model of five elemental energies that exist within the body: earth, water, metal, wood, and fire.   These elements are represented in twelve meridians, channels of energy that flow through the body.  The goal of Shiatsu is to return the elements to a balanced state  by letting the meridians flow like rivers.  Skilled touch and intention calms overflowing meridians  and coaxes strength back into ones that flow sluggishly.  The elements also directly effect each other.  Strengthening the water element can sooth the fire when it rages.  A specific meridian (channel of energy) within the fire element is the Small Intestine.  As the organ extracts and absorbs nutrients from the food our stomach digests, the Small Intestine meridian works to absorb and assimilate the emotions and experiences of our lives.  Its energy helps us process life as we live it, but it can become overwhelmed by trauma.  Like the examples above, trauma can cause the Small Intestine meridian to become low, throwing us out of whack.  Shiatsu work helps bring the energy of the body back into balance, allowing our body, mind, and emotions to follow suit.  It is powerful work that can release trauma, and help dealing with grief and loss.

I have seen firsthand the healing power of Shiatsu and would like to use my skills as a massage therapist to help the community that is suffering.  I will be looking for avenues for donating my time to those affected by the fire, and I invite any volunteer organizations who see this to contact me.