No fear,
no party

After ten days of many adventures in the Ecuadorian Amazon, together with a beautiful group of amazing Guides and Teachers, I found it hard to choose one to share with you.

Let the inspiration be led by the emotions that aroused in me. After having meditated on that, I realized that Fear and Risk played an essential role.
So I will tell you about the eighth of January when we were in the Capahuari river, a tributary of the Pastaza river. There I found myself alone in dark earth-coloured water.

The guide informed us that we had 3 possibilities to descend the river: with the Kajak, with the life jacket or without any help. Obviously, after crossing the Strait of Bonifacio and swimming in the Limmat, I said: “No problem, I go without anything”. But fear arose immediately: “What about the Piranhas? Can you give us some information?” And, with a smile, he told us that we had to let go of our fears. Since we did not have any open wounds, we did not run any danger of being devoured by that fish!
“Think to the vultures: they fly in the sky and you can see them circling over your heads, but until you are not dead they will not eat you. The same with the Piranhas: they will swim with you in the water, but if you do not bleed they will not eat you!”


So we dived into this river sure that nothing can happen and happily we enjoyed the sound of insects, the chirping of birds, the flutter of butterflies and … suddenly we were alone (Michelle and me): the friends in front of us with the Kajak and those behind us with the life jacket had disappeared behind the curvature of the river … we were alone … and the current led us to trunks that emerged from the flat water.

Suddenly the flat water rippled and slowly a fin rose and then … a snort: A Dolphin! A dolphin was swimming in front of us! From the emotion, we both drank!
Again the fear of having ingested some dangerous parasite obscured my mind and it prevented me from enjoying this magnificent moment.
For a moment I was stuck and I could not savour the intense joy, the smells, the sensations of my body, the fear, the colours, the sounds, the beating of my heart and my breath. For a moment I was not present in this intense and special moment full of courage and vulnerability!

8th of Jan 2018 in the Capahuari river, a tributary of the Pastaza river

After being reconciled with all these feelings and sensations, I realized two facts:
1. many fears block me;
2. a deep connection with Nature gives me more confidence to listen my body.

Living and being aware of the skin, the flesh, the bones, the muscles, the spinal cord, the emotions, the fears, the risks …as an integral part of all experiences nourishes and plays an important role in this synergy. Side effect: it strengthens the trust in my body.

Recognizing and dissolving these blocks and fears are a topic that I treat with my clients during Shiatsu sessions.
I thank them and also my shiatsu therapist for refining my skills to face fears and unbind blocks.
I am happy to have exposed myself to certain risks that have allowed me to go through my fears.
I am grateful for the constant training in feeling myself as part of this planet, body-mind-heart united with my emotions and sensations.

We can tackle this topic on different levels, for example: during the Shiatsu session (on a Yin level), or by swimming in Limmat even during the winter (on a Yang level).

31st of Jan 2018 in the Limmat

Shiatsu provides a space for self-awareness. Letting go judgments, assumptions and expectations

Massimo Martino
Dipl. Shiatsu Therapeut,
Zusatzversicherung anerkannt
+41765205503
massimo@meandshiatsu.ch

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