Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning finger pressure. It is a touch-based therapy which offers support to those who have received a life-threatening illness, are dying or grieving. It is ideal for those who are struggling to find the words to express what they are going through, and it also helps to make connections between your feelings and body.
Being faced with death involves the whole of us: we have complicated emotions; very real physical symptoms; worrying thoughts; and deeper, more spiritual questions about life and what happens afterwards. Going to Shiatsu is one of the very few places we can go where someone is qualified to support us with all of this.
You do not take your clothes off when receiving Shiatsu.
In addition to being regularly used by people all over the world, a variety of charities, health foundations, NHS trusts, hospitals and hospices in the United Kingdom provide Shiatsu to patients whilst receiving treatment for a range of chronic and serious health issues.
At its heart, it is adaptable to your needs. It is a form of bodywork which can vary from the gentle touch which is often needed for someone at the very end of life, to a reassuring firmness for people who are grieving and feel as if the ground has gone from under them. Being in a soothing Shiatsu environment is very different from being in a medical treatment centre: you will be sitting quietly with an expert who listens to whatever you need to say, and then will receive bodywork which recognises the healthy parts of you as well as those which are hurting. It is something ultimately valuable when our lives are turned upside down.
When it is hard to make decisions, to know what comes next, or what will help, having someone to offer recommendations - natural and effective ones - can be such a help. Shiatsu can be really useful - receiving calming acknowledgement of what you are going through, together with appropriate touch to help you integrate the sometimes confusing experiences.
Shiatsu is also there for your friends and relatives.
You can find a Shiatsu practitioner by looking through the Shiatsu Society website. the Federation of Holistic Therapists or the Complementary Therapists Association. Alternatively, you can put Shiatsu and your geographical area into your search engine (google or safari, for example) and look for someone with plenty of experience and the letters MrSS or FwSS (member or fellow of the Shiatsu Society) after their name. This is a mark that they are properly trained and qualified. There are other indications that someone is a member of a professional organisation, such as being on the CNHC (the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council) official and professional register.