Dawn Oei MA, Dip BSS, SrSS (T)
Shiatsu Shin Tai practitioner and 
Shiatsu teacher

About me

I began my Shiatsu studies at the British School of Shiatsu-Do, London in 2011 after a long career in the civil service. I practise Shiatsu and Shin Tai and I am a Shiatsu Society UK registered teacher.

 

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu is an ancient form of physical and therapeutic bodywork that supports and strengthens the body’s natural ability to heal and balance itself. Techniques include comfortable pressure, stretching and structural manipulations to balance the flow of energy (Chi or Ki) in the body.

 

What is Shiatsu Shin Tai?

Shiatsu Shin Tai is a powerful healing touch therapy that was developed by Saul Goodman more than 40 years ago.

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Shin Tai expands on traditional Shiatsu and is based on a system of diagnosis and techniques that focuses on two primary meridians: Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel.

 

Treatments include meridian work, fascial unwinding, cranio-sacral techniques, Central Channel release and chakra work to clear meningeal stress and deeply held stress patterns in the body, and soft tissue structural adjustments to correct specific misalignments in the hips, sacrum and spine. Shin Tai work touches on a very deep level, giving the body the space to recover motion and activate the receiver’s own life force and vitality.

 

Proprioceptive exercises form a key part of Shin Tai practice: these involve a specific type of movement and focus that activates the proprioceptive system (part of the nervous system) and expands one’s perception of space and time, sense of alignment physically, mentally, and emotionally and develops our Inner Guidance System.

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When we take the time to find our own alignment, we become more able to support our clients in finding their alignment. We learn to wait, notice and observe how we are and give ourselves the space and time to come back to our centre.

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My journey of discovery with Shiatsu

I come from a diplomatic background with an MA in Politics from the University of Glasgow and a career in the foreign service as a researcher and information officer for more than 20 years.

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While I liked my job, I would often come home feeling stressed and unable to relax, with a tight neck and shoulders from sitting at a desk for 8-9 hours a day. Poor lifestyle choices were affecting my digestion too and emotional tension was building up. I felt stuck both physically and emotionally. It wasn't until I went through an emotional crisis: lacking self-esteem and self-worth; feeling stuck in the past; and not having the willpower to move forward that I began to search for a more meaningful way to be. My body felt that it needed "movement" and expression. I joined an acting class. Improvisation showed me a way to be in touch with deep emotion and gave me the courage to express this. I saw that this was connected to my own wish for healing through meditation and receiving Shiatsu.

 

One autumn, I attended a voice workshop run by Bill Palmer, the founder of Movement Shiatsu. It was a powerful experience learning to find my real voice in a space that was honest, respectful, generous, open and authentic. I knew at once that a Shiatsu environment was where I wanted to be.

 

I contacted the British School of Shiatsu-Do (BSS-Do) in London and enrolled in the diploma course in 2011 where I learned Classical and Zen Shiatsu, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Five Elements Theory of Diagnosis, and Shin Tai. I gained my Practitioner Diploma (Dip BSS) and MrSS (Member of the Professional Register of the Shiatsu Society UK) in 2014. Since then, I have continued my studies in Shin Tai. I have been lucky to work with Saul Goodman and Lynn Goodman in the USA and teachers from BSS-Do to develop my learning of Shin Tai.

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In 2022, under the mentorship of Adam Hellinger FwSS and Elaine Liechti FwSS, I became a Shiatsu Society UK registered teacher.

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I have a particular interest in and experience of working with grief, fear, anxiety, trauma, depression, insomnia, emotional distress, back pain, arthritis, joint problems, osteoporosis, sciatica and digestive issues.

 

I have worked as a volunteer Shiatsu practitioner for a charity in London supporting clients living with HIV and Aids, and at a health centre in an area with a high level of poverty and unemployment in Edinburgh.

In the 1990s, I provided telephone counselling for two London charities: London Friend (supporting the LGBTI community) and London Rape Crisis Centre.

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Shiatsu Is The Therapy of the Future

Shiatsu touches something fundamental in us: deeply held memories and experiences which the mind alone cannot understand. A client once said to me: "Shiatsu touches the places that have been forgotten". How we feel in our bodies can tell us a lot about what is really going on with us. We often accept pain and injury, almost get used to it and see it is normal, until we realise that it doesn't have to be this way.

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Shiatsu is a lifelong journey of self-discovery and self-development because this therapy works on many levels: spiritual, mental, physical and emotional. 

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Keeping an open mind and being aware of how I am during a treatment and seeing everything like a beginner is always a good way to start a Shiatsu treatment. The body's own capacity to heal is immense. Possibilities remain open.