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It’s always inspiring to meet people who share my passion for complementary therapies – and Kim Lovelace is certainly one of keenest advocates of health promotion in the area. An active member of The Shiatsu Society, Kim teaches shiatsu and qigong classes and has plenty of valuable holstic tips and ideas to share with clients and fellow therapists. You can find out more about his work from his website http://www.kim.lovelace.shiatsusociety.org
What prompted you to train in complementary therapy?
Way back in the mists of time (well actually only 1981) when living in Shropshire we helped an acquaintance to weed and level her garden. In return we received a sauna and reflexology treatment. Something clicked, a seed was sown, seven years later it germinated and I enrolled with The Bayley School of Reflexology. The following year I discovered shiatsu.
What therapies do you currently practice?
My full time employment now revolves around giving and teaching shiatsu and running qigong classes. I’m quite gregarious, so my preference is to work from clinics (Chichester, Emsworth, Midhurst and Littlehampton). This means that each day brings a different journey and different colleagues.
Describe one time when you felt that complementary therapy had really made a difference to someone.
Hmm . . . Ki is already changing, or trying to, when a client makes the decision to book a treatment. For me the subtle changes are often the most impressive.
A man in his sixties with many physical problems came for shiatsu. His main wish was for back pain to be eased. Initially extremely sceptical, he gradually softened, his back softened, allowing him to do more. I began to work with a teddy bear rather than a tank! Arriving one day for a treatment he remarked, “Don’t know what this shiatsu stuff is doing to me, I was sitting in the garden enjoying a G&T when a load of bloody pigeons landed on the lawn. Any other time in my life I’d have fired off both barrels at them, but decided to let them enjoy themselves. Its all your fault!” That last statement said with an enormous grin on his face.
Can you share any holistic tips that have worked for you?
The Sky Hook! In qigong there’s a big emphasis on visualising being suspended and supported from above, by the energy of the sky. Many differing images are used for this (puppet string, golden thread), but my favourite is The Sky Hook. When you’re feeling tired, weighed down by life, you just visualise this beautiful etheric “hook” coming down latching onto the crown of your head, and “Voila!” You feel light, energised, ready to face what the Universe throws at you! The magic is, you can do it any time anywhere, waiting for the kettle to boil, standing in a queue, walking through Victoria station.
What path are you hoping to follow in the future?
Another big hmm . . . I love what I currently do. Over the years my teaching commitments have taken up more and more time. Last March I resigned (amicably) from The Shiatsu College and consequently do more freelance teaching as and when I choose, with minimal attached paperwork. There’s now a good mix between one-to-one practice and teaching.
Where will my path lead? Promoting health awareness in some form. So many people are actively willing themselves into illness. Be happy, be healthy, seems a pretty good mantra. Beware, I could become quite evangelical!
Would you like to contribute to Today’s Holistic Therapist?
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