Acceptance into the Advanced Training

Following are the eligibility requirements to enroll in this powerful Advanced training.
• Students who have successfully completed HeartMind Shiatsu Intermediate Training. 
• Alumni of the 2012 – HeartMind 300 hour program  
• Graduates of recognized schools of Zen Shiatsu, Ohashiatsu and other floor-based Shiatsu training are eligible for placement into this level. 

An interview with Matthew Sweigart or senior faculty prior to entry will be required to establish readiness, and ensure student success.

301 – The Healing Power of Destiny
Introducing the Eight Extraordinary Vessels
Delving Deep into the Vessels of First Ancestry, to Work Your Energy Blueprint

The Classical Chinese Medicine understanding of roots and branches comes fully to life as we explore source Yuan Qi, as it expresses itself through the Extraordinary Vessels. The Extraordinary Vessels are likened to Reservoirs, and Regular channels to rivers or canals. In times of drought, we draw from reservoirs, in times of flood, we fill the reservoirs. It is the balance of energy in rivers and reservoirs, that keeps the entire landscape of the body, mind and spirit healthy and vibrant.

In this module, we introduce the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and bring our focus to the “Vessels of First Ancestry,” the Chong, Ren and Du Mai. Energetic endowment in these vessels shape your arrival into your body in this life. We address health and wellness issues related to lineage, ancestry, gender, ethnicity, size, shape, abilities, genetic and karmic endowments and the ways in which we feel and react to these facets of our being.  We connect with the active points of the vessels through hands on Asian bodywork therapy, to support the harmonious relationships between all these essential aspects of our being.

Grounded in holding space with compassion and unconditional love, we learn to heal a myriad of wounds that arise from early traumas, neglect, or baggage handed down from generation to generation.

Students learn:

• An overview of Extraordinary Vessel medical philosophy and practice
• Chong Mai – central vessel, Ren Mai – sea of yin, Du Mai – sea of yang, and Dai Mai – belt vessel energy vessels
• Location, Function, Expression, Treatment Principles and Approaches.
• Extraordinary Vessel Qigong cultivation methods
• Primordial energetics for treating disharmonies at the Root

This is a powerful experiential class with rigorous academic study and application. You will be encouraged to discover your personal passion for the healing work you are called to offer the world. Special populations, conditions, or causes that speak most loudly to your heart will be explored. You will be given direct support to develop your unique healing gifts. Of special note at this level will be an exploration of somatic sciences and leading edge methods for addressing trauma and recovery.

Required Learning Materials:
          • Psycho Emotional Pain and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, Farrell
          • Nourishing Destiny, Jarrett

Recommended reading:
          • Channel Systems of Chinese Medicine, The Eight Extraordinary Vessels, Yuen

Single Module Sign Up for Approved Applicants

302 – Cycles of Aging and Development
Wei Mai Vessels, Supporting all Stages of the Life Cycle

Issues that arise over the course of aging and development are ubiquitous in the life cycle of a human being. The particular developmental needs at each level are recognizable throughout all human life.

Infants need a safe environment, youth need support for their feelings and self-perception, teens need freedom and a chance to grow their wings, people in their 20s need cutting edge experiences that help them become a fully functional independent, self-supporting adult. In our 30s we need to be heard and develop confidence skill and power in the community and our place in the world.  In our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond we seek a sense of fulfillment that our lives and efforts are received in a good way, and we experience a sense of purpose and contribution. 

In this course we will explore the peculiar needs and conditions of life’s various stages, and take a look at balanced healthy expression compared to unhealthy imbalances that can arise. In some cases, our developmental needs were met right on time, in other cases, something needed was clearly missing. In still other instances, we get lessons at an age that is not appropriate for where we are developmentally. We explore these commonly held understandings from the unique perspective of Classical Chinese Medicine. Particularly, two powerful vessels the Yin Wei Mai and Yang Wei Mai are directly engaged in the unfolding of life energy through the cycles of Aging and Development.

Students will:

• Explore Wei Mai Vessel energy expressions and treatment strategies
• Correlate Wei Mai Vessels with Chakra alignment and balance
• Share stories, heal wounds and find support on the long journey of life
• Advanced HeartMind Shiatsu techniques for holding space and providing support for healing wounds rooted in insults to the needs of aging and development

This highly experiential and personal class takes students on a journey into the life story. We review the “fabric of life.” Where it has been ripped, or become “thread bare,” we do the work to repair it. Where it is strong and vibrant, we celebrate and uphold!  Through positive contact with fellow students, faculty and staff, we develop strong healthy interpersonal bridges to give every member of the school an uplifting sense of wholeness, appreciation, validation and support. And we develop the ability to extend this wealth of health to our clients. Focus on somatic sciences and leading edge methods for addressing trauma and recovery, give students powerful tools for working with this all too common life challenge.

Additional Required Learning Materials
          • The Body Keeps Score, Van der Kolk

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303 – The Healing Power of Presence
Understanding and Working the Qiao Mai Vessels
The Healing Power of the Present Moment

IN 302, we studied the Cycles of Aging and Development through the Wei Mai Vessels. These can be seen to sit on the continuum of time, from past into future.  In Cycles work we explore the wounds of the past and the anticipations of the future. And yet, that continuum of time meets the ever present as we realize that everything always happens only in the present moment. In this module, we drop into our study of the Qiao Mai, the Vessels of the Here and Now.

Though nothing happens in the past and nothing happens in the future, a string of things that have happened stretches back behind us into the past, and a string of things that will happen stretches forward into the future. Yet still, each and every thing that happens, only and ever happens in the ever progressing present moment. The Qiao Mai vessel energies are the qualities of mind, body and spirit that govern our relationship to the here and now.

Two pivotal questions for exploring the Qiao Mai are 1) If you could be anyone in the world, right now, who would you be? And 2) If you could be anywhere in the world, right now, where would you be?  If your answers to these questions are not 1) myself and 2) right here, then there is a problem in your Qiao Mai. Healthy expression of Qiao Mai is the energy of being content with who you are and where you are in any given moment.

In this module of study we will explore the expressions, points and trajectories of the Qiao Mai, for cultivating our own energy of presence, and supporting our clients in cultivating theirs.

Students will explore:

• Qiao Mai functions and locations and treatment strategies
• The power of presence through meditation and self cultivation
• Shared stories and mutual support in developing personal contentment and clarity
• Advanced HeartMind Shiatsu strategies for treating and working with Qiao Mai issues

This experiential and an academic course unifies in-class activities with out of classroom study and practice. Students grasp the workings of the Qiao Mai Vessels, Extraordinary Vessel theory and the practice of working with clients on questions of destiny and life purpose. The highest alignment for health in life is to know and live from your purpose, even if your purpose is to enter into the process of discovering what that purpose is. We continue study of somatic science and methods in this level, affirming effective and safe ways to incorporate somatic therapies into your HeartMind Shiatsu practice.

Single Module Sign Up for Approved Applicants

304 – Advanced Clinical Applications
The Awarding of Certificates

In this final course in the HeartMind Shiatsu Professional Training we wrap up the entire training with review and refinement of all content. Students present their independent research projects, including case-studies and discoveries with their special populations work. Leading the class in deepening understandings of the practical applications of HeartMind Shiatsu in various settings. Demonstrated mastery of HeartMind Shiatsu floor-based Asian Bodywork Therapy in theory and practice confirm satisfactory completion of the training.

Successful graduates receive a professional level recognition as HeartMind Shiatsu Therapists and are eligible to work in the post-graduate HeartMind Shiatsu Professional clinic and to enter the full HeartMind Shiatsu Teacher Training.

Endorsement of Achievement and graduation from the program carries the benefits necessary to pursue national certification and recognition as an Asian Bodywork Therapist and sets the successful graduate on a gratifying life-long career in the healing arts.

Single Module Sign Up for Approved Applicants