Baby Shiatsu: Eva's First Shin Tai Treatment

Eva's First Treatment I had the privilege of meeting Eva Pierson a few days ago. She came with her mom and aunt for her first Shin Tai experience. I have been treating her aunt Pat since I began doing bodywork 18 years ago, and her niece Colleen as well, so it was a special pleasure to see Colleen walk in with her new daughter.

Usually I work with Pat and Colleen together during treatment, and now there were three Pierson women in the room! This Shin Tai treatment with three generations of women was such an opportunity. They are working to clear some deep patterns of trauma from their family, and also just feel more comfortable and present in their daily lives.

Eva's first treatment

Baby Shiatsu Shin Tai - paravertebral massage

Central Channel treatment

Treating a Baby

When treating a young baby (0-6 months) it is especially effective to lay the child on the mother while you explore what you can do with her/him. You can do this with the mother in supine or prone. Some general touch to get her/him comfortable and familiar with you is a good way to begin. You can move into more specific technique if the baby is calm and can relax into the experience. Eva was pretty relaxed to begin with, but became quite still after a central channel contact. She seemed to really like baby shiatsu.

Since you can't really do a leg length check, use radiation and visual observation as your main tools for discerning what stage to treat. Sacral zone contacts and general fascial releases along the spine work well if you can not figure out what stage is the priority.

Why treat a baby?

You might ask, "Why would a baby need any treatment? Do they have stress in their system already?" The answer is yes, they do. Gestation and the birth can definitely lead to some layers of stress and compression in the body. And in the bigger picture, past stresses and future stresses (emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual) from the child's lineage and her multiple incarnations can often be read in the body.

Our bodies are a sacred storehouse of information, not only of the present moment and immediate past, but of our whole cellular history, past AND future. Since a baby's system is usually more supple, and also vibrating at expanded frequencies due to the fact that they have only recently condensed into this plane, it is a wonderful opportunity to do a little bodywork and help free up life force for the child and for her/his family.  Say yes to baby shiatsu!