Shiatsu Writing
I have been writing articles and blogs about Shiatsu for many years. Specialist topics include Shiatsu during pregnancy and with babies and children, Shiatsu and cancer care, and more recently I have been writing about grief, loss and death, which is the topic of my first book, published in August 2020.
Book Working with Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice
Singing Dragon (Hachette), August 2020
“There are chapters on the client, the practitioner, the client-practitioner relationship ... for teachers with suggested curriculum and sample exercises. ... practical exercises — qigong, meditation and reflection. This short review cannot do justice to the breadth of information that the book covers ... highly recommended to those who want to understand more about working, supporting, and living with death and loss. ”
My debut book, Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice: a Guide to Bodywork in Palliative Care was published on 21 August 2020 by Singing Dragon (Hachette). There was a launch at the European Shiatsu Congress in Amsterdam 4 – 6 September 2020, where I led a workshop about Shiatsu and grief, Autumn Leaves Fall. (After my return, I was in quarantine for a fortnight.)
The research I have done while writing this book showed me that Shiatsu is coming to maturity at exactly the time when health services around the world are starting to need what we offer as part of their palliative care policy. Increasingly their reports contain language which is familiar to us – that death is a natural part of life and that care for the dying must be holistic.
“Palliative care… affirms life and regards dying as a normal process; intends neither to hasten or postpone death; integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care.”
Together, Shiatsu practitioners have the expertise to demonstrate and communicate how our multi-levelled approach is exactly what patients are asking for: to find the balance between living well right up to the point of death, and preparing themselves and their loved ones for what comes after. For, death focuses the mind. You can find information on what the book covers here.
Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice is available now from Bookshop.org, Hive, Blackwell’s, Waterstones, Wordery, Amazon and on Kindle.
Watch to find out more:
An interview between Tamsin Grainger and Carola Beresford-Cooke on Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice.
A short introduction to Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice, a guide to holistic bodywork in palliative care.
Reviews for Working with Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice:
“A wonderful book, and a gift to any Shiatsu practitioner. I will be learning from and enjoying it for years to come.”
“An invaluable resource for all touch therapists drawn to working at this edge of life. Weaving her own extensive experience together with guidance on every conceivable aspect of the subject, Tamsin Grainger balances poignant case studies with the discipline, self-reflection and professionalism that end-of-life care demands. A truly impressive achievement!”