Asi Shnabel's Blog

For many centuries the source of our being, power and health is known among the sages in the far east as the body’s center of gravity, or the “field of longevity” ( Jap = Tanden; Chi = Tantien). For centuries this center was cultivated and maintained by healers, martial-artists and masters of many types of arts who believed that perfection depends in utmost utilization of this center, both physically and mentally. In fact, sources point three divisions of this center in our body: The upper “Tantien” (3rd eye) as the mental center of wisdom, the middle center (middle of the chest) as the center of emotions and conception and empathy, and the lower center as the physical center, the center of gravity in our bodies and source of our true strength. Breathing into and from this center (lower center) is considered as the most fundamental element in maintaining health and optimizing our body’s powers and functioning! In my personal experience over the course of practice I noticed a significan...

“Ki” energy (Chi “Qi”) is a fundamental concept in many traditional Asian martial arts, philosophy and traditional medicine. It basically refers to the cosmic life energy that flows through all matter in the universe and unites all living things, just like air, and provides life. KI flows endlessly throughout the universe, throughout the cosmic cycle (TAO) dynamically shifting in between 2 poles: YIN & YANG. Those 2 poles are like complementary phases of KI energy and can be considered like High & low, Day & Night, Activity & Rest, Masculinity and Femineity etc. In order to fully merge with the KI we must be aware of it and understand its nature! The capability of allowing KI to run through us naturally and with no interruptions is considered the core manifestation of health in Oriental medicine. A more modern approach to understanding “KI” may be the use of “ Aerobic energy ” compared to “ Anaerobic energy ” in our body. The Aerobic energy in a protein-based energy pro...

PAIN in oriental understanding is NOT a pathogen causing a health-related problem but simply “stagnation” in KI/Blood flow (or- body functioning). Pain is nothing but a STIMULUS created by the body when trouble is sensed, such as damaged tissue, that is delivered to the brain providing information about the characteristics of the problem and awakening a natural RECOVERY process. Thus, proving the mind is relaxed (parasympathetic state). So fighting pain is not the root of recovery because ignoring/sedating pain means interfering the natural process of recovery. The goal in Shiatsu-Anma therapy is to “reveal” the pain by touching in a controlled relaxed manner so the natural process is unblocked and renewed (KI flow). If pain indicates severe local damage than naturally we will not be able to comfortably touch it! * * * * *