Shiatsu Society

Five-Year Report 2010– 2015

The Board are currently putting together a 5-year plan using the Statement of Intent that was approved by the members at the 2009 AGM. Some of the things we are looking at the plan to contain are:

• Shiatsu to be commonly known by public, a household name
• Shiatsu to be accessible through NHS though concerted campaign targeting GPs
• Shiatsu to be available on BUPA and other private health insurance schemes
• Shiatsu to be recognised by ASA as being effective in addressing a wide range of specific health conditions
• Shiatsu practitioners to feel confident in their place in an integrated health-care system
• Having multi-level membership categories to be inclusive of all training and recognise training from one year

Website Listings for Shiatsu Practitioners

Below is a list of websites where Shiatsu Practitioners can have a listing.

Free Listings:-

www.kindtome.org
www.metta.org.uk
www.holisticlistings.co.uk
www.positivehealth.com
www.holisticnetwork.co.uk
www.mytherapypractice.com
www.light-workers.co.uk
www.wchlc.org.uk
www.comptogether.co.uk
www.cyberspacehealthclinic.co.uk
www.centralplexus.co.uk
www.mbspages.co.uk
www.GoodTherapy.org
www.healinghub.co.uk

Listings for a small charge:-

www.sistersaredoingitforthemselves.co.uk (women only)
www.bizreg.co.uk
www.metta.org.uk
www.naturalmatters.net
www.healon.co.uk
www.new-health.biz
www.webhealth.co.uk
www.complementarycumbria.net
www.headtotoebeauty.co.uk
www.worldwidehealth.com
www.NaturalTherapyForAll.com

Invitation to take part in the Olympics

The Olympics 2012 is a key opportunity to greatly raise the profile and activity of Shiatsu in the UK. The Shiatsu Society can be part of this and this will involve both activity by individual members and small groups of members on a local level, as well as activity by the Society on a national scale.

A greater awareness of Shiatsu throughout the UK will benefit not only the South East of England but will be of benefit nationwide.

All Shiatsu Society members can contribute to this and you are invited to take part. At this point we are encouraging all members to join the Olympics sub-committee and take part in online discussions via the Olympics subcommittee discussion forum. This will facilitate discussion and sharing of ideas, initiatives and energy. Out of this can emerge local and national initiatives as well other modes of communication and collaboration.

Please consider joining the Olympics sub- committee and help us make the most of this opportunity. Please contact us and/or go to the online Olympics sub-committee discussion forum (click on 'Discussion Area' at the top of this page).

Many leisure centres and gyms offer evenings once a month where their members can sample different therapies. Bannatyne's is one of these. Try contacting your local ones and see if you can offer taster treatments. Great for CPD points also!

www.timeoutdoors.com is a great website to find out what sporting events are taking place. Many practitioners have fed back that offering treatments at these events has been very beneficial to them.

We have drafted a sample letter you can send to athletes/coaches/sports centres in your area:

Dear [insert recipient name]

I am writing to you on behalf of the Shiatsu Society as we would like to make you aware of the benefits of Shiatsu for helping athletes to compete to the best of their ability and recover from events or longer-term injuries.

Shiatsu is a Japanese physical therapy that has been shown to be very beneficial to regular receivers. It is a very versatile and relaxing therapy that can help to calm pre-event tension and improve focus. Shiatsu can also be used for management, manipulation and rehabilitation of the soft tissues. During a treatment, the practitioner applies finger, thumb, palm or elbow pressure to areas across the body including specific pressure points. Gentle stretches and rotations may also be used to release tension in tight muscles.

A recent study carried out across Europe for a period of six month has shown that many Shiatsu receivers experienced significant improvements in stress and energy levels, and problems with body structure, muscles and joints following regular Shiatsu. During this study Shiatsu receivers were also more aware of their body and more able to relax overall. It has also been endorsed as a way to speed recovery from sports-related injuries by Dr Hilary Jones, for more information check this link: http://www.shiatsusociety.org/public/current_promotions/hilary_jones.shtml.  

Shiatsu is an excellent tool that can be used to help athletes by relieving pain, tension and stress to ensure the very best performance every time they compete. [Insert experience from someone who has worked with athletes – very short case study or testimonial about some of the specific conditions mentioned below]

If you are interested in giving shiatsu a try, we are offering a series of free treatments to athletes [insert more details]. Or if you would like more information, please contact [insert details].

[Insert sign off]

 

Communicating Shiatsu to the World

We all know and appreciate the benefits of Shiatsu. How can we communicate that confidence to the world? Shiatsu as a 'household word', Shiatsu as a part of an integrated healthcare system - there is much that can be done and there is progress being made.

This communication takes place from the ground up and all of us communicate Shiatsu in our lives as practitioners. On a larger scale, the Society plays a vital role in this communication through public relations, marketing and in many other ways. How can we best communicate?

If you want to join the External Communications Sub-committee please contact the Society's office and enable your access to the SSUK External Communications subcommittee online discussion forum.

Visit the Document Downloads page to read the notes from the Marketing workshop at the 2008 Congress where a useful discussion took place with interesting outcomes.

SHIATSU OPEN DAY in ORKNEY

The Orkney School of Shiatsu recently held an open day for folk to drop in and receive free taster sessions and to find out more about shiatsu sessions and tuition. The event was well supported with two local newspapers writing excellent articles about shiatsu and the local radio station reporting the event. Four third year students and their teacher Meg Webster Gaertner were kept very busy as over 40 people received shiatsu and many others took away information or watched and asked questions. Before the doors were opened the first person was asking when they could receive shiatsu and at some points during the day up to 6 people were waiting for a session. People just kept coming! The Shiatsu Society provided a free exhibition pack to support the event. The students who took part found it to be a very useful practical experience. It was a great way of reaching a wide number of people and spreading information about shiatsu within the community.
Megan Webster-Gaertner, Sept 2008

Shiatsu Society sponsors NCT DVD

The Shiatsu Society is sponsoring a new DVD, produced by The National Childbirth Trust, showing birth as it has never been seen before. The film combines information and real life stories from real women – including top TV presenter and mother of three, Davina McCall, who tells her personal home birth story.

The new Happy Birth Day DVD is designed to show how women and their partners can help themselves to have the best birth possible. Featuring Alison Hammond, presenter on ITV’s This Morning, it follows two very different women and their midwives through pregnancy and birth, and shows how the choices they make about their care influence the birth they have and the way they feel about it.

The DVD provides parents-to-be with answers about what really makes a difference and why.  It explains the options available when making key decisions, such as how to choose where to give birth and who can provide support.  These, along with the other choices discussed, are known to have an effect on the sort of birth a woman has.  The DVD also discusses how to improve the chances of a straightforward birth.

As one of the 13 organisations sponsoring the DVD, the Shiatsu Society has produced a short advertisement, which appears on the DVD in between the documentary-style footage about how parents can prepare for the birth of their baby.

Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the NCT said: -
“We are thankful for the sponsorship and support of the Shiatsu Society in the making of this DVD, which provides genuine, accurate and well-presented information to help parents-to-be make the right choices around the birth of their baby. There is too much existing TV material showing birth as an overly dramatic and traumatic experience, and with labours appearing to last only 5-10 minutes. We want to ensure accurate, evidence-based information is available for women to understand their options. That’s why, the NCT is giving away a limited number of DVDs free with its Bumps and Babies magazine, to make sure all mums have the best chance possible of a Happy Birth Day.”

TV presenter and NCT home birth ambassador, Davina McCall, said:
"I was lucky enough to talk to a good friend when I was expecting my first baby. She talked about birth in such glowing terms that I thought how lovely it sounded so I decided home birth was right for me. My labour and births were very straightforward and really really amazing. Having choices is so important. Whatever your choice is, it's the right one for you.”

The DVD and magazine are available free-of-charge to any mum to be in the UK.  Its production is part of the charity’s aim to enable all parents to have a life-enhancing experience of pregnancy, birth and being a new parent.

To see an exclusive preview clip of the DVD journalists can visit www.nct.ord.uk/happybirthdaydvd

The NCT is grateful for the sponsorship and support of the following organisations for the production of the Happy Birth Day DVD: Bright Horizons, Britax, Ceuta Healthcare, Federation of Holistic Therapists, Ford, Foresters Friendly Society, Kamillosan, Ocado, Philips, Shiatsu Society, The British Humanist Association, The Children’s Society. These organisations have had made no contribution to, nor have had any influence on the content of, the programme, which is exclusively provided by the NCT based on research, evidence and the experience of parent.

• Run by parents for parents, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is the largest and best-known charity in Europe supporting people making the transition to parenthood. It is the voice of parents on pregnancy, birth and life as a new parent.  The charity provides a range of quality educational and support services for parents across the UK. Established 50 years ago, the NCT has successfully campaigned for improved care during pregnancy and childbirth and better support for parents of new babies.  The NCT now champions the principle of informed choice for women and their partners.

• NCT provides a range of services for any new parents including antenatal classes, postnatal discussion groups, support on baby feeding with breastfeeding counsellors and a network of over 300 local branches for new parents. For further information, please visit the NCT website at www.nct.org.uk or call the NCT Enquiry line on 0870 444 8707, 9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-4 on Fridays. 

The NCT is a registered charity (reg. no. 801395). All services are available to all parents. The work of the NCT is part funded by 70,000 members who support the work of the charity and provide services to parents as volunteers.  To join the NCT or to renew your support for the charity please visit www.nct.org.uk/join