Pedro (r) and Joost (l) met in 2019 during the second year of their IOKAI-Shiatsu training.
After their first meeting in class they soon found out that they were also neighbours. Since then, between cups of tea and shared meals, they developed friendship. They often have their ‘kuku stories’; conversations reflecting on how their studies reflect on their personal lives and vice versa. During these conversations patterns showed that despite their different cultural conditioning and their diverse backgrounds they shared some dynamics, through countering these with awareness they developed ways to a healthier and a happier way of living.
Modern life is good at keeping us stuck. Over-using cellphones, long hours behind the computer, over-indulging with food, alcohol or other substances. These unhealthy behaviours impact us to a point of somatic amnesia, in other words, we are disconnecting ourselves from awareness.
The motivation around ‘growing awareness through touch’ developed while Pedro and Joost were working. They noticed that through giving, but also through receiving touch with awareness they developed their own somatic awareness. By intentional touch we bring attention to the sensations of our skin, muscles and our breathing. This specific touch helps us to reconnect with ourselves.