Breaking old patterns of pain, stress and overwhelm
When Caroline came to me, she’d been living with severe migraines for two years. The headaches were affecting every part of her life and, after seeing consultants and undergoing investigations, she was facing the prospect of long-term medication or regular injections. A friend recommended shiatsu to her. Within two sessions, the continuous headache she had been living with for two years had gone - and we began to understand the patterns underneath that enabled her to become much more aware of her body.
How she arrived to me
Caroline had been experiencing severe migraines for around two years. She’d seen consultants, undergone investigations and had an MRI, but the headaches wouldn’t stop. She needed to try something different.
During our initial sessions it quickly became clear that there was more going on beneath her physical symptoms. Her childhood, current family dynamic and job came up in our conversations. It became clear that when feeling under pressure she would contract around her solar plexus, with tension building through her shoulders, neck and head.
The headache was part of a much bigger picture.
How we worked together
Migraines are normally related to an imbalance in the Wood Element. Caroline’s migraines felt like a gallbladder imbalance and when I worked into her shoulder and gallbladder line on the neck it was extremely tight and full.
I started by moving the stagnation in her liver channels, particularly in the head, working with local points, using a firm touch and strong massage techniques to move the qi. I then used deep brushing of the meridian in her neck and shoulder to release the physical tension but to also move the stagnant qi. Once this was moving and her headaches were gone I began to focus on building flow in the rest of the body. I worked on the Earth and Wood meridians in the legs to keep the flow of qi in her lower body to stop it stagnating in the head.
As the physical tension began to shift, so did our conversations. Caroline started to recognise what happened in her body when she felt under threat, stressed or overwhelmed. She became more aware of the early signs that she was becoming depleted, rather than only noticing once a headache had arrived. She came to understand that her body was telling her something and she was learning to listen.
What changed for her
Within two sessions, the continuous headache she had lived with for two years had gone. We continued with weekly sessions initially, giving us time to work with the wider patterns of tension and establish greater flow through her body. Over time, we moved to occasional monthly maintenance.
Caroline still occasionally gets a headache, but these are mild and manageable rather than the migraines she had previously experienced. She no longer takes medication. When a headache appears, she has a much clearer understanding of what might be contributing to it, and treatment helps it to settle. Caroline also feels much more relaxed in her body; the longstanding tightness in her shoulders has gone and the imbalance through her spine and pelvis has significantly improved.
When someone begins to recognise patterns for themselves, they have more choice about how they respond to them. Shiatsu isn’t simply about addressing the symptom that brings someone through the door; it’s about taking time to understand the whole person and the patterns that may be showing up in their body so that meaningful change can happen.
In her words:
“I honestly cannot put into words the difference Tasha has made to my head! After the first treatment, my head felt empty, which was absolutely incredible. To start with, I booked weekly sessions and left each time feeling better. I think the easiest way to describe it is like peeling an onion - each session seemed to remove another layer of tension, and I found I had longer before the headaches and migraines started to creep back. Now I see Tasha once in a while, and I love the fact that I can normally say that I either haven’t had a headache at all or have only had a mild one.
Tasha is a lovely person and so knowledgeable. I really like the way that, when I explain how and what I’m feeling during the session, she explains what she’s doing and what she’s noticing. Sometimes I come away feeling full of energy and other times quite tired, but always clearer and lighter. The treatment room is cosy, very relaxing, and there is always a delicious cup of tea.”
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