Book: The Spirit of Shiatsu

9 Jan, 2025
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Ivan Bel is one of a new generation of Shiatsu practitioners who are working hard on many levels to bring this noble art to new heights of professionalism and public visibility. One of the many assets Ivan brings to this creative endeavour is his experience as a journalist. Here we have a book on shiatsu written by a professional writer and organised by a well-travelled and deeply committed mind.

His background is refreshingly diverse and his education is a testament to both his dedication and his diversity. He has made a point of studying in depth with several Shiatsu masters. In addition, he has studied extensively in a number of related fields, including medicine, martial arts and meditation, as well as studying languages in depth.

Organisation of the book

The book is prefaced by the legendary Bernard Bouheret, a much-needed guarantee of quality. Ivan has organised the book into three sections, allowing a clean and thorough organisation of the rich and varied material:

  • Earth (basic technique)
  • Human (advanced technique)
  • Heaven (spiritual philosophy)

The aim of this book is to answer a simple but elusive question: what is the spirit of Shiatsu?
A brief but wonderful mention is made of Simon Fall’s masterpiece: As Snowflakes Fall: Shiatsu as Spiritual Practice…

Content review

Dreamer, I’ll feel the freshness at my feet.
I’ll let the wind bathe my naked head.
I won’t speak, I won’t think anything:
But infinite love will rise in my soul,

Arthur Rimbaud: Sensation

So begins Chapter 12, Feeling, of the first part of The Spirit of Shiatsu.

The first part is called ‘Earth’ and deals with the basic technique. So it’s wonderful to have a poet introduce us to the basics of feeling, the basis for so much more to come. The rest of this section is filled with an encyclopaedic range of information on posture, hand technique and the many fundamentals that need to be gradually put in place to make the Shiatsu journey a smooth one.

The second part, entitled ‘The Man’, takes a more in-depth look at the dynamics of the development of the Shiatsu technique. Among the very many topics and sub-topics covered is Zanshin, often translated as alert and relaxed awareness – exactly the kind of awareness we cultivate from day one in teaching and training Shiatsu.

Ivan writes: ‘We need to let go of the mind – here and now – to be able to experience the body with the required attention.’ This refreshingly direct and energetic statement is supported by a page or two of explanatory commentary, but is almost a manifesto in itself.

Among the myriad other topics covered in this section is Isshin Denshin, literally: one-heart-transmit-heart, or in plain English, heart-to-heart. In it, Ivan explores a rarely discussed aspect of the energetic relationship between student and teacher.
Ivan describes the channel of joy, verve and dynamism that the student can access through this relationship, and the dilemma that results when it dissolves. The student frees himself to find his own feet, and eventually to find his independence. The shock he then suffers is not often described in books, but it is easily recognisable to anyone who has benefited from the support of a great teacher and felt the cold shower of independent action when that relationship ends. Ivan’s particular talent is to describe the bright side: every challenge encountered becomes a milestone on the path and an opportunity for personal growth. When the student, in all his vulnerability, manages to persevere and reach new levels of competence and endurance, the rewards are proportional to the degree of difficulty encountered.

The third part of the book is entitled ‘Heaven’ and deals with aspects of spiritual philosophy. In it, Ivan boldly sets out his position as an advocate of Shiatsu and Oriental medicine in their own terms: ‘Oriental medicine is not a vague science – except for those who choose not to study it. It is an exact science in terms of its own logic and reasoning, its world view and dynamic concepts… between all these channels, there are many relationships that allow Qi to circulate throughout the body’. This framework is fundamental to understanding how the body continually replenishes itself.

The Spirit of Shiatsu is an extremely comprehensive and ambitious project. It will undoubtedly help Shiatsu to establish itself as an equal and respected healing profession among the other healing professions.

How to order

The book L’Esprit du Shiatsu is available on all online platforms, in your bookshop or directly from the publisher’s website: Singing Dragon, 336 pages, January 2025.


Author

Chris McAlister

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