Book Review: Ohashi’s Beyond Shiatsu

Book Review:  Ohashi, W. Beyond Shiatsu:  Ohashi’s Bodywork Method.  New York: Kodansha America, Inc., 1996.  (ISBN 1-56836-351-6)

If you are interested in shiatsu, this is a great reader-friendly book.  If you are new to shiatsu and want a clear, step-by-step explanation with descriptive photos this is a great book.  If you want to learn about shiatsu from a true pioneer and leader in the field, this is the book for you.  If you are an experienced practitioner, this book is even better.  For as Ohashi writes in part I: “Always consider yourself an amateur.” 

It is this kind of Zen frame of reference that infuses Ohashi’s writing.  Yes, this is a practice manual for Ohashiatsu, which would be of interest to massage and bodywork professionals as well as to occupational and physical therapists.  Having an understanding of the meridians and their relation to the different systems of the body can bring a new dimension to your therapy practice.  Yet, it is the principles of Ohashiatsu that appear on page 18 that are applicable to any manual therapist: 

1. Just be there; don’t press. 

2. Use both hands. 

3. Be continuous.

4. Be natural

Ohashi also pays particular attention to body mechanics and instructs practitioners on what to do, but also what to avoid when performing certain techniques.  Ohashi’s writings are as much about how to give your client a good treatment, as they are about how to maintain professional longevity and enthusiasm.  In addition, Ohashi encourages readers to have an awareness of their own health and to practice self-care to avoid burnout and fatigue.  Again, this book is as much about therapy for the therapist as it is for the recipient.  Ohashi offers words of wisdom for all professionals:  “Your receiver is your teacher.  Your receiver is your examiner.  Your receiver is your assessor.  Every session, every person, every day, is your own board of examiners.  With this kind of attitude, you’re always excited, you never get bored” (p. 4).   The title of this book is truly insightful, for the information covered is beyond shiatsu.  Check it out.

Tea, Meditation, and Occupational Therapy: an idea

Large inpatient hospital occupational therapy departments often have kitchens where patients can practice activities of daily living in a natural setting. For example, an occupational therapist will bring a patient to the kitchen to work on functional ambulation and standing balance while washing and putting away dishes. One could work on motor planning, sequencing, safety awareness when cooking a simple meal or making a cup of tea. In my occupational therapy career I have made many cups of tea with many people and talked with them as they drank the tea.  Sometimes they made a cup for me, too.  It was a good way to end the session, build rapport and discuss their goals.  For some people, it was more of a quiet moment before their next therapy session.   

An idea came to me as I was reading Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training by Thich Nhat Hanh.  In his book Thich Nhat Hanh offers this gatha or mindfulness verse for drinking tea: “This cup of tea in my two hands, mindfulness held perfectly. My mind and body dwell in the very here and now.” What a nice meditation to close an occupational therapy session.  If therapy is addressing cognitive skills, therapists might work with patients to develop their own gathas.

Nhat Hanh, Thich.  Stepping into Freedom:  An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training.  Berkeley:  Parallax Press, 1997.  (ISBN 1-888375-02-7)

Mindfulness and Self-care in Occupational Therapy

Mindfulness is very popular today.  We see courses offered in mindfulness meditation and mindfulness based stress reduction.  Mindfulness can be a component of psychotherapy.  Mindfulness can be defined as relaxed moment to moment awareness or being in the present moment.  Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that mindfulness is mindfulness of something — mindfulness of breathing, of eating, of walking, and of brushing one’s teeth.  These are just a few examples.

As occupational therapists our domain is self-care.  We work with people to develop skills, habits and routines of self-care.  We are in an excellent position to teach and practice mindfulness during our treatment sessions.  For more information check out:  Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Inspired occupational therapy: What is your why?

The New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) held their annual conference this weekend.  In her address Melissa Whalen, president of NYSOTA, challenged listeners to find their why.  She cited the TEDx talk by Simon Sinek from 9/17/09 in which Sinek explains how inspired organizations lead from the inside out.  He creates a diagram of 3 concentric circles with why in the center, how in the middle and what on the outside. Using Sinek’s model, Whalen explained how we as therapists often focus our energies on the what and the how.  What are we going to do?  What is my goal and how will I achieve it?  While these factors are important, she explains that to bring greater inspiration to our practice we would do well to spend more time focusing on the why?  Why am I an OT?  Why am I doing what I am doing?  Whalen told listeners: “Find your why and articulate it to the people you know.”  Let us take these words to heart — professionally and personally and ask ourselves:    “What is my why?”

Occupational Therapy and Integrative Health: A Meeting of the Minds

This blog is about occupational therapy and integrative health and where these distinct yet similar fields intersect.  “Integrative health” is an increasingly popular term.  According to the Oxford dictionary, the word “integrative” is an adjective meaning “serving or intending to unify separate things.”   Type the word “integrative” into your Google search bar and you will see a graph that shows that the use of the word “integrative” has increased over time.  I would speculate that some of this relates to its usage related to healthcare.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a leading physician in the field of Integrative Medicine.  According to Dr. Weil’s website, “Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle.  It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.”  Substitute occupational therapy for medicine in this definition and it makes sense.  As occupational therapists we address the whole person and lifestyle factors.  The therapeutic relationship is essential to the success of our interventions.   I would go so far as to say that using the term “integrative occupational therapy” is redundant, for the heart of occupational therapy is truly integrative in nature.

The objective of occupational therapy is “to support health and participation in life through engagement in occupations” (AOTA, 2008, p. 626).  Occupations  refer to the activities in which one engages.  How does participation in occupation influence a person’s health and quality of life?  How do we as occupational therapists support people in this process?  When I was in graduate school, my final research project was about the self-perception of health of community dwelling older adults.  Part of the study involved interviewing participants and asking them their definitions of health.  I will never forget the definition that one man gave.  He smiled and said, “I have made it to this age and I am here.”  At first glance, it may not seem like much of a definition of health and more a commentary on age.  A neater definition might be something more like that of the World Health Organization which defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  However, the verbs used by our research participant “I have made it,” imply activity, creativity, and meaningful occupation.  These are the comments of a person who has made a journey and arrived.  What an interesting way to look at health!  That is what this blog is about:  supporting people in their lives through occupational therapy and creating integrative health — health of body, mind, and spirit through meaningful activities individually and in community.

References

Integrative. (2013). In Oxford dictionary. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/integrative

Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

Lemley, Brad.  (October 2013).  What is Integrative Medicine? Balanced Living.  Retrieved from http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02054/Andrew-Weil-Integrative-Medicine.html

American Occupational Therapy Association.  (2008).  Occupational therapy practice framework:  domain and process (2nd Ed.).  American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 625-683.