When you’re right-handed, it’s hard to put yourself in the shoes, or rather the movements, of a left-handed person. The world around them is essentially adapted to right-handed people, which requires constant adaptation to their environment. As a student and teacher of Shiatsu, and even as the editor of this blog, I’ve often wondered about the sequence of techniques, the position of the practitioner next to the receiver, and many other things, because I’m completely left-handed. That’s why I was so excited to read this excellent article by Tanja Hahn, published in the German Shiatsu Journal, which looks at the question of left-handedness. What can Shiatsu do to help? How do you learn Shiatsu when you’re left-handed? And there are many other questions that I invite you to discover and think about.
With my work and contribution as shiatsu practitioner and hypnotherapist I would like to raise awareness for the existence and specific needs of left-handedness in our world as well as to share my experiences in this field in my daily work. Scientists state that at least 8 – 15 % of all humans are born left-handed1.
In the latest studies the hypothesis is that it could be up to 50 % and that the root cause is multifactorial. Based on my own experience and daily work with my shiatsu clients I do not see left-handedness as a flaw – like many cultures still do. I see left-handedness as a huge potential. Left-handed people are masters of creativity and show enormous skill for resolving problems, in order to find their way in a world that is twisted for them.
With a share of 8 % on the world’s human population they deserve being noticed and treated respectfully in our societies. Even today you can often observe grandparents or other adult relatives placing cutlery or pencils in the children’s right hand, although the child would have intuitively used the left hand. This intervention of adults, not letting children intuitively decide which hand to use, is the starting point of early childhood re-education, which could be the root cause for serious, lifelong, problems.
In Germany we can observe, since the late 90ies, targeted educational work in schools, kindergartens, universities and other institutions to educate future teachers and educational staff in handedness matters. The first positive results can be observed right now. In some regions of Bavaria there are school classes with up to 50 % left-handed children2.
With Shiatsu we can support and accompany left-handed clients, to get in contact with their often hidden or (partly) suppressed left-dominant being. In most cases the first step however is to give them time, space and allowance to sense and perceive the psycho-emotional and somatic phenomena caused by the suppression (for decades) of their left-handed character.
How does handedness develop?
This question is still not finally clarified in science. The evolutional origin is still not discovered. For centuries scientists worldwide have worked on this question, yet many hypotheses could not be proven so far1. In the meantime, it is clear that we are born with a dominant hand. Hand preferences are already observable during pregnancy. The cerebral hemisphere lateralization (organization and distribution of tasks in our brain) defines which brain hemisphere will be the dominant one in a person1.
Previous statistics show very low values for left-handedness. This is because re-trained left-handed persons had been counted as right-handed. These figures never had been adjusted1. We can therefore assume, that a not inconsiderable proportion of our clients is left-handed, partly even without knowing it (e.g. suppressed through trauma).
How does a (re-trained) left handed person walk through the world?
If you are a right-handed person, I invite you to experience a self-test, how left-handed people feel all day long. Try to open a door with your key held in your left hand or try to get cash at an ATM using your left hand. Sense how difficult it is and what effort these across movements cost you on a psycho-emotional and physical level.
It is not unusual that motor skills are re-programmed into the right side from early childhood on, e.g. due to cultural beliefs or traditions. Writing is defined to be the most impacting and affecting intervention (so called re-trained left handers)1,2. Even today many professions can only be taught / studied right-handed (e.g. professional piano player, different kinds of musicians, crafts such as mechanics / plumber, many professions in the health area).
Left-handers always are in a tweaking mode. They constantly need to adapt their intuitive movement processes to the actual situation. Their brain is permanently running at full speed, since it has to translate and form synapses into the other direction. This effort of translation and adaptation requires an enormous amount of energy resources, that in consequence is not available for other physical or mental processes. The so called „knots in the brain“ („Knoten im Hirn“) is very well known to left-handers.
Many physical and / or psycho-emotional problems could be caused by an insufficiently promoted left-handedness or trained uneconomic movement patterns. Many affected people mostly were / are not sufficiently supported and promoted in the development of their left-handedness – especially for learning to write. This forms the foundations for overstrain, tension, tight muscles or chronical stress. Affected persons often recognize such or other phenomena in their mid-twenties for the first time and have normally no clue, that all these could be originally rooted in their left-handedness.
Mike Mandl describes the western lifestyle as “living against their inner and outer nature” 3. This is especially true for left-handers that are not allowed to sufficiently live their special characteristics. In order to exist in everyday life, they are always forced to do things and to act against their intuition and their inner order system.
In our world left-handers have no or only limited access to a „clear YES in consistency with” their “natural principles”. 3
How can we meet and support left handers in Shiatsu?
Many different physical or psycho-emotional phenomena could be caused by partly or fully suppressed left-handedness. Unfortunately, the question of handedness is usually not taken into account in diagnosis, surgery and science.
With our Shiatsu principles, our alignment, the spirit of unintentionality and mindfulness in resonance, giving a sense of stability, security and empathy, we offer a secure and safe setting that invites (re-trained) left-handed clients to show their hidden left-handed essence core – if it is ready to show up.
It often happens that we observe in our shiatsu treatments, that it is difficult to hold a stable resonance. In some cases, it is impossible to establish resonance.
Self-reflection as therapist is a good first step to search for solutions.
Nonetheless it often is not a question inside the Shiatsu practitioner.
In these cases, it is a good advice to take the question of handedness into account.
Many of my clients recognize for the first time in their life, during their first shiatsu treatment, how extremely different and disharmonious their two body and brain hemispheres feel.
Some describe a sensation of not belonging together, of being disconnected or being vertically separated into 2 parts.
Frequently it happens at the end of the session that they intuitively tell me about a lifelong insecurity in their handedness or about being re-trained in their childhood – especially to write right-handed.
Others again have completely repressed or forgotten that they are born as left-handers. The deep relaxation and mindful self-perception, they experience in a shiatsu treatment, provide access to this hidden knowledge.
I often experience and can observe that the space for resonance opens up spontaneously, if we change position with respect to the clients on the futon. In other words: sitting on the heart side of the client whilst doing the hara palpation.
Through this change the left-handed part of the client gets the impression of being seen, fully accepted like he / she / it is.
Since I am left-handed myself –usually sitting on the heart side of my clients – I intuitively use this position change while treating right-handed clients to step into a deeper state of resonance.
Most of the re-trained left-handers are traumatized through the experience of being retrained. They may have experienced violations of boundaries, physical violence, stigmatizations, teasing, bullying, exclusion and so on.
We can assume, that the older the person, the more decisive and dramatic were the methods of re-education that they had to endure.
Götz Renartz (doctor, neurologist and psychotherapist, founder and inventor of the autosystemic hypnosisÒ ) has recognized, that a large share of left-handers, entering into psychotherapy, have dissociated this specific left-hand childish part, in order to bring it to safety.
This in consequence requires from us, in our shiatsu setting, that we resonantly touch the dissociated part of the client. We offer space and time to find the way back to one’s self, having the opportunity to sense and get to know this hidden part of self.
Sensing and recognizing, step by step, in one’s natural time, the needs of this hidden part is essential.
With mindfulness, shiatsu alignment and focus, we create a safe, calm and clean framework that enables and invites left-handed clients to respectfully and safely contact this protected essence core.
Since handedness is not enough recognized in science and medicine, no specific lefthander syndromes or phenomena are categorized.
Nonetheless – while intensively dealing with the question of handedness – I can observe some patterns on physical and psycho-emotional level:
- Dysfunctional (im-)balance between left and right side
- Acquired, uneconomic movement patterns, that over years lead / led to motor, physical and / or psychological symptoms
- Difficulties in right-left coordination
- Strong longing to establish a deeper connection with their the own intuition
- Desire for escaping from sensory overload, permanent tweaking / adaptation followed by overstrain
- Desire for stillness, calm, deep relaxation and regeneration
In my work with left-handed people, I observed that less is more. I treat through touching only a few points using slow, sensitive, gentle and deep leaning / tuning in. This opens the space for deep relaxation, calming down, resting and receiving without receptive overstrain. The receptor nervous system of left-handers is permanently under stress. Less impulse, yet deep and clear leaning enables smooth overall systemic processing and understanding. A uniform present mother hand conveys the feeling of security. This enables the client to connect back to their own ability to self-regulate and self-organise their complex systems on all levels.
Re-trained left-handers (partially) can’t sense the left side of their body. Sometimes, they can only perceive small areas of this part of the body (not being able to connect to the so-called blind spots (acc. trauma).
Some are plagued through chronical pain phenomena or vagabond pain.
When accompanying affected people, it is essential to act as mirror, to make resistances and boundaries tangible, since the clients are not able to sense them on their own in the beginning.
With Shiatsu we can support re-establishing the capability to change between contraction (e.g. frozen state: being forced to do everything with the right hand) and expansion (e.g. flexibility, freedom, balanced left-right coordination). Every resistance has a specific message. As Shiatsu practitioners we offer a secure and respectful space to perceive, recognize and decode these messages. In my work treating sensitive trauma is mandatory. Boundaries and resistances that show up must be unconditionally and unrestrictedly protected. I especially focus on the potential to re-discover the ability of self-regulation and self-organization, supporting the opportunity for expansion, transformation and development for homeostasis, to achieve individual balance.
Each single treatment is a small pathway between giving impulse and sensory overload.
It is therefore a challenge for our resonance capability as shiatsu practitioners.
I always see my role in accompanying the individual process in natural time and individual rhythm (deep rhythm), without pushing or forcing.
„Go with what is“ („Gehe mit dem, was ist.“). Masunaga’s principle is essential even in the treatment of left-handers.
Through mindfulness, resonance principle, focus and relaxed alignment, we find deep trust in our intuition to find the required measure between dispersal and toning.
Left-handers are in a permanent state of tension and adaptation. Meaning that all nervous systems permanently run to deliver top performance (YANG). With Shiatsu we can stimulate and support the YIN (relaxation, deep breath, pause, rest).
Contact in depth and the specific touch of shiatsu support stabilization of the parasympathetic systems and helps self-regulation to reactivate.
I always give the opportunity to perceive and sense the aftereffect at the end of a session (5-10 minutes). Perceiving both body sides holistically is a huge challenge for left-handers, especially re-trained ones. In my work, I give time to let this important process happen while being in an relaxed and resonant alignment. The clearer, unintended and focused my alignment, the easier the left-handers can approach their blind spot(s) or the dissociated left-handed being.
Sensitive handling of handedness in Shiatsu education and teaching
Here, I would like to raise awareness for the question of handedness in our shiatsu education. Wilfried Rappenecker wrote at page 27 of the Shiatsu Journal year 30: Positions, that „do not support the relaxed alignment and focus of your body space and therefore the presence in the own space for resonance … are fundamentally unfavourable “4.
As a left-hander it requires enormous will and the mobilization of great energy resources to perform Shiatsu or other professions from the non-intuitive side / direction.
Who did define, that the hara diagnosis has to be performed sitting at the right side of the client?
Left-handers do things intuitively correct according to their inner sense of order.
Nonetheless they are still trained and treated as right-handers in many apprenticeships and educational programs. Often, they adapt themselves due to shame and the way of less resistance.
Many teachers stick to the positioning shown on pictures they can find in books or videos – without being aware, that a left-hander might have to choose another position. I would like to sensitize all Shiatsu teachers, professionals and practitioners to give the left-handedness space to show up as what it is: a natural human property that has a huge potential.
In case you are a teacher, please encourage your left-handed students to use their dominant (left) hand, instead of choosing the way of adaptation. Many doors can spontaneously open, solely due to the allowance e.g. to sit on the other side for hara diagnosis.
My Shiatsu teachers did pick up my impulse to liberate my dominant hand and accompanied me returning back to my left-handedness through the whole shiatsu diploma apprenticeship.
True to the motto: “I can do that with my left hand.”
This marked a huge shift in my life. As soon as I allowed myself to follow my own inner direction, I experienced how light life can feel and how easy it is to bring deep resonance and lightness into my shiatsu treatments. I was not forced anymore to adapt to an unnatural direction and to break down my intuition through using my mind. A challenge for both sides (teachers and students) to stay flexible and open, to find new positions and alignments. A way that was rewarded by growth and opening in the end. Changing the dominant hand – already used in sports training methods for years – led to joy and lightness in the shiatsu lessons and offered the opportunity to perceive that established routines could not be performed anymore solely through the intervention of changing the guiding hand.
Changing directions and positioning is an opportunity for all and brings lightness, fun and some chaos to the lessons. As we all know, new order grows from chaos.
In case you are a left-handed practitioner or shiatsu student, I would like to encourage you to allow yourself – aside all books and training materials – to discover your own positioning and way of working. Live your potential in your uniqueness.
Allow yourself to directly contact your intuition without using your mind and your well adapted right side. Through this courageous step, psycho-emotional as well as physical transformation and development processes could be stimulated. Please be aware that sometimes professional support and accompaniment is required to get through these processes. Do not hesitate to search for adequate assistance.
In any case a shift of direction to yourself and your dominant hand is worthwhile.
Notes
- 1- Acc.., www.spektrum.de, Report of Florian Sturm, Warum gibt es Linkshänder? (Why there are left-handers?), 13.08.2019
- 2- Acc.. Johanna Barbara Sattler, Der umgeschulte Linkshänder (the re-trained lefthander), Auer Verlag, 13. Auflage (edition) 2019
- 3- Mike Mandl, Die Laus und die Leber (the louse and the liver), S. 28, Bacopa Verlag, Auflage (edition) 2023
- 4- Wilfried Rappenecker, Shiatsu Journal, Jahrgang 30, Frühjahrsausgabe (spring journal), p. 27
- 5- Suggested readings: Marina Neumann, Natürlich mit Links (naturally with left), Ariston Verlag, 2014
Additional information in the web:
Author
- How to meet left-handedness in Shiatsu - 4 June 2024
Translator
- Book review: “Another self” by Cindy Engel - 30 September 2024
- 24-26 October 2025: Master Class in Vienna (Austria) – Shiatsu and martial arts - 20 August 2024
- Lembrun Summer Intensive Course – July 6 to 12, 2025: Digestive System Disorders, Advanced Organ Anatomy, and Nutrition - 4 August 2024
- Anpuku Workshop with Ivan Bel in London – 7 & 8th, June 2025 - 22 June 2024
- Interview with Wilfried Rappenecker: a european vision for Shiatsu - 15 November 2023
- Interview : Manabu Watanabe, founder of Shyuyou Shiatsu - 30 October 2023
