October 9 2018

A Travelogue, Shiatsu in Paris (part 2 of 2)
Kazuo Watanabetranslation Hiroki Koizumi

This time, we had two groups of 26
participants, and each group had 2 days
workshop. So the total was four days. What
we planned to focus was just “press” overand over. I thought there could be something
the best with this number of participants,
and something that you canʼt catch from thetextbook. The gentle pressure that createdfrom efficient motion and relaxed posture
make some unique rhythm and flow. Thatʼs
the Namikoshi Shiatsu I was trying to show
them. Once you get the point of the basics ofNamikoshi Shiatsu, you could get a lot ofvariations for your clinical perspectives.
Right after we started the workshop, I
noticed that we had a lot of participantsalready knew how to apply firm pressure. I
jumped around and show how I “press” andhow the pressure changes. They worked sohard following the instructions such as theright postures, the motions and the functionsof thumbs and fingers, it seemed they felt
how the pressure could be changed. I could
see how wonderful French instructors
teaching. But yet everybody has something
unnoticeable on their movement and posture,so we pointed it out over and over.
The 6 hours-a-day workshop isn't really nothing at all, but a tough. Stand up, sit
down, pressing and correcting, every participant kept focusing and that was reallyinspiring. Every one of us just kept working! I felt that as we were accepted in a1good way. Among the 51 participants, there were some experienced Shiatsu
therapists. It was a very first Namikoshi Shiatsu workshop, so they might consider
it's better for the experienced therapists to join. They knew all the familiar terms ofmuscular and skeletal systems. For that reason, I think they could notice how
Namikoshi Shiatsu is different from the Shiatsu they know. And also it was very fun
to work with people with less experienced.

In the outside of Japan, a trustful interpreter always make things much easier.
Ms. Naomi Goto who has been in France for roughly 30 years and my impression
was a stylish lady in bright color pants, friendly and easy-to-talk interpreter. Lateron, I took a look at the pictures from the workshop, she looked like an instructor
more than I. At the workshop, she was fully prepared. Not only she had readthrough all the textbook, covered the special terminologies and the orders andpostures of Namikoshi Shiatsu. She must have spent a lot of time on this. It is quite
something. I also felt the earnestness of Principal Michelle who found out aninterpreter you could rely on.

Naomi talking to us

Seated Shiatsu

Actually, this workshop in Paris was days of a group work with Hiroki Koizumi,
57th graduate of Japan Shiatsu College. He, once was in our English club teachingme English, volunteered to support my trip to France. He prepared his air ticket
and a hotel room by himself. We planned the workshop together. When I wasshowing some demos, He drew Shiatsu charts with points and numbers on their
whiteboard to make it easy to understand. He answered many questions fromsome participants who speak English.
2Principal Michelle highly appreciates Namikoshi Shiatsu not only its technicalaspect but also the spirituality of "Mother's Love". In Hiroki's motive to join thisworkshop which is simply "I'd like to help!", Principal Mechelle was really impressed.
Even he was proposing for Hiroki's Air fee. It worked out pretty good as a team,and Principal Michelle told us that we are a good team. But I think what Hiroki did
had a big part of it.

Practice Axillary region

Hiroki drawing

Hiroki guiding

Principal Michelle's passion played a
big role to make this whole workshop
happened. Because of the discretion ofour chairman who was moved with theirmultiple visitations, we started to builda precious relationship. After we left
Paris, Principal Michelle was on a local
TV program with wearing a pin badge ofour school, Japan Shiatsu College. That3

was a little secret sign of friendship only
both of us can understand.
Namikoshi Shiatsu, an art of Japanfor Paris, the city of art! Once you got a
relation in a way of Shiatsu, now I wantmore! I want you to be better, I want
you to know it deeper, I want more
people to know it. What if an exhausted
Japanese tourist in Paris happened toA towel ＆ a pin badge of JSC

have a Shiatsu treatment and they go
like, "Oh isn't it Namikoshi Shiatsu?"

Isn't it wonderful? Principal Michel, let's see you again! Merci à Paris!

August 20, 21 Group

August 22, 23 Group

Instructors !!

Variety of Cheese with WineFin4

Notre Dame Cathedral