There is always a new way to practice patience. We all thought that Summer had arrived! No, not quite … Here we are – still in transition with flooding inundations and erratic temperature patterns. Patience, patience, patience. You remember patience, that Liver meridian quality about which we hear so much. Perhaps it’s time to work […]

The energy of Spring is indiscriminately and irrepressibly expansive. As a rule, it is also fairly fast moving: outward, upward, sideward, wherever-ward. Think about a sprouting mung bean. In 48 hours of warm spring weather it will go from a rock hard little bean to a soft, out-curling yummy edible: full of vitamins and life-loaded […]

What is Spleen 6 and why this acupressure point at this time? Spleen 6 is known as “Three Yin Intersection” (Sanyinjiao in Chinese) because it is located precisely at the crossover point of the Spleen, Kidney and Liver meridians – all of which are Yin. These energy channels are important in a significant number of […]

CAULIFLOWER …  AT ITS BEST Cauliflower – humble and often maligned – truly comes into its own via this recipe. I used to think that cauliflower was the most boring vegetable in the shop till I discovered how great it tastes when baked (and then possibly mashed up into a soup with lots of garlic). […]

You and your Water Element: To BE and to DO Keywords: foundations, structure, balance, motivation, action The Water element, manifests itself as the Urinary Bladder Yang and Kidney Yin meridians. Together they govern our ability to “BE” – upright and balanced – to move forward and to “DO” things in your life. You’re probably wondering […]

BEAT THE WINTER BLUES Winter is well and truly here: the end of the TCM year, the deep blue and black season of the Water element. A healthy, well balanced water element allows you to feel calm and comfortable with who you are – confident in your motivations and in your ability to get things […]

FOOD AS ENERGY As energy food goes, Pumpkin & Adzuki Casserole – especially this “Superior” version – is one of my absolute favourites. It combines intense sweet and salt with some garlic/ginger heat and, the inclusion of whole oats, sets off the light smoothness of the pumpkin and the slightly heavier, fine granulated texture of […]

As with all the Makko Ho exercises, MASUNAGA’S ZEN STRETCH for WINTER should be performed gently. This exercise invites you to use your unforced breath and sensitivity to develop your awareness of the Bladder and Kidney meridian energies as you “move the KI” to both open and tonify those meridians. So put aside any ideas […]

Holidays, Winter Shiatsu, new rates & other housekeeping This is a picture of a place in Montenegro where I am not spending my holidays – the holidays when I will not be giving Shiatsu at the new rates, old rates or any rates. However, for a full week (+ some days) of my holidays I […]