Danielle Lawniczak MRSS

About Danielle

For those of you that don’t know who I am, let me introduce myself. My name is Danielle Lawniczak and Peter (PMG) and I have been together for over 25 years (can’t remember exactly how long!) I am a founder member of El Caballo de España and have ridden in all of our exhibitions since 1988 and in many of our lecture demos. I have a full time job as a Principal Pharmacy Technician at Northampton General Hospital and I hold a Shiatsu Clinic at home, or I can do home visits. I also hold regular Shiatsu Clinics for humans and horses at St Piran's stud, when Peter is there, as well as giving dressage coaching.

I have been studying Shiatsu for six years and qualified as a graduate human practitioner in April 2005. I have just completed my postgraduate year and have been accepted onto the professional register of the Shiatsu Society. This means I can have the letters MRSS behind my name. I first discovered Shiatsu on one of those complementary therapy days where you can try a therapy for 10-15 minutes and have been hooked ever since. That was over ten years ago when I had a ‘bad’ back.

Shiatsu has its’ origins in China and Japan from before the Han dynasty, so it’s been around for a bit. It combines the use of massage, rotations, stretches and pressure to harmonise energy, flexibility, circulation and postural integrity.
The practitioner uses their thumbs, fingers, forearms, elbows or feet. Shiatsu uses the same system of energy channels called meridians as acupuncture, combined with the use of points; these are areas along an energy channel.
For the more modest of us who may shy away from treatment you can rest assured that in the west, Shiatsu is received fully clothed. Traditionally this is performed at ground level on a futon, however, it can be given on a massage table or chair if you can’t make it that far! At the first treatment, a medical and surgical history is taken and questions asked about your lifestyle, why you have come for shiatsu as well as conditions and injuries you’ve throughout your life. This helps the practitioner build a snapshot of your life, as incidents like this may contribute to your present condition. Other questions asked, might be what colours you like and dislike, are you able to express yourself emotionally and what your diet is like. By looking at posture, areas on the face, the tongue and palpation of the abdomen or back, the practitioner can gain other information from which to identify patterns of disharmony.
One of the systems used from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the Five Element Theory. These are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water and this order is known as the creation or transformation phase; it symbolises the continuity of life, from a daily and seasonal perspective. Here is a brief insight into each of them.
Wood is the springtime phase when energy is free flowing and the plant world bursts forth with fresh life. Wood is the growing phase in every life cycle and should be flexible in mind as well as body. Out of balance in this element can range from being very timid to shouting and angry. Wood is the mother, or fuel, of Fire and governs the sinews in the body. If you suffer from arthritis, then this may feel worse during the springtime
Fire is the summer and represents the teenage phase in the life cycle. Fire is warm, comforting, exciting, expressive, passionate and beautiful, but out of balance can be a mere fizzle to raging out of control and destructive. When the fire goes out you are left with ashes, which go back to the earth. Fire is the mother of Earth and child of Wood and is in control of the heart and circulatory system.
Earth is the reproductive phase of the life cycle and represents the late or Indian summer. Earth represents the feminine, as it is the vehicle in which life grows, it is supportive and nurturing, is solid, round and dependable. Earth as an element collects and contains nutrients and moisture for seeds to grow and flourish. It is the creative element. It governs the flesh and is in charge of the stomach and spleen; both under or overweight can be a sign of imbalance. Out of balance earth ranges from low self esteem, to over worry and obsession. Earth is the child of Fire and mother of Metal.
Metal represents the autumn, as a season. A time when energies are naturally cooling, condensing and contracting, leaves become dry and drop from the tree, crops are harvested and nutrients go back to the roots and earth, ready for the spring. Many riches are to be found in the earth, gold, crystals, diamonds and minerals, which were formed from the processes of condensing and contracting. Metal as an element may be seen as cool, hard and angular, but can be melted and moulded.
In the life cycle, Metal represents late middle to old age, a time for reflection and possibly to downsize as the children have left. Metal is about separating the pure from impure, the natural letting go of waste, but holding on to the important; a sense of rhythm. It governs the excretory organs; lungs, skin and large intestine. Imbalances could include any disorder of these organs.
Shiatsu can be a deeply relaxing experience but I won’t lie and say there is never any pain involved. I read about it being called ‘grateful’ pain and the client is always in charge of how much is acceptable, after all, we want you to come back for more!
People may come with a variety of conditions such as difficulty in sleeping, back pain, tense shoulders, feelings of anxiety, one side of the body not feeling connected to the other, tight and painful hamstrings, whiplash, menstrual problems, digestive problems…the list is not exhaustive.
Of course, you needn’t have anything wrong with you to enjoy a treatment, it can be a good way to keep supple and relaxed, plus you might get a good night’s sleep if you haven’t already fallen asleep during the session. Normally, the practitioner will discuss further treatments with you and you may be given homework to do such as stretches or maybe a change of diet. Water should be drunk afterwards to help flush away any toxins released and alcohol and exercise should be avoided for the rest of the day.
Other techniques such as cupping, moxa, muscle energy techniques and pelvic or sacro-iliac adjustments might be performed as part of the treatment , when necessary.
Horses respond well to Shiatsu too, and they will show you where they want you to work, or not, if you read them properly! They are far more open and the connection you get with them is quite different to humans, presumably less expectations. You will need veterinary permission if you wish your horse to have a treatment whilst under their care.

It’s best to treat both rider and horse combination, as one will often mirror the other.

Danielle Lawniczak MRSS

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