July Newsletter

Greetings everyone!

I had a wonderful time teaching 20 hour CEU’s of my Shiatsu-Anma Therapy Intro class at IPSB in May.  I mostly have been teaching advanced classes in Minneapolis and in Pacific Palisades, CA but it is so important to teach the basics of shiatsu and anma practice and its spirit. It has been about 5 years since our Shiatsu Massage School of California closed its curriculum. Recently, I’ve been enjoying updating my teaching material and contents, thanks to my daughter, Lisa. I feel very fortunate to have the family business back and running again.

At IPSB this July, I will again offer a very basic 3 day class but full of information with lots of practice and review time based on IPSB’s curriculum format.  For future classes with me, IPSB is nice enough to give a 50% discount for my graduates from the Shiatsu Massage School. In spite of my Japanese tongue, 99% of my previous IPSB class rated the class as 5 stars. I collected some anonymous students’ comments on my evaluation forms. Here are a few:

• “Chockful of info. Step-by-step, thorough.”
• “Sooo knowledgeable, uplifting, inspirational…He is a legend. Please have him back”.
• “Everything that he is makes the class wonderful. Energy, love for his craft and art. Joyfulness.”
• “He’s so good at what he is teaching us. He’s so kind, patient, funny…I loved the time I spent in this class because of the instructor.”
• “Great class and can’t wait for the next one.”

Although July’s class is full, you will have other opportunities to learn about this eastern massage therapy to expand your repertoire, so stay tuned for the next class. I can almost guarantee you that you will increase your business since you will be trained on specific pressure point application for common daily health issues. For example G.B. 20 is good for brain issues, Sp. 6 for Gynecological complaints, and L.I. 4 for any facial issues. This is an excellent way to start mastering my 30 minute Shiatsu short form and 60 minute Anma long form.

Sp. 6 for Gynecological complaints

L.I.4 for any facial issues

Community Classes starting next week!

Sign up for our Summer 6 week
Community Classes in Santa Monica!

Qigong & Daoyin

Mondays, July 15 – August 19 (6 weeks)

Qigong Two Qigong styles will be taught: Baduanjin with 8 silk movements that stretch the extremities, spine, and meridians, and Tree Qigong stances, which are gentle but transformational with vigorous abdominal breathing.

Meditation & Breathing

Mondays, July 15 – August 19 (6 weeks)

Students will learn 6 meditations from the very basic to the advanced. Dr. Kaneko’s meditation style is based on a traditional Taoist style that he customized for an easier and more practical approach.

Music Hands & Monkey Business

Saturdays, July 20 – August 24 (6 weeks)

These are child-parent activities. For Music Hands, children will learn a different tapping technique on their parents for each day of the week, that will be practiced with song. This activity, based on a Japanese tradition, is a practical and hands on method to cultivate empathy, kindness and humility in children.

Tips for Your Beauty and A Healthy Lifestyle:
How to Slow Down the Pace of Aging and Possibly Reverse It  

The Nutritional Way

We love smoothies and my breakfast is an eccentric super mix. I am not going to tell you what it is made up of but I’ll tell you when to have it, especially during the summertime. According to the Japanese author and clinical nutritionist, Yukako Mori’s Japanese book called What are Ageless People Eating? you are risking an increase in skin blemishes or sunspots (aging skin) by exposing yourself to strong UV light after drinking smoothies mixed with greens such as parsley, celery, cucumber with citric fruits. She reported these greens have a certain nature of absorbing UV light and causing age spots. She recommended drinking this excellent smoothie after sunset! But if you do drink these green smoothies during the day, make sure to apply enough sunblock and drink or eat more antioxidant foods rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. One beautiful green fruit known as the “king of fruit”, has all 3 vitamins. Which one is it? It’s Kiwi! Other foods that slow down aging skin are daikon leaves, broccoli, garlic, sprouts, kabocha squash, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes and snow peas.

 I eat fermented soy called natto every week which is a very traditional Japanese health food and it is highly recommended among holistic medicine communities. It is rich with Vitamin B1 and B2, which are key factors for skin metabolism and Vitamin E, which improves the circulation in the capillaries.   

Jeff Primack, author and Qigong practitioner, also recommended kiwi for strengthening and detoxifying the Kidneys. It has much more Vitamin C than an orange and is excellent for children’s asthma, he reported in his book, Conquering ANY Disease. He also mentioned natto. He reported that women who ate more than 4 packs of natto per week reduced bone mass loss on their thigh bones by 80%. Natto is rich with Vitamin K2 that is more effective at building bone than calcium.

The Spiritual Way 
I like the American old saying, “Young at heart”. Indeed, when we keep up the spirit of passion, our healthy DNA turns ON and contributes to our longevity and youth according to Professor Kazuo Murakami. In his book, The Divine Code of Life: Awaken Your Genes and Discover Hidden Talents, Kazuo concluded that when you have a proactive mentality it turns on healthy genes. He also stated that our sleeping genes (95% of our genes are sleeping) can awaken through a positive mindset. In my spiritual practice, I chant the following and I feel I am renewed and reborn on a DNA level:

Miraculous Life is promised by prayers.
Prayers bring shining divine light
Divine light promotes breathing
Breathing fulfills the vital energy
Vital energy extends our spine and life
Vital force also opens the mind and spirit 
An open mind creates the joy of life. 

And we are eternally and in every moment in a cycle of life and death, on a visible and invisible level. Thus we live eternally and beyond a physical age.

Today’s Pressure Point
Stomach 36

I myself enjoy this traditional direct moxibustion on St.36 once a month in addition to other daily self-healing techniques. It is very hot for the first couple of cones but it is amazing! I feel my Qi activated and apply the heat for an extended time. It boosts one’s life force after continual use. When I use this along with other self-healing I always feel like I’m in my 40’s, with plenty of stamina. I also use this moxibustion on my Sp.6 and lower abdomen. However, a word of caution, it does leave a scab and permanent burn mark so if you are concerned about scarring, you may not want to do use this kind moxibustion. Use it at your own risk. But it is the most effective way to boost energy and the immune system! It has a very hot burning sensation right on the skin but it does access the deep tissue.

I say to myself, suffering is completely optional, if we program our mind. I feel a great appreciation for the intensity of the heat by believing that moxibustion is sending healing information to my DNA. Moxibustion that scars has been the favorite to ancient doctors, “where there is moxibustion burn, there is a cure.” Modern clinical practice has also shown that scarring moxibustion, compared with other moxibustions, has the advantage of a curative effect in the treatment of some chronic refractory diseases. (Deng, Hongyong, and Xueyong Shen, 2013)

According to  Master Sorei Yangiya’s textbook, Modern Medical Outline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, moxibustion can increase the numbers of white and red blood cells and promote cellular metabolism. Thus killer cells, macrophages and other defense mechanisms become active to heal chronic disease. There are many important Japanese books on how moxibustion cures various diseases. They reported abundant and amazing clinical case studies.

Moxibustion is a most natural and wonderful medicine that I give many thanks to while using it at home. It is very cost effective and a simple medicine I’ll introduce more about daily healing programs I use in the coming newsletters.

In Katsuke Serizawa’s book Effective Tsubo Therapy (1984), Katsuke shares the following about St.36.   St.36 or Ashi-San-Ri in Japanese, is located on the outside of the lower leg about 10 cms below the kneecap, just outside of the shin bone. Moxibustion on this point is an old practice for health and longevity. Even the famous poet Basho has records that he burned moxa San-Ri during his travels. Other stories showing the significance of moxibustion are from WW2 where soldiers cut up pieces of their shirt to burn on San-Ri to aid in their long journey home after defeat.

San-Ri has been used for a wide array of health complaints. Its most common use was for stomach and digestive issues including problems with the liver and gallbladder. It was also applied for diabetes related symptoms such as general fatigue, loss of weight and excessive thirst. Other beneficial uses were for neuralgia of the brain, and fatigue of the legs due to stroke. Additionally, San-Ri has aided respiratory organs that affected coughing, blood rising to the head and hotness or chilling of the feet.

Deng, Hongyong, and Xueyong Shen. “The mechanism of moxibustion: ancient theory and modern research.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2013 (2013): 379291. doi:10.1155/2013/379291 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/379291/

Be sure to pick up a copy of our excellent
DoAnn’s Qigong DVD!

According to Dr. Kaneko’s 40 years of his clinical experience of energetic medicine, it is very important to be aware of your own healing powers and to access your pharmacy within. This happens when you faithfully believe in your healing system.

“Healing is believing” in the invisible light of Qi. In this Daoyin and Qigong therapy you will explore the divine lights and unlimited electromagnetic fields based on traditional Chinese medicine and Kaneko Sensei’s original practices. To learn more about this DVD click here.

Teach your kids Music Hands & Monkey Business
for a unique, fun, and healing exercise!

Have fun, relax, and slow down by practicing two fun and stress-reducing exercises tailored for kids and parents. Dr. Kaneko, acupuncturist and master of Shiatsu-Anma therapy, shares his prescription for laughing with “Monkey Business” and relaxing with “Music Hands”.

In Music Hands, children will get a chance to learn a few of the simple and fun healing techniques of shiatsu-anma, which they can practice on their parents or family members. A popular American children’s tune guides you through each hand movement. This Japanese tradition is educational and therapeutic for the whole family.  To learn more about this DVD click here.