Enrolments are now open for Zen Shiatsu Semester Two!

Winter 2022 – Season of Water Element

We are approaching the Winter solstice, the time of utmost Yin and from which the journey towards Yang begins once again. Light will become more abundant as we move forward through the yearly cycle.

This period of Winter is our time of Yin rest, retreat and reflection. It is the time of the stillness and listening to nature as the plants and animals move into hibernation around us (did you know that in Australia, four species of pygmy possum, a handful of bat species and the short-beaked echidna are all known to hibernate for extended periods of the year?).

The Winter season holds resonance with the Water element and unsurprisingly the nature of cold (Five element correspondences are all derived from an observation of nature). During this time we take care to remain covered and warm, but also not overheated (eg by constant central heating) as our bodies are designed to synchronise with this rhythm of nature.

Seasonally, we nourish ourselves with slow-cooked food (think stews and roasts), some minerals (salt) and foods such as dark beans and root vegetables.

From the depths of this winter consolidation, the seeds of new beginnings are planted which give fruition to our growth and expression in the future.

This brings us to our big college news that we are moving onwards to our next chapter and leaving our Evans St home at the end of the year (read more in our full newsletter at https://asc.link/vNQ).

We have a range of upcoming short courses and workshops in the second half of this year to support your wellbeing and journey in the world of Shiatsu & Oriental Therapies. If you have been waiting to join us to study, or considering returning to refresh your skills, now is your last chance to do so in the Zen ambience at our Evans St college (future offerings will be elsewhere)! There is something for everyone so be sure to check out our offerings below.

Wishing you wellness and warmth this winter.

The College moving with the Dao.

It is time for our College to move with the Dao and adapt to the new environment we find ourselves in. To move forwards we must let go of models that have served us wonderfully in the past and open new doors and opportunities for the future.

It is time to move on from our beloved Brunswick venue, into a new chapter and a new place at Ceres. By moving forward there is a sense of freshness and invigoration for the possibilities that lay ahead.  Stepping forth from our base in Evans St invites the opportunity to reconsider and reevaluate both how and where we can deliver training, and how we can better engage the community to explore the wonderful world of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies.

The primary consideration for our College is to uphold our commitment to our students (past, current and emerging) and continue to offer both our short course and Diploma studies as we move forward.

For our students, we will continue to restructure the delivery of the Diploma into a blend of online and in-person learning. We will be drawing on the lessons from our online delivery over the past few years to create a more sustainable and accessible learning framework. We will be seeing a mixture of pre-recorded content, supported by live tutorial sessions for our theory-based classes. Our hands-on classes will remain just that, hands-on and in person.

Shiatsu practice intrinsically has a need for in-person learning as part of its delivery. This will continue to be offered as short courses and as an integral part of our Diploma program. We will see a blend of regular classes, along with weekend workshops and intensives to complement the learning program.

Our college and its community remain committed to the delivery of this outstanding therapy, as it has for the past 35 years, and will continue to be a part of the health training landscape in Melbourne. We are proud of our training, our students and the community that we have around us and grateful for the presence of every one of you.

Your ongoing support and understanding are held closely in our hearts as we continue to bring Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies into our community.

Australian Shiatsu College