ISSO Workshop, Graz, November 1-3 2024 with Alice Whieldon

Sei-ki: Fundamental Touch

When I first met Kishi Akinobu, the founder of Sei-ki, it was for a treatment. I had heard of him, of course. He had a reputation as the wild boy of Shiatsu, a maverick. Over the years I learned that this had an element of truth and some people undoubtedly found that aspect of him appealing. But what was more striking to me in that first meeting was his touch. It was not limited to the physical placing of his hands but was in his presence as he sat down beside me. Immediately I felt I was in safe hands. It was a feeling of being seen for who I was, dispassionately but also intimately, without judgement. This ‘touched’ me deeply.  The actual touch of his hands was equally universal or professional but very sensitive, matching my needs subtly and powerfully.

For me, this touch was ‘fundamental’ in a number of ways: tailored to my needs in this moment, it was without artifice or technique; it was ‘safe hands’ in the sense that the ideal parental touch is there only for the needs and comfort of the child, to soothe and guide; a fundamental prerequisite of life. And it was fundamental in being elemental; it escaped social politeness, not by being vulgar, but by being original and basic.

You are invited to a 3 day Sei-ki workshop with Alice Whieldon, co-author, with Kishi Akinobu, of Sei-ki: Life in Resonance, the Secret Art of Shiatsu (2011).  The focus will be on fundamental touch. If you are a Shiatsu practitioner, this will be a window into the roots of that art and a chance to develop your touch mindfully. But Sei-ki has also, always, appealed to people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it fosters creativity, originality and contact. So the only requirement for participation is interest and an open mind. On this workshop you will be asked to consider what health and help really are and how they relate to touch. The emphasis will be on experience through practice and observation and explanations will be offered as we work and discuss.