Burnout is one of the several pathological disorders of our societies that continue to grow and affect men and women alike, especially at work. This is why the official terminology is “occupational burnout”, even if today it is found in other settings, such as the family, as well.

At the Summit I will begin by explaining the major differences that exist with depression and will draw a picture of the situation in Europe and speak about the public health issues behind this problem. We will then approach burnout in a very concrete way by giving three precise stages that can be easily recognized, a method to quickly determine at what level of exhaustion the suffering person is, how to establish a treatment using the 6-layer system and see what the pitfalls are (when to resume activity, eat meat or not, is there a risk of depression etc.).

Finally, we will talk about health advice to accompany the recovery process. This course, always very lively, is based on exercises, practice, games and shared insights. It will end with the implementation of the appropriate treatment for each person.

This workshop is about you as much as your clients. We will cover two main aspects: 1. What happens to our body as we attempt to comprehend our clients? 2. How can we reduce harm from such processes?
Scientists have started to study something that we Shiatsu practitioners are often already familiar with. They call it interpersonal physiological coordination. It includes emotional contagion, pain contagion, and synchrony of our autonomic nervous system. It also involves what they call brain coupling when our brains work as a network with other brains. Most of the time it all happens without us being aware of it. But it does happen to all of us, all the time.

Why does this happen and how does it happen? Sometimes, some of us do notice that they are picking up how others feel and we become aware of feeling or knowing something that originates with someone else. This is somatic empathy. The problem is that excessive somatic empathy with others is exhausting and those who are particularly prone to it often have a history of burnout, chronic fatigue and depression.

Whether or not we do notice that we are sharing our clients’ conditions, we all need to learn how to manage this process. We also need to better understand the role of somatic empathy in producing our clients’ symptoms. By applying what we learn in the workshop about the mechanisms of somatic empathy, we can work out how to enhance or reduce even the unconscious sharing of conditions. Presentations, small discussion groups and practical sessions, where we work on our own as well as in pairs, will help create experiential understanding of the topic.

Chronic fatigue, burnout and depression do have one thing in common. Isolation. Isolation from others – from family, friends and loved ones as well as from our own supportive assets of personal resiliance – tools of self regulation and access to our own energy. All three conditions mentioned above eventually lead to a state of disconnection.

My approach in this workshop is to explore the subtlety in the deep connection we establish with our clients in Shiatsu, specifically in Sei-Ki, with the purpose of engaging with their built-in ability to self regulate. On a practical level, you will be invited to try out some Katas, frequently practiced in Sei-Ki, known as Rikan No Jutsu. These Katas focus on the resonance between the partners in exploring movement. They contain many key elements of Sei-Ki, such as presence, attention and accompaniment, rather than just going through the motions.

In Sei-Ki, it is common to experience Katsugen (natural movement), which offers the opportunity to come back to self. Katsugen can be a challenge and often there is a fear of losing control. However for everyone who experiences Katsugen, the reality is of a letting go of control, which is so appropriate to our focus topics. Together we can create a safe space where we can all be ourselves and hopefully experience this deep connection with ourselves and others that makes Shiatsu exceptional.

This topic will give us plenty of space and opportunities to meet our clients individually and holistically right where they are at the moment.
We will delve into 3 different areas and explore how they are interlinked. What can be triggered when the right impulses are given in the right place?

The first area we will dive into is ‘thought processes’.
We all think, often a lot. In the case of depression, however, our thoughts circle inexorably in a negative thought spiral. In order to resolve this, the therapist needs to ask the ‘right questions’ and adopt the ‘right attitude’. With the help of coaching tools, we will learn to set an impulse that can create new perspectives and bring about solutions.

The second area is ‘body processes’. We learn how much influence the body has on our thoughts and feelings and vice versa. We will learn Shiatsu techniques to dissolve ingrained body structures, which often manifest themselves in depression, and we will deepen our knowledge of embodiment.

The third area deals with our ‘feelings’. What is behind ‘negative’ feelings? What are they good for? And very importantly: how can we deal with them in everyday life?

In my opinion, it is very important to look at all three areas, as they are interlinked and influence each other.

There will be plenty of room for experimentation and direct experience in this workshop.
I am very much looking forward to the exciting exchange.

Chronic fatigue has become a permanent condition for many people and can severely impair their quality of life. Often, the affected individuals can no longer imagine what it feels like to be full of energy and vitality. There are many reasons for this. However, the intense demands of our fast-paced lives, combined with the challenges of multiple crises, generally leave us with too few opportunities and too little space to pause, take a deep breath and gather our thoughts…

From a Shiatsu perspective, however, fatigue is always a form of energetic deficiency. But where exactly do we lack this energy? Which organs, which meridians are mainly affected? With what symptomatic effects? What needs to be considered during treatment? Especially in the case of severe exhaustion or syndromes such as myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS), a lot of experience is needed to avoid making the condition even worse. Low stress intensities are often enough to trigger these conditions. A careful and targeted approach is required. It is precisely this approach that I would like to share with you.

Nei Gong Foundations
According to Nei Gong health can be seen as an elevated efficiency of the body, the mind and the Qi. Through the internal transformation of our energy system, we pave the ground to establish spiritual qualities in our life. This efficiency and a spiritual mindset are both very important in Shiatsu practice, especially, if we have to work with challenging pathologies. Preserve energy and maintain stillness, stability.

In this course we will explore how to anchor the breath, collect a certain type of Qi and how to nourish the Kidney and the Heart Qi fields. We will also touch the importance of Dan Tian work – especially in relation to protect and nourish our own Qi, which is directly related to the topic of the Shiatsu Summit: Chronique Fatique and Burnout.