According to the Chinese medicine, any disease is caused by the Six Evils and the Seven Emotions. One of the Seven Emotions is fear. It is one of the main spiritual roots of sickness and disease. It runs deep, requires enormous emotional energy, and demands action.
What do people feel when they are afraid:
Breathing rate increases, heart rate follows suit, peripheral blood vessels (in the skin, for instance) constrict, central blood vessels around vital organs dilate to flood them with oxygen and nutrients, and muscles are pumped with blood, becoming tighter and ready to react.
Metabolically, levels of glucose in the blood spike, providing a ready store of energy if the need for action arises. Similarly, levels of calcium and white blood cells in the bloodstream increase, which make us more vulnerable to diseases.
Anxiety about the unknown can hyperactivate the fear center in the brain called the amygdala. Research shows that the mere suggestion of danger, even if it never is experienced, is enough to trigger the amygdala and activate the stress response.
The problem is that chronic activation of the stress systems can damage our cells and upset many of the body’s functions. Our immune system bears the brunt. Although the root of stress can be psychological, the physical damage it causes to the body’s cells triggers an immune response that makes us more susceptible to a foreign pathogen. This may increase our risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
How Shiatsu Therapy can help with fear
Shiatsu Therapy is a healing art that has been around for thousands of years. The techniques involved interact with the chi energy which harmonizes and balances the body leaving the feeling of wellbeing and vitality. It improves the circulation of blood and lymph, relieves tension in the soft tissues and organs, releases toxins and boosts the immune system, thus more resistant to diseases and virus such as COVID-19.
The shiatsu therapist acts a facilitator for healing. Once the therapist lays hands on the patient’s body, the therapist can feel for excess or depletions of the person’s energy. Once the meridians are opened, the healing process begins and the body tries to rebalance. As the physical symptoms of stress and fear soften, the emotion of fear starts fading away. The physical relaxation achieved impacts on the patient’s psychological state in positive and therapeutic ways.