Prenatal Shiatsu
Treatments Throughout the Trimesters
Shiatsu is a form of Japanese massage thousands of years old. It is anchored within the same energetic system that acupuncture is based upon. The main differences are that finger and hand pressure is used in shiatsu as opposed to needles in acupuncture; the meridian is addressed in its entirety, whereas acupuncture focuses on points; and the physical stretches and rotations used in shiatsu are not always present in acupuncture.
Originally a folk medicine, shiatsu was, and is, available for the layperson to practice and many families would incorporate this into their approaches to wellness. It is a modality that balances the energy system that supports growth and physiological function while integrating change. It is based on observation, connectedness and touch, so it would make sense that prenatal shiatsu would evolve from a modality that honors and supports life. Intuitiveness is the skill and the hands and body are the tools. The body responds to touch, so feedback is immediate. And with commonsense guidelines, prenatal shiatsu causes no harm. It is in this manner that prenatal shiatsu is a non-invasive, mutual support for the mother and the child on their mutual journey toward birth.
The treatment itself generally takes place on a futon on the floor. The mother remains fully clothed and loose, comfortable clothing is suggested. Stretches and rotations of the shoulders and hips are generally part of the treatment, though may be eliminated during the first trimester when the focus of energy is toward the womb. Hand and finger pressure along the meridians may range from light to moderate to firm, depending on the need of a specific area.
Between treatments self-care can be supplemented with Makka Hos. These are a series of stretches, influenced by yoga in their development and modified to help keep meridian pairs in balance with each other. If there is a particular element that is overtaxed or needing support, (meridians reflect the elements of air, fire, wood and earth, and have different nuances of function and feel) the stretch for that particular meridian will be useful. For overall tonicity and flexibility the five stretches may be used in their totality.
Sessions during the first trimester focus on inner work, emotional balance, and sustaining new life. The mother’s energies are naturally drawn inward. This may make one appear clumsy, or even emotionally sensitive, for the normal circulation routes and support systems are diverting to a new source of life. Prenatal shiatsu offers support to keep this momentum in balance and work to replenish the mother through maintaining meridian integrity by way of touch and finger pressure. Energies directly involved with the development of the embryo can be encouraged to flow in a steady fashion, or directed toward the womb, if sluggish. Keeping the supportive meridians strong can minimize physical depletion of the mother while her body is learning to support two.
Physical pressure from the practitioner will generally stay at a calming steady pace and depth to promote emotional calm. This allows the mother to connect inward with more ease and bond with her womb. The baby will have a more tranquil environment to develop in and connectedness begins, however subtle.
Second trimester sees a more firmly planted fetus and we come closer to the reality of motherhood. One may feel uncertainties of how to be a mother, or even question their readiness. Whenever spontaneous concerns arise, the expression and acceptance of them allows for the heart to move beyond what was. A door is opening and what was behind it comes out to make room. New life is coming, new ways of being, and clearing the channels to allow shifts in identity can keep anxieties to a minimum. Pregnancy is a time of renewal and our energetic boundaries can be challenged to shift accordingly. Prenatal shiatsu helps with this eloquently and naturally.
This is also a time when body aches can become more insistent. Growth is visibly apparent. Muscles and ligaments are being stretched and physical tension increases. Stretches for the hips lengthen muscles and ligaments, encouraging them to conform with the adjustments to pelvic structure. Joints are supported through range of motion rotations and meridian continuity. With the passive stretching in shiatsu, the mother is allowing herself to receive nurturance and support at the same time that her body is being stretched and releasing tension. It allows her to conserve more of her energy at this time when it is being expended greatly and in ways that are beyond her control. The benefits are multifaceted.
As pregnancy progresses, positioning may change to include sitting or even table work. Bolsters and pillows support the mother and the baby, depending on what is needed and called for. Comfort is crucial, for it is in this mode that the mother can more fully release stresses and tensions that may cloud the experience of pregnancy and potentially interfere with bonding with the life within.
As pregnancy draws closer to birth in the third trimester, points can be used to sedate a restless baby if the mother is not getting the rest she needs to get ready for delivery. Stretches and positioning can shift to expand the ribs, offering the lungs more space for deeper breath and cause constriction of the stomach to allow for better nourishment. Sacral points allow for the pelvis to relax into its rapidly shifting position and weight of the baby’s rapidly growing self.
Often times underlying grief may appear and this can be confusing. The loss of the life that was is a natural progression as one moves toward the inclusiveness of baby as a new member of the family. No matter how happily an event is anticipated, there is a leaving behind of a part of self. In fulfilling dreams into reality we step more fully into our lives as they are, into our selves more fully. Shiatsu can help integrate this natural progression in a way that expands our awareness into the newer context of who we are, recognizing how we have evolved, and using it as a foundation to parent from a stance of being more fully complete within.
Closer to the time of delivery the established, yet rapidly shifting, patterns of deep inner work are starting to shift. Energies, which held baby, are beginning to soften, expand, contract and seek downward movement. The earth beckons, the baby turns to listen. Points can be used to help the energy move in the downward motion that birth necessitates, as baby becomes ready for the final journey through the birth canal to finally meet life outside the womb. Baby is meeting life in loving hands, knowing touch, skin to skin for the first time, taking breath deep and full. All this time within, listening, waiting for it’s time to be touched and held and meet you face to face.