Friday, February 23, 2007

Marching the Pig

Well didn’t the Pig just stroll in full of smiles and goodies. I think we’ve been giving it so much attention lately it stocked up with extra abundances for us. I learned to skate, properly and on ice, on Chinese New Year’s Day – chuffed? You bet!

The first Healing NLP weekend was a whole lot more than any of us expected – even me, teaching it, with wonderful help from Liz Butters. This practice makes such a serious difference to diagnosis/analysis, with treatment results to match. And our more reflective approach (minus the business/sales razzmatazz often associated with nlp) certainly sounded a deep chord of appreciation.

Onwards and Inwards – marching in comes the first Shiatsu Open Evening of the New Year, the first Five-Day Special Intensive starter (five spaces left – one for you?), the first Healing NLP Master-Practitioner weekend and 2007’s first Foundations of Taoist Practice. What a basket – scroll down and take your pick.

SHIATSU OPEN EVENING
Friday 2nd March 6.30 to 9pm
Learn about Zen Shiatsu and how it is different. Secrets of energy-flow; does it work for backpain; other symptoms?
How long is the training? Full-time or part-time? How often are the classes? how much does it cost? can anyone do it?
Michael (Dean of Studies) Cullingworth and I are looking forward to answering your questions, showing you a taste of Shiatsu and while you get a feel of what its like to train with us you learn about the first steps to becoming a Shiatsu Practitioner, qualified, licenced and recognised,
There's no pressure and of course no obligation but sign up this evening and we take 5% off the course you choose, so come prepared.

And please don’t worry if you can’t make the Open Evening because you are always welcome to visit our school and try a class before committing yourself. We offer continuous enrolment – you can join any time – on the weekly and monthly courses, and Special Intensives several times a year.
Learn more
I look forward to meeting you.

TAKE FIVE
Zen Shiatsu 5-day Special Intensive Starter Course March 5th thru’ 9th Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm leading to Certificate in Practical Shiatsu (CPS).
When you take five days out to immerse yourself in receiving, watching, experiencing and learning to give shiatsu, practising mindfulness in action and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done, then whatever your own reasons for wanting to help yourself by helping others you have found the way to do so. As well as meeting new people and making new friends while you learn a caring skill, you start with a warm welcome and complete with a proper qualification. Learn more

I’m assisted by Nicola Abson throughout with appearances by: Alexander West, Zen School Teacher; Annie Hooley, Zen School Student Rep; Fiona Spence, Zen School student; and Sakae Fujiwara taking time out from her Harley Street practice. Abundance! I am grateful to those who give up their time to share their skills and compassion and help show the way to others.

Now if you prefer to learn by absorption or if work and family commitments don’t let you take five days out then take advantage of our continuous enrolment to join the weekly evening, afternoon or monthly weekend classes. It’s the same programme spread over a longer period with the same benefits. Join any Tuesday evening at 6.30, Thursday afternoon 2.30, or the third Saturday of the month 10am or 2pm. * No need to book – just turn up! Learn more


MASTERING MIND
March 13th Early Bird discount deadline for Healing NLP Master-Practitioner Training with Kris Deva North, starting 13th April. You may have missed the Practitioner Course but there’s nothing to stop you joining the Masters and getting the early-bird discount if you sign up before the deadline.
Learn more

MORE ENERGY, LESS STRESS
Foundations of Taoist Practice: Step 1, March 24/25
Stress management, Grounding, Flexibility
Mind, body and spirit learn to work together, to be at ease together, to live together. Breathing, structural exercises and meditation turn stress into vitality with Beginner Chi-kung (qigong), Iron-Shirt breathing practices, the Inner Smile, the basics of the Microcosmic Orbit (“small heavenly cycle” in the traditional texts) and Six Healing Sounds.
“Journey of a thousand miles starts with the First Step.”

Matt Lewis will be co-facilitating with me and if you’ve tried out our Monday evening Tai Chi and Chi Kung class you’ll know what a cracking good teacher he is.
Learn more
(Step 1 is included in the Shiatsu Advanced Professional Licence course so if you’re on that but haven’t yet done it, seize the moment! You will find it worth it.)

VITALITY SHOW
This sounds like its going to be a real buzz! 29th March to 1st April in the Main Hall at Olympia. We’re on Stand F138 so come and see us, get a head-neck-and shoulders, if you’ve done a shiatsu course with us sign up as a volunteer, (click Reply) and if you haven’t done a course with us yet, sign up at the show for a special festival discount: come prepared.

SHIATSU REGULATION
Shiatsu Politics took a tip in the right direction when organisations that hitherto had communicated at the bellow sat down together to hammer out a group policy for compliance with House of Lords recommendations on regulating complementary therapies.

Sponsored by the Prince of Wales Federation for Integrated Health, the meeting was chaired by newly elected Paul Nethercott whose impressive credentials include chairing a high-level National Health Service complaints committee, well fitting him for the task of managing the diverse representatives of the Art of Gentle Healing.

For the first time in several years there did seem to be an element of agreement in principle about the way forward for regulating our profession; although one organisation still laboured under the impression that responsibility toward their members should be balanced against a duty to guard the public - against marauding practitioners? (Armed Shiatsu Bandits arrested dispensing Random Acts of Healing)

The new lay Chair explained that protecting the public was the purpose of the Regulator whereas a Society exists for its members, (the principle on which our Society was founded; scroll down our Charter)

A breakthrough was achieved in agreeing that Shiatsu Schools should have a vote in the regulatory process, simply because whatever emerges it will be the shiatsu schools that have to inform students and act to implement it. So far our Zen Shiatsu Society is the only one to offer corporate membership to schools as well as individual membership to students, practitioners and teachers.

The new Shiatsu Regulatory Group is intended to replace the General Shiatsu Council as regulator for the profession. The SRG is seeking a lay Vice-Chair and until they find one they elected me to fill the post.

I came away encouraged. That vote shows all parties are taking seriously what’s best for Shiatsu. Following this melodrama a year or two ago, you might have been excused for thinking that this was not among the foreseeable outcomes. This is a fitting start to the Year of the Pig, a symbol of abundance. Let's hope other negotiations on matters of health, life and death in other fragmented parts of the world also enjoy successful new beginnings. The full minutes of the SRG meeting will be posted on the Zen Shiatsu Society web site.

Best

Kris Deva North

MARCHING IN like a lion
at Zen Shiatsu & Healing Tao
68 Great Eastern Street London EC2

Monday evenings Tai Chi & Qigong 6.30 to 8pm
* No need to book – just turn up!

Tuesday evenings 6.30, Thursday afternoons 2.30
Zen Shiatsu Beginners continuous enrolment
* No need to book – just turn up!