Yesterday, I went to an open day at a complementary therapy centre in Cardiff and had a taster session of 'Shiatsu'. I'd been interested in shiatsuit for a while, but knew very little about it. I was really impressed by the therapy and it's whole body impact. Here's an extract from the Shiatsu Society's description about Shiatsu:

"Shiatsu is a therapeutic practice that can support individuals in moving towards greater health and well-being.

Shiatsu is a relaxing treatment and can be beneficial for back pain, stress, headaches, whiplash injuries, neck stiffness, joint pain and reduced motibility and many sports injuries amongst other ailments.

Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning "finger pressure". It is a new name for the oldest form of medicine - healing with hands. Everybody has the healing power of touch and responds to touch. It is a natural ability that people are now beginning to recognize again.Shiatsu uses hand pressure and manipulative techniques to adjust the body's physical structure and its natural inner energies, to help ward off illness, and maintain good health.

Shiatsu is characterized by its great simplicity. It grew from earlier forms of massage, called Anma in Japan (Anmo or Tuina in China) which use rubbing, stroking, squeezing, tapping, pushing, and pulling to influence the muscles and circulatory systems of the body. Shiatsu, by contrast, uses few techniques and to an observer it would appear that little is happening - merely a still, relaxed pressure at various points on the body with the hand or thumb, an easy leaning of the elbows or a simple rotation of a limb."

Indian Head Massage is a treatment which has its roots in old Ayurvedic techniques involving work on the upper back, shoulders, neck, scalp and face. Various massage movements are used in and around these areas and an average treatment session will last approximately 45 minutes. The aim of Indian head massage is to release the stress that has accumulated in the tissues, muscles and joints of the head, face, neck and shoulders. A variety of massage movements are used to relieve accumulated tension, stimulate circulation and restore joint movement. IHM is also used to aid the condition and health of the hair, including stimulating growth, particularly when combined with the use of natural organic oils. Indian Head Massage is used by practitioners to help reduce stress and fatigue, increase mental clarity, and relax and rejuvenate the receiver. The Hindi word for head massage is "Champi" and aspects of the treatment have a long tradition in Indian families. Mothers would stroke their daughter's hair to promote its growth and health. Narendra Mehta - blind from the age of one - grew up in India and head massage was an integral part of his life. He came to England in the 1970s to train as a physical therapist and in 1978 returned to India to study the benefits and practice of champissage, extending it to include neck, shoulders and face. On his return to England, he developed a sequence of movements. There is no right or wrong way and sequence of movements vary from one therapist to another. Remember that Indian Head Massage is reduced by 40% on a Tuesday! One hour treatments are £15 instead of £25 very Tuesday!!!

It seems that the popularity of IHM is growing rapidly. The vast majority of my recent new clients have come for Indian Head Massage. Most of those new clients have been new to IHM, having never experienced it before.

My Google analytics page suggests that the most popular search or 'keywords' for the Red Raven website are: 'indian head massage', 'history of indian head massage', 'what is indian head massage'!

IHM is a very effective therapy and it is far more than just a 'head' massage. It focusses on the upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, head, ears and face. It's a great all round therapy and perfect for those people who hold tension in their shoulders, neck and jaw. During the therapy session, it is wonderful to see the positive visible impacts on my clients; tension releases, breathing slows, heart rate decreases and relaxation is achieved.

From March, a new special offer will be available; 'The Tuesday Treat', which will see all one hour Indian Head Massage treatments reduced from £25 to £15. That's an excellent saving of 40%!!

I've been very lucky over the last few years to have been able to give Indian Head Massage treatments to young people. On every occasion, I have been struck by the positive impact that the therapy has had on the young person, in terms of their posture and general feeling of relaxation. Often we see teenagers hunched over their school desks or slouched at their PCs, so it is very important what we take a conscious move as parents and therapists to encourage good posture and self awareness of health at an early age. I ran a workshop at the International Forum for Child Welfare in 2008 when it came to Cardiff and was very pleased to be able to attend a presentation by a Carmarthenshire voluntary sector organisation, offering massage to school children (www.cycaonline.org/holistic-therapies). You can find out more about Massage in Schools here: www.misa.org.uk. When I first started providing therapies for children, I did some web research to find out what other services ere available in the locality. I stumbled upon Clover House in Bristol (http://www.cloverhouse.org/index.php) which is a holistic therapy centre for children. I am hoping to make links with the Centre and visit soon, to see what they do. I have worked in children's services both in health and local government for many years and am acutely aware of the issues around parental consent, child protection and Safeguarding. So I feel confident that with parental / guardian's consent and parents/guardians in attendance that giving these therapies is a positive move. I am also a magistrate, so I have been CRB and police checked for different roles at different times.

It's that strange time between Christmas and New Year when you can really relax and have a chance to unwind. The mad dash of the Christmas roast is over for another year and you don't need to start planning New Year's Eve just yet! So, you're in that nice stage of limbo when you can wonder around the shops and pick up bargains if you fancy or go out for walks or maybe just stay in and watch some family movies.