Shiatsu with Children
Shiatsu Journal
Shiatsu with Children
Gabi Schultz interviewed Tomas Nelissen, founder of the Hara Shiatsu Academy in Vienna, who has been practicing and teaching Shiatsu in Europe for over 20 years. He is the father of five children and has specialised in, among other things, “Shiatsu with children”.
GS: Many people who practice Shiatsu or grow up with Shiatsu have a characteristic approach to life and people. What is your approach to people and children?
I consider children to be adults in a child-phase. Who knows how many lives a child has already lived? I believe they are basically fully autonomous as a person and should have the possibility to let their inherent talents unfold from within. Often parents make the mistake of unconsciously projecting their fears, worries and expectations on their children; but we need motivated children rather than motivated parents. In this respect Shiatsu can help children in their development. Children and adolescents that have trust in themselves develop a strong identity and know what they do and do not want. Shiatsu helps them to learn to listen to their inner voice and give them a sense of their bodies.
Does Shiatsu make children more creative?
Everybody has a high potential of creativity in general. Children tend to be creative around the clock, if they are not restrained or distracted. They want to have fun and experience the world in a playful way. They are open to adventures and fantasies and love to be charmed.
When children are touched they connect with their inner self and feel nurtured. Shiatsu helps develop their intuitive sense which they need to be creative especially in resolving conflicts and problems.
lnsecure children tend to have a lower level of self-awareness and to be blocked in their growth and development. With the help of Shiatsu, we can activate such children’s “original” chi and thus help them to trust their inner force, intuition and imagination.
In observing children you will notice that they naturally enjoy taking responsibility for themselves if they are allowed. Children understand things intuitively, they feel their way. lt intrigues me again and again to see how quickly and easily children learn to play an instrument or to cut carrots with a large knife. Children can do and learn anything as long as they are free to experiment.
Do children learn to communicate differently with Shiatsu?
I have found, that they especially learn to communicate non-verbally, which is often more important than the verbal level. Touch and skin contact enable children to experience themselves and to communicate with others non-verbally at the same time. I am convinced that it is easier to establish a good connection without talking. In the German language this is nicely shown in the word “begreifen” which means both “to touch” and to “understand”. lf I feel I really need to talk with someone, l like to touch them as well in order to understand them better.
So Shiatsu with children is more a life-style than a form of treatment.
Yes, that’s right. Every person yearns to be touched and to have body contact. lt allows us to grow and develop and is necessary for us to find a sense of balance and inner-calm, which we can only find when we live our life and not that of someone else. That is one of many positive side effects when growing up in a Shiatsu environment, social awareness, self esteem and responsibility. An example: one of my sons was always being bullied at school, because he was a more sensitive and slow person. But his body-mind relation and his self esteem were relatively developed,so he responded from his strong character and the bullying stopped.
Shiatsu is a lifestyle that includes natural nutrition. How did you feed your children?
I believe the human being is a plant eater. We relied on vegetables and grains similar
to the macrobiotic diet. We tried to avoid meat, milk products and especially sugar.
Monosaccaride reacts in the body like artificial fertilizer in the soil. lt breaks down the natural sugar cycle and attacks the spleen-pancreas. Sugar disturbs the Yin-Yang balance in the body and in the long run the natural contact to the environment.
Your children all grew up with Shiatsu. How did you do Shiatsu with them?
My wife and I already made contact with our children during pregnancy by laying our hands on her belly.
I have observed that women who are active throughout their
pregnancy (get Shiatsu, do yoga and meridian-stretching) experience a quick and easy birth. My children received Shiatsu from birth. I especially worked on the belly and back to support the development of the digestive system and the bowels. My wife and I used Shiatsu for all kinds of injuries and illness such as fever, headache, joint injuries, bladder infections, cuts, stings or minor accidents. We like to combine Shiatsu with home remedies, such as moxibustion and compresses.
For example, when my daughter got 3rd degree burns from hot tea, my wife applied tofu compresses daily until the skin regenerated itself. lt is especially important to give regular Shiatsu to children between the age of two and three, because is
nurtured in this phase. When we look at our children we feel they are very authentic, we believe they really are the way they feel they are. Children who grow up with
Shiatsu learn to trust who and what they are; they learn to accept their limits.
