My old neighbors/friends gave me a birthday party where I met an elderly friend of the family who has long suffered from sciatica. When I was laid off my factory job, I studied shiatsu (Japanese form of acupressure) intending to use it to pay my way through Chinese medical school. After 9/11 hit it was very difficult to make a living doing that so I was forced to withdraw from school. But I still practiced shiatsu on family & on the side with something of a speciality in sciatica. So I offered to give the woman a shiatsu–which I haven’t done for several years now.
I could not believe that I forgot some of the energetic meridians which I thought were etched on my brain–though I remembered those involved in sciatica. Shiatsu has been a life-saver in my life in recovering from the trauma of sexual harassment in the workplace & the death of my brother but I forgot how powerful it is. Even though my touch was rusty & my meridians somewhat off course, I could tell she felt overwhelmed by the experience. Mostly it’s the therapeutic aspect & science of acupressure but also it’s being touched in a non-sexual but comforting way. Touch itself is healing. For anyone suffering emotional trauma, it is near-miraculous. As it is for sciatica & other ailments.