For those of you who have been with me for years you are familiar with my winter sun seeking tendencies! The winter in Europe is too long, too cold and too confining for my spirit so where possible despite the great effort this involves I go to seek warmer climes.
I have visited Thailand on multiple occasions now, because of the connection the country holds to to my work. I have studied at Sunshine Massage School in Chiang Mai on three occasions, first in Traditional Thai Massage in 2018 and then in the practise of Chi Nei Tsang with teacher Doris Kolling in the following years. I returned to study with Doris again. The modality of CNT makes such sense in Thailand and when I return to the UK it morphs into something less tangible, more esoteric and seemingly hard to explain. Why is this I ask myself? In Thailand and China, which is where this practise hails from, massage and medicine are interconnected and massage falls into the sphere of health. Here it has been divided and separated so there is little tolerance in allopathic medical training for the healing art of touch and there is very little space in European mainstream consciousness for the serious and critical observation of energy flow within the body.
It is impossible to explain and relate to CNT without talking about a spiritual practise because the principle that it is founded upon is energetic. The study of Chi/Ki/Qi understood as the life force energy that flows through all living things needs to first be acknowledged to explain the power of the CNT practise. If we assume that the body is a channel through which Chi flows (though the the blood and lymph that feed all the tissues in the body) then we understand that where this flow is blocked we find potential for illness or discomfort. CNT looks beyond the muscular-skeletal system to include the systems of the viscera. Years of study have forged a relationship between myself and my organs that are all functioning for me on a daily basis and have been with me all my life. Within CNT we understand that organs, like muscles & the brain, can be toned and trained. Contractions within tissues either of or surrounding the viscera can place stress and strain on the skeletal muscles and bones and thus a blockage in the intestines may be having an adverse impact on the lower back.
CNT is rooted in ancient Chinese Philosophy from the teachings of the Tao. There is a lot of mysticism within this religion/philosophy and it is not my prerogative to give you a lecture on Taoist Philosophy. What I will say and is worth understanding for the purposing of understanding CNT is this: in Taoism the body is interdependent with both nature and the state - the natural and political. The body goes beyond merely an anatomical structure and is an expression of the environment it is made from - the universe. Everything exists within its relationship to our universe and is created by and fed from the Universal energy. When the thinking mind is still we are able to see and feel an observe ourselves and our environment which the thinking brain inadvertently shuts out. Have you tried to quieten your thinking mind or observe in meditation your thoughts, where they come from and how to let them pass you by? If you have you’ll know that this is hard! I continue to struggle on with my mediation practise some days are very different from others. When I receive a great massage treatment or attend yoga it is like the focus on the body automatically quietens the brain - it is like a shortcut to this meditative space where anything is free to appear and disappear and I am observing.
The benefits of working with the belly are results that might not feel clear in the moment and having anyone touch your belly may feel a little alien and strange at first but, once the sensation is normalised the experience of receiving treatment in this space are as powerful as having the knots in your neck and shoulders palpated. Clients often talk about ‘good pain’ and that satisfying discomfort that comes from easing out a tight spot in a muscle. This same feeling is true within the belly. At first the sensations can feel frightening or peculiar and rouse emotional charges but with trust and time they too become satisfyingly uncomfortable or even then comfortable. The treatment is then measured by the outcomes such as increased energy, improved breathing or digestion or better sleep (to name a few examples) and these are so rewarding and touch so comfortable that the belly becomes a place you absolutely want to have included in your massage treatment.
Time away was also a fantastic opportunity to spend time with another of my teachers, Dot. Dot is head of the Taoist Temple that is walking distance from the school. This is a place where I have spent hours enjoying being a part of the comings and goings, participating in prayer, harvesting fruits in the garden and learning from Dot a wealth of knowledge about the medical properties of plants. This year I was honoured to be introduced to Stella and Stone and their son Matthew. We spent time together discussing their work in massage and divination and I took a class in Taoist philosophy with Stella and a very special massage treatment with Stone. His method is nothing I have seen before, he used the body of his clients’ like the skin on a drum and for the whole duration of the treatment you are drummed upon. I watched and decided it looked rather uncomfortable and then I received it and was so relaxed that I feel into an altered state of consciousness - somewhere between the sleeping and waking world. The massage is designed to stir up the Chi in the body and stimulate the flow. Post treatment Stone showed me (not on myself but other clients) how it is then possible to feel the heat radiating out the body, some places much more than others and this can indicate the condition of what is going on beneath the skin. Meeting other people who place their physical experience at the centre of their human experience is an inspiration for me as this I have come to understand is my way. My physical wellbeing is in direction connection with my experience of life. Freeing myself of discomfort and learning to listen to and understand what my body is ‘telling me’ is a life long relationship and it comes with a huge amount of reward and too a set of frustrations. Your body might not want what for the same things that your mind does - balancing this tension of opposites can be incredibly challenging. Anyone who has fasted, given up a substance, tried to start an exercise regime etc.. will understand how unruly the mind can be when it is asked to adopt a strategy that will benefit the body. The resistance can be demotivating and soul destroying. Why can’t I do it? Well you can do it and the answer is that simple it is a matter of commitment, self respect and kindness. Your body is your home, it is your space to inhabit and your choice how you choose to tend to it both in sickness and in health.
It is my feeling that the massage therapy that I offer now brings for people a quietness and deep sense of relaxation and it is in this space that my clients can connect with the body and become aware of the experience of it. Daily life rarely allows for such a subtle relationship to develop as we are just too busy and the modern world demands much more from our brains than our bodies. As such our brains become loud and noisy places to inhabit, stress accumulates and stress in high sustained doses makes us ill. Stress then requires negating and stress negating tenancies are often forms of numbing, most of which have very little benefit to our physical wellbeing are are short lived fixes. As such it is my understanding that taking the time to take care of your body is an essential. The NHS is a vital resource for us all to use, but we know that that NHS care is best suited to emergency life saving services or long intense treatment plans. There is a sense of responsibility for us to care for ourselves through awareness and self respect, and adopt healthy habits that can be woven into our lives for our own benefit. It is a shame that a lot of useful therapies are costly but they will contribute to a healthy and happy life in a way that no material good will ever be capable of offering.
I hope my writing has been of interest and offered an insight into what is behind my work.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. Love, light and health, Natalie
Below are some pictures from my time studying at Sunshine Massage school. Enjoy!
My Class - Graduation CNT Level 2 2023
