Professional Training in Zen Shiatsu and Chinese Medicine

”I recently became a Shiatsu practitioner and completed all 3 levels with Gerry. I am very happy I chose this school. Gerry is an amazing Shiatsu practitioner / teacher, yoga teacher as well as mentor with endless knowledge about Shiatsu, yoga, astrology, history, martial arts and many other subjects. He has so much to share with his students and so he does. He has an incredible ability to teach in a way everybody can understand. In each level, you learn many different treatment techniques and get excellent studying materials. You learn so much more at this school. This training absolutely exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to anyone who is passionate about Shiatsu and bodywork. Thank you, Gerry, for your patience, humor & unforgettable time.

Petra Stanicka, Czech Republic, 2023

This certified course integrates traditional Zen Shiatsu with advanced energy work and chakra healing. Zen Shiatsu and polarity resonance are rooted in Oriental Medicine with it’s notions of energetic movement, Meridians, Acupuncture points and Chakras; energy channels, points and vortexes. These informational fields are stimulated through touch, technique, intention, empathy and energetic input. Healing naturally follows, bringing new energy, movement, blood and consciousness into the hidden parts of the body/mind and releasing corresponding blockages. The deeply relaxing effect allows for healing on all levels including the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.

Zen Shiatsu is Energy Medicine at the deepest level working directly with the life force thereby enabling that profound healing of body, mind and soul. This leads to tremendously effective healings of many common ailments and illnesses as well as chronic and degenerative diseases such as back pain, IBS, constipation, Crohn’s disease, asthma, skin problems, bloating, insomnia, period pains, headaches, stress, anxiety and even arthritis and cancer.

The course follows the European Shiatsu Federation’s core syllabus and is based on hands-on, experiential understanding of Diagnosis and Treatment with pure theory making up 20% of each days program.

The Yoga Teacher certification, for those who are interested in this additional training, is issued by Yoga Alliance International.

This unique program is taught by Gerry Rixen who brings his 35 years of practice and teaching of Shiatsu, TCM, Yoga and Martial Arts to the course.

Each Module consists of a 3 Week residential course ! It is possible to do more than 1 module per year.

Graduates obtain the following certification with each module. The first year module can be done as a single certification course and is complete in itself.

​

ZEN SHIATSU - FULL PROGRAM

Module 1 - Year 1: Shiatsu Massage and Accupressure certification, accredited with SYM-International

Module 2 - Year 2: Advanced Shiatsu certification with SYM-International 

Module 3 - Year 3: Shiatsu Practitioner Diploma and Yoga Teacher certification with Yoga Alliance International   

Each year consists of 1 three-week residential course. The full course is based on 480 hours of tuition plus 100 recorded treatments per year in addition to written assignments (Anatomy & Physiology, Chinese Medicine, case histories and a short thesis). The course follows the European Shiatsu Federation international standard as well as the core syllabus of the Shiatsu Society (of UK).

Yoga is Integrated into all Shiatsu courses; students interested in receiving the 200 hour Yoga Teacher certification with Yoga Alliance International may do so after the third Shiatsu module - year, depending on their proficiency.  Please speak with the teacher if you would like to also become a Yoga Teacher.

Course Breakdown

Year 1 (Total 160 Hours) : Shiatsu and Acupressure Certification 

• ​Exercises: Yoga / Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation.

• Principles of touch / Sensitivity to Qi and positive connection to receiver's Qi.

• Continuity and fluency of movement / Mental and physical concentration.

• Techniques : Shiatsu in prone, supine, side and sitting positions.

• Contra-indications / Accurate location of the classical meridians.

• Chinese organ and meridian functions

• Anatomy & Physiology (part 1) / Palpation and diagnosis

• Location and function of 110 common Acu-or Pressure points

  LU : 1,5,7,9,11 / LI : 1,4,10,11,15,20

• ST : 1,3,9,17,25,30,36,40,44,45 / SP : 1,3,6,9,10,15, 21

• HT : 1,3,7,9 / SI : 1,3,9,10,11,19

• BL: 1,2,10,13,14,15,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,25,27,28,36,40, 57,60,67 / KI : 1,3,6,10,16, 27

• PE : 1,3,6,7,8,9 / TH : 1,4,5,14,23

• GB : 1,12,14,20,21,24,25,30,34,40,44 / LV : 1,3,5,8,13,14

• GV : 1,2, 3, 4,14,16,20,26 / CV : 3,4,5,6,8,12,14,17,24 

Year 2 Total 160 Hours) : Advanced Shiatsu Certification (and Yoga Teacher certification optional)

• ​Exercises: Yoga / Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation

• Anatomy and Physiology (part 2) / The Chakras

• Yin-Yang, Zang-Fu / The 8 principles

• Vital substances / Principles of energy circulation

• The six divisions / The 3 burners

• Causes of disease / Organ functions

• Zen Shiatsu Meridians & functions / Kyo-jitsu theory and application

• Meridian stretches and application / Palpation or touch diagnosis

• The 5 elements or transformations / Signs & symptoms of imbalance

• Oriental diagnosis: Observation (posture, face) / Listening (voice, breathing)

• Questioning (symptoms, medical history) 

Year 3 (Total 160 Hours) : Shiatsu Practitioner Diploma and Yoga Teacher Certification (optional)

• ​ Yoga practice and Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation

• Diagnosis and treatment / Pathology / Nutrition

• Case studies / Client practitioner relationship / Counceling and listening skills

• Energy scanning & frequencies / The 7 main chakras & secondary chakras

• Hara Shiatsu / Shiatsu: polarity & resonance

• Shiatsu and the Western Holistic Tradition / Supervised treatments

• Practice management  

  
  
  

• Prerequisites

  None.

  Evaluation Procedure and Grading Criteria

• Students will be required to have completed all the set assignments by the end of each module and pass the end exam

• Students will be expected to show proficiency and improvement in their own practice, teaching and understanding.

• The practical evaluation is based on continual assessment and students are expected to complete a minimum of 90% of contact hours.

Attendance

Trainees should attend a minimum of 90% of the course. Should trainees miss more than this minimum they will need to agree with the teacher which modules to re-take. SYM reserves the right to charge additional fees for these catch up modules.

  Dress Code

Please wear comfortable plain white, yellow or blue clothes, no logos. We like to encourage students to wear positive happy colours which facilitate learning and energy work. Colour therapy and its association with the chakras will be discussed further during the course.

Location

BENICARLO, VALENCIA, SPAIN

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd year program are all organised as 3-week intensive trainings.

LEVEL 1 - FIRST YEAR 2023

(We run this course 3 times a year)

13 April - 4 May 2024 (Spain)

14 September - 5 October 2024 (Greece)

30 November - 21 December 2024 (Spain)

LEVEL 2 - SECOND YEAR 2023

11 May - 1 June 2024 (Spain)


LEVEL 3 - THIRD YEAR 2023

8 - 29 June 2024 (Spain)

(Dates include Arrival and Departure days)

Cost for each Level: € 1300 without accommodation € 1500 in triple room / € 1700 in twin room / € 2000 in single room accommodation.

Example of daily schedule

08:30 - 10:00 Yoga/ DO-In, Meditation, Relaxation

10:00 - 10:30 Break ; Breakfast

10:30 - 13:00 Shiatsu: Practice

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch & Break

15:00 - 16:30 Theory

16:30 - 16:45 Break

16:45 - 18:30 Shiatsu: Practice

18:30 Free Time and Dinner

The schedule may change slightly due to season.

SYM has met the strict requirements of Yoga Alliance International, showing that SYM courses are of exceptional quality and that upon graduation students receive the Yoga Alliance International membership and certification.