Shiatsu Summit

02/03/2026

SAVE THE DATE

FIRST GLOBAL SHIATSU FESTIVAL
Dojo Stara Wieś / Poland / June 17-20, 2027

EMPTINESS, MEANING AND PURPOSE

Shiatsu. A quiet revolution. Begins with every touch.
Not loud. Not spectacular. But noticeable. And lasting.
More touch. More humanity. This is not a vision. It is a necessity.

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Ivan Bel
Mounia Bouhamidi
Katerina Chrissochou
Nilsa Eberhart
Mihael Mamyschvili
Mike Mandl
Chris McAlister
Marina Papazian
Diego Sanchez
Alice Whieldon
Grandmother Winter Jade
Rami Yulzari

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What is society’s biggest Achilles' heel? A lack of connection; a lack of connection to the inside, to one's own potential, to the core of the soul, to inner wisdom, and equally a lack of connection to the outside, to others, to nature, to the demands of heaven and earth.
How have we lost this connection? The two main causes seem to be inner stress and inner depletion. Inner stress can be triggered by trauma, ADHD and burn out, but also by the new challenges of a time into which we have not yet grown. Inner depletion can result from depression, fatigue or a lack of meaning and fulfilment.

Inner stress and depletion overlap and give rise to each other at the interface between body and mind. Since Shiatsu is a vehicle of change, working precisely at the interface between body and mind, it has the potential to be one of the most useful therapies for these challenges.

We are the missing piece in the search, since intelligent touch is the key to unlocking the mystery. We are there touching the layers of being, the tapestry of life, the representation of the collective experience. We are witnesses to the duality of nature and the profound awe of life. Each Tsubo is an opportunity to awaken the spirit to remember to create life.

We come together to be upgraded, to be empowered, to expand our collective spirit and to own our rightful place in the glory of the discovery, the depth and beauty of emptiness, the connection needed for expansion, to create a secure inner space of non-attachment, either to the self or the material environment, to open a timeless place of connection to all that is, to our essence.

Let us feel the pulse of life again and stand in the world with alert presence.

Follow us for updates and more info: https://www.facebook.com/globalshiatsufestival

Shiatsu. A quiet revolution. Begins with every touch. Not loud. Not spectacular. But noticeable. And lasting. More touch. More humanity. This is not a vision. It is a necessity.

24/09/2025

SHIATSU SUMMIT VIENNA

We still feel so fulfilled and blessed by all the positive energy that was felt at the Shiatsu Summit in Vienna. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who was involved.

We are convinced that Shiatsu has the potential to be one of the leading therapeutic methods in this changing world. Wherever problems manifest themselves at the interface between body and mind, Shiatsu can be the most effective, sensible, gentle and sustainable complementary method.

That is why we are dedicating ourselves to precisely these topics at the Shiatsu Summit. And we did so in a focused atmosphere, with a small but highly committed group of speakers, a lot of heart and a lot of passion.

However, this idea only comes to life through the participants. And it was more than touching to see how much openness and willingness there was within the groups to interact, learn, laugh and transform. This shows how much beauty actually lies dormant in humanity. Let us continue to awaken this with every touch.

- Gillian Hall
- Dr. Cindy Engel
- Nina Ninnemann
- Ivan Bel / Ryoho Shiatsu Blog
- Adam Molnar / Dao Neigong
- Mike Mandl

Pics: Mili Badic

23/09/2025

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

The Shiatsu Summit in Vienna was intense, exciting, touching, beautiful. Because of YOU! Every participant showed so much openness, readiness and heart, to dive deep into the topics of the Summit, that it was a pure pleasure to see the idea and the process of the Summit unfolding. We could not be more satisfied ;)

A special thanks to our wonderful crew of lecturers:

- Dr. Cindy Engel
- Gillian Hall
- Nina Ninnemann
- Ivan Bel / Ryoho Shiatsu Blog
- Adam Molnar / Dao Neigong
- Mike Mandl

❤️

19/09/2025

THE SHIATSU SUMMIT 25 IS ON...

More than 100 Shiatsu practitioners from all over the world came to Vienna to dive deep into the topics of CFS, Burnout and Depression. They are here to learn, to feel, to heal. And yesterday was already a very good day...

Thanks a lot to everyone!!!

10/09/2025

Chronic fatigue has become a permanent condition for many people and can severely impair their quality of life. Often, the affected individuals can no longer imagine what it feels like to be full of energy and vitality. There are many reasons for this. However, the intense demands of our fast-paced lives, combined with the challenges of multiple crises, generally leave us with too few opportunities and too little space to pause, take a deep breath and gather our thoughts…

From a Shiatsu perspective, however, fatigue is always a form of energetic deficiency. But where exactly do we lack this energy? Which organs, which meridians are mainly affected? With what symptomatic effects? What needs to be considered during treatment? Especially in the case of severe exhaustion or syndromes such as myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS), a lot of experience is needed to avoid making the condition even worse. Low stress intensities are often enough to trigger these conditions. A careful and targeted approach is required. It is precisely this approach that I would like to share with you.

https://www.shiatsu-summit.com/the-program/

07/09/2025

Chronic fatigue, burnout and depression do have one thing in common. Isolation. Isolation from others – from family, friends and loved ones as well as from our own supportive assets of personal resiliance – tools of self regulation and access to our own energy. All three conditions mentioned above eventually lead to a state of disconnection.

My approach in this workshop is to explore the subtlety in the deep connection we establish with our clients in Shiatsu, specifically in Sei-Ki, with the purpose of engaging with their built-in ability to self regulate. On a practical level, you will be invited to try out some Katas, frequently practiced in Sei-Ki, known as Rikan No Jutsu. These Katas focus on the resonance between the partners in exploring movement. They contain many key elements of Sei-Ki, such as presence, attention and accompaniment, rather than just going through the motions.

In Sei-Ki, it is common to experience Katsugen (natural movement), which offers the opportunity to come back to self. Katsugen can be a challenge and often there is a fear of losing control. However for everyone who experiences Katsugen, the reality is of a letting go of control, which is so appropriate to our focus topics. Together we can create a safe space where we can all be ourselves and hopefully experience this deep connection with ourselves and others that makes Shiatsu exceptional.

https://www.shiatsu-summit.com/the-program/

05/09/2025

Burnout is one of the several pathological disorders of our societies that continue to grow and affect men and women alike, especially at work. This is why the official terminology is “occupational burnout”, even if today it is found in other settings, such as the family, as well.

At the Summit I will begin by explaining the major differences that exist with depression and will draw a picture of the situation in Europe and speak about the public health issues behind this problem. We will then approach burnout in a very concrete way by giving three precise stages that can be easily recognized, a method to quickly determine at what level of exhaustion the suffering person is, how to establish a treatment using the 6-layer system and see what the pitfalls are (when to resume activity, eat meat or not, is there a risk of depression etc.).

https://www.shiatsu-summit.com/the-program/
Finally, we will talk about health advice to accompany the recovery process. This course, always very lively, is based on exercises, practice, games and shared insights. It will end with the implementation of the appropriate treatment for each person.

03/09/2025

This workshop is about you as much as your clients. We will cover two main aspects: 1. What happens to our body as we attempt to comprehend our clients? 2. How can we reduce harm from such processes?

Scientists have started to study something that we Shiatsu practitioners are often already familiar with. They call it interpersonal physiological coordination. It includes emotional contagion, pain contagion, and synchrony of our autonomic nervous system. It also involves what they call brain coupling when our brains work as a network with other brains. Most of the time it all happens without us being aware of it. But it does happen to all of us, all the time.

Why does this happen and how does it happen? Sometimes, some of us do notice that they are picking up how others feel and we become aware of feeling or knowing something that originates with someone else. This is somatic empathy. The problem is that excessive somatic empathy with others is exhausting and those who are particularly prone to it often have a history of burnout, chronic fatigue and depression.

Whether or not we do notice that we are sharing our clients’ conditions, we all need to learn how to manage this process. We also need to better understand the role of somatic empathy in producing our clients’ symptoms. By applying what we learn in the workshop about the mechanisms of somatic empathy, we can work out how to enhance or reduce even the unconscious sharing of conditions. Presentations, small discussion groups and practical sessions, where we work on our own as well as in pairs, will help create experiential understanding of the topic.

https://www.shiatsu-summit.com/the-program/

31/08/2025

Has been practicing Shiatsu full-time for 30 years, specializing in more complex subject areas and the healing arts aspect of Shiatsu. This includes the study of TCM and clinical practice in China. In addition to his shiatsu practice, he is the director of the International Academy for Hara Shiatsu in Vienna, which has been collaborating with clinical institutions for 25 years to create a synthesis between Western and Eastern medicine. Mike is also the director of the 5th European Shiatsu Congress, author of several successful books on Shiatsu and TCM, an international speaker with courses throughout Europe, and an enthusiastic father of three children.

In 2012 he started a clinical burnout project with Shiatsu. Since the start more than 10.000 treatments have been done in that setting, which lead to enormous experience and insights to the topic. Since CoVid, Mike focused on the rising topic of chronic fatigue as well, as CFS is a complex cluster of symptoms, that is difficult to treat – but Shiatsu can play a major role in support of affected clients.

www.shiatsu-summit.com

29/08/2025

Nina Ninnemann, a former dancer, turned Shiatsu therapist and works with the profound interplay between body, mind and spirit. Drawing on her rich experience as a dancer, Nina`s approach to Shiatsu is a symphony of movement and stillness, listening and responding. Her expertise integrates resource- and client-centered coaching with the principles of Shin Tai Shiatsu.

Through her work with mental disordered clients at a private clinic in Zurich and in her own practice rooms in Lucerne, Nina has witnessed the growing need for holistic orientated therapies. Mental disorders like depression manifests in many ways, but the human itself, when deeply understood, holds the key to resilience and recovery. Nina shares her techniques and tools how to listen – not only to words but to the unspoken language of the body. She loves to inspire students and therapists with her passion to dance with the Qi.

www.shiatsu-summit.com

27/08/2025

Cindy Engel is a combination of biologist, bodywork therapist and author – on a mission to understand the interplay of mind and body. Besides publications in academic journals she wrote the book “Wild Health: how animals keep themselves well and what we might learn from them”. She says about herself and her path to working with Shiatsu: “The only reason I am a Shiatsu practitioner is because of chronic fatigue, burnout, and depression. I hit rock bottom with all three, aged 31 but it was Shiatsu (along with meditation and Qi Gong) that brought me back to life. Being a research biologist at the time, I attempted to explore the mechanisms of this recovery from the perspective of Western science and nowadays (25 years later) I work to help therapists and clients avoid similar pitfalls.”

Besides the role of immune activity in chronic fatigue and depression Cindy’s personal interest is on a person’s predisposition to somatic empathy. Her approach with somatic empathy together with her personal experience of working through the struggles of “chronic fatigue, burnout and depression” using appropriate tools like mediation and Qi Gong forms a treasure she is always happy to share.

www.shiatsu-summit.com

24/08/2025

Adam is an ex professional triathlete, swimming coach. After finishing his sport career in 2015, Adam switched straight to the healing and internal arts with the main focus on Nei Gong, Shiatsu and TCM. He has been -full time – practicing nei gong with Lotus Nei Gong and in 2019 he got the permission of Damo Mitchell to teach, which lead to the opening of the Dao Neigong school, where Adam shares knowledge and instructs in Budapest and Vienna.

www.shiatsu-summit.com