What to expect
I listen to your words and your body to bring support, nurture, and release. I tailor every treatment to what you bring on the day so each session is different.
Wear loose or stretchy clothing as you will remain fully clothed throughout. In the colder months, the futon is heated, and blankets are always on hand. I use various supports to make you comfortable in different positions, and can work on a massage table if getting up and down to the floor is difficult – I want you to feel warm, safe and snug.
At the beginning of each session, we will chat about what kind of support you need. I like to see you in the context of your complicated life rather than as a collection of symptoms. I’m interested in how you experience any issues, how they affect other aspects of life, and how you hold them in your body. This exploration gives me insights into what you might respond best to, and gives you the benefit of being fully heard in a safe, non-judgmental space. You can, of course, say as much or as little as you like.
The treatment
Once you’re on the futon, I see the treatment as an ongoing dialogue with your body. It’s mostly wordless, but I will check in with you to make sure you’re comfortable. You can request more or less pressure, or ask me to focus on a specific area for longer if required. Some areas may be sensitive, we can still work on them in different ways if you’re uncomfortable with direct pressure.
During the treatment, you can choose how involved to be. You might want to relax and let your mind wander. It can be a rare and restorative treat to allow your mind the freedom to roam and make new connections. You may also experience emotional releases, which is completely normal. I encourage you to acknowledge and accept these emotions without getting attached to them or creating stories around them. You may also feel the need to move or make sounds, which is perfectly fine. I don’t use music during treatment, as it might distract you from your internal experience.
I will use various techniques depending on how things unfold including work with acupressure points and meridians, stretches and rotations, joint manipulations, and stationary pressure using thumbs, palms, elbows, and occasionally knees. Sometimes still and nurturing, sometimes dynamic; I might use deep or gentle pressure, aiming to nurture the areas that are lacking energy and free it where it is stuck.
About Me – Georgina Holt MrSS
I trained with the Bristol School of Shiatsu, and am a member of the Shiatsu Society UK
I’m fascinated by the places where traditional and Eastern practices overlap with modern Western knowledge, and seeing how we can use the wisdom gathered over centuries of observation alongside scientific discoveries. I also love learning about plant medicine and how this can work in tandem with Shiatsu.
What I love about receiving shiatsu
Regular shiatsu is the cornerstone of my well-being. It invites me to listen to and be friends with my body, and to manage my chronic migraines. After giving birth, when my body felt like it was not my own anymore, shiatsu helped me to feel whole again. When I’m anxious, shiatsu grounds me and brings clarity and purpose.
My mind can be a busy, buzzy place where thoughts start to form and are replaced by the next thing before they develop. Day in day out the relentless, exhausting, busy-ness of life, work and family can make it hard to do the things I know will make life easier. Shiatsu embodies this knowledge so I can live more in tune with myself and the world. On the mat, both receiving and giving shiatsu. I enter a liminal space where the walls seem to disappear and half-conscious, half-dreaming my mind roams. Emotions arise and shift as my body is nurtured and tension released, and healing happens in a place beyond words.
At the end of a treatment, when I slowly, reluctantly accept that it’s time to stretch a little, maybe wriggle my toes and open my eyes I feel a renewed sense of clarity and energy. I invariably feel a spring in my step and my skeleton seems to hang together better. I often notice that I’m smiling and seeing things I’d usually overlook.