It is said that Shonishin was brought by the fairies to Japan a couple of hundred years ago. This may be because it is such a gentle yet effective technique that children love receiving. No needles are used, instead, small metallic tools are used to gently rub, scrape and tap the skin. This is all that is needed to stimulate their growing energy channels which in turn has incredible effects on their organ systems.
Shonishin can treat a number of conditions from the very early stages of life to around 10 years of age. These include: fever, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic diarrhea, colic, constipation, teething, insomnia, neurotic hyperactivity, chronic urinary tract infections, bed wetting, habitual nosebleeds, hives, urticaria, chronic ear problems, chronic sinusitis, shinitis and eczema. And isn't it nice to know they can be treated effectively with such minimal interference?
Children are different to adults in that their meridian (energy) system is developing and growing just as much as their physical organs are and so a completely different form of treatment is required, this being Shonishin. A treatment involves the child sitting on the parents lap (unless they are older and are happy to lie on the treatment table) whilst their whole body is worked over with the gentle techniques - the neck and back, the arms and legs, the chest and abdomen. The general whole body treatment is always given first as it stimulates the child's system to effectively repair itself. Next, specific acupuncture point areas are used to address specific symptoms such as cough for example.
The treatment can take any where from five minutes to fifteen minutes depending on the size of the child and how hyperactive they are. For an acute illness, the child will need 2-3 treatments in the one week as they respond quickly to energetic treatment. If the illness is chronic, which tends to be the majority of cases, the child will need treatment 1-2 times per week for 2-3 months. Although they may seem recovered from the outside after only a few sessions, it is important to continue the healing process on the inside as this takes time and will mean the child's ability to stay healthy is greatly improved. After this time, once a month for maintenance is recommended and if all is well, this can be taught to the parents to do at home.
My Shonishin teacher has been practicing Chinese Medicine for 10 years and treating children with Shonishin for the last five years. She runs a paediatric clinic in Bali and her name is Dr Soma Glick. This is what she had to say about treating children: "The first thing that amazed me when I started treating children was how simple it is. One of my first patients was a three week-old baby who came down with a cough after a long flight across the globe. The baby's parents had first tried homeopathy without results, and were about to take their baby girl to a medical doctor when they heard about me. I gave the little girl a Shoni-shin session emphasizing the lung channel and booked another two appointments for the same week. It only took five minutes to perform the treatment on such a tiny baby. When the parents came back for the next session, the cough was completely gone. We did two more follow-ups and I assume there was no recurrence of the cough, since the parents did not come back to see me and referred many other parents with sick babies to me.
"Through treating little ones, I became aware that most of the patterns we carry into our adult lives actually start at a very early age. Psychologists already have written volumes on the impact of emotional traumas in childhood, especially sexual abuse and violence. What they have not emphasized is that simply living in an atmosphere of constant stress, tension or conflicts can create traumatic experiences. These experiences affect the child emotionally, and each emotional pattern will in time affect the child physically. I've seen children as young as one year old suffer from major emotional imbalances.
"These imbalances turn into the defense mechanisms we all develop in order to get what we want (or simply to cope with life). In terms of health, these defence mechanisms often lock us into reactionary patterns such as "me against the world", which do not serve our well-being. These reinforce our sense of separation from the universe and tend to create tension, contraction and struggles.
"The attitude we adopt toward pain and illness is often a major contributor to the progression of an illness. When we feel at peace and at home within and without, we can relax and drop our guards. The qi [energy] then naturally flows smoothly and easily. By age three, a child's constitutional tendencies and personality are already in place, along with the type of physical ailments they will be prone to. Strengthening the child's own healing abilities in these weaker areas can make an invaluable contribution to their future health."
So as you can see, this Shonishin technique really is something else. It's wonderful for children who have been through a divorce or separation of parents, children who have had many falls or been in car accidents, have had tummy upsets regularly or don't have a good appetite, are hyperactive, have autism, had many ear infections as a toddler, had many vaccinations, etc. I am so passionate about it and would really love the opportunity for you, my clients, and your children or even your friends children, to experience its benefits.
A few months ago I completed Shonishin training and haven't had the opportunity to treat many children so far. So throughout the months of January and February 2008, I am offering your children FREE treatments.
Why am I doing this? Because I love working with children number one, the results you can achieve with them are so quick number two, they will feel good and their health will be improved number three, as a by-product they will be easier for you to take care of, number four and I would greatly appreciate the experience, number five. So there you have it - five fabulous reasons to say YES to treatment for your children in 2008.
The children who I have treated really enjoy their treatments and it makes them feel special they tell me if they are old enough to talk! If they're not old enough, they are completely fascinated with what you are doing, staring at the areas of their body you are treating.
You will need to book your child in for half hour slots initially and then potentially 20 minute slots. From March onwards I will be charging so get in quick! Normally a 15 minute session is $30 and a half hour session is $40. If I haven't seen your child before, it's best that we discuss their case over the phone or when you come to see me as this allows me to engage with them directly in the session and have maximum time for treatment.
Once upon a time, counseling was considered only for those who really REALLY needed it.
