healthier, and stronger in daily life. And their grandma, my grandfather taught me Markhor Meridian stretches I didn’t know the name at the time. But it was Markhor. He told me, he showed me almost every day he was practicing, I was peeking through the door. I say oh that’s great. I don’t know what he’s doing but its good. So that was my upbringing. And then my uncle went out of our house, she brought shiatsu to United States. And he created a nonprofit educational organization to be peace, putting the peace to the world. And we create the motto touch for peace. And he established his school in 1974. And after many years of training and his mentorship and his teachers and I learn so much and he told me create your own. And I create five light center go she can which means based on five elements, five senses go beyond five senses to understand human nature from an energetic point of view. And I wanted to feel everybody is a beautiful light. Everybody has good things to bring it to the universe to this planet and I want to have a gathering together gather people together to feel the power of positive energies. So that’s my story.

 

Manon Bolliger  05:04

Wow, that’s quite, quite a way to start to Oh, my goodness. Yeah. But I’m gonna start where you started just with some questions. So at that time, so your family was…it your was your father right doing this?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  05:21

Oh, no, my grandmother, grandmother sorry.

 

Manon Bolliger  05:25

Granmother, sorry. I missed that. Okay,

 

Kumiko Kanayama  05:26

No at the time anybody kind of they knew how to do the hands on treatment because it was part of education part of the school curriculum. So, I learned my specialty from my grandmother, how to do the shoulders and feet and the head. It’s such simple techniques, but it helped me to further her love through the hands, her kindness. I still remember the time I was together with my grandmother, that was such a special time in my life.

 

Manon Bolliger  06:06

Yeah, I mean, what a difference to start, you know, your life with that that is part of education. You know, we live in a society so disconnected, you know, from our bodies, and from our energy or even understanding our energy, you know. It’s, at least in my practice, it takes…it seems to be such a foreign thing to know to touch the body or, you know, accept if you’re examining it for something, but to actually understand that the body has its own, you know, chi in its own energy system, as a young child to learn that, and then in a time where it was, you know, very traumatic, that it was something available for people to rely on that’s, that’s incredible. It’s an incredible story.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  07:06

Yeah. I think I was very lucky to have this gift. Everybody feels Shiatsu is like a gift. And touch is such a gift. And yeah.

 

Manon Bolliger  07:21

Yeah. Tell us then. So after that, you were you started practicing it? Or how did you? what came next in your life?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  07:35

Well, I came to…I went to New York with my sisters because my uncle was already here in New York. He had a school and I was so fascinated to  see though is such a big people, tall people fat people, it’s such a high tall buildings. And I was just blown away in my mind. And I went and there’s so many different languages, so many different colors of the skins and, and the faces. And I was so fascinated. And so, some day I want to come and study. That was my, my impression. And then my uncle say if you want to come, just come, you can study, go to school and study. And I came to United States, New York, after many years later, and I went to school, school was a Shiatsu Institute where I learned shiatsu. I’m thought I am gonna just learn the languages and go home because shiatsu was much bigger than anything else. And I was so fascinating. And then there was a so we had so many great teachers and they long arms, long legs. They are moving beautifully. They are talking about shiatsu in the beautiful ways I never thought about how I can explain to other. So I say oh my god, I have to learn more and just time went by. Because it’s energy we are dealing with energy, energy isn’t limited. Everybody has a such a beautiful different energies. So, it just took me a long time to understand the field but after shiatsu everybody just smiles. Oh, I feel so much better, makes me so happy.

 

Manon Bolliger  09:48

So can you explain. I’m sure the majority of people have heard about shiatsu, but can you explain what it is in simple terms? You know what, how it works the promise. And then also then I’ll ask you what makes yours you know different because you have called yours intuitive shiatsu. But let’s start with shiatsu and then go to your specific way of mastering it and teaching it.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  10:22

Shiatsu is the Japanese character straight translation is finger ads is a pressure. So it’s like a finger pressure techniques. Or we can say acupuncture without needles.

 

Manon Bolliger  10:48

Okay. So what is different between shiatsu and pressure points for example, or acupressure, what’s the difference?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  10:56

Acupressure they focus on the more points there’s to go to those pressure points. And then also acupuncturists put the needles on the points. In a traditional shiatsu, they use modems, and they work on the points.

 

Manon Bolliger  11:21

Okay, so Is it is it more like a massage with like is there’s more movement in it, there’s no needles, and there’s no long pressure. So, is that is that correct version of it?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  11:42

You have a good point. My uncle is a small, like me, small, tiny person. And he has to work on the big, tall American people. And they in a traditional sense of sheltering was using thumbs. And then he felt he can only use thumbs, because it didn’t do much for the American people. And then he said, Oh, I need to protect my thumbs, and then started to use entire bodies. So, he created a system to use thumbs and elbows and knees and then move entire bodies, his bodies to create the flow of energy. And then I start to realize all the pressure points is so powerful and then energy pathways is also very, very powerful. So, I apply my entire body and then work on the pressure points by opening closing, opening closing techniques to create flow of energy and release stagnant energies.

 

Manon Bolliger  13:05

So, yeah, opening and closing because so that is so let’s say you have a meridian line. And where would you have the concept of opening it? Or closing it? What would be the like the conditions or the symptoms that would make you go if this needs to be closed or opened?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  13:29

Yes. Our bodies are so special, some miraculous. So, we have bones and muscles. So, we stretch, and they open the joint and they apply my thumb and turn around and they close it. Stretch, open, press my thumb, and close by holding bones.

 

Manon Bolliger  14:06

Okay, so let’s say you’re doing like the pericardium meridian. You’d be stretching it oh I am on the wrong side here.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  14:16

Yes, stretch together with my clients straight direct stretch, that’s straight direct. Straight. This is already creating the energy flow. You feel the vibration and the warmth of the arm. And then that’s this is opening.

 

Manon Bolliger  14:42

Right and then we turn that

 

Kumiko Kanayama  14:44

And then close. Yes. And you feel like relaxed.

 

Manon Bolliger  14:55

Rright. Okay. So then when you mean you can teach this obviously to healthcare practitioners but my understanding with shiatsu in Japan especially that there’s a lot of teaching it to families and the community.

 

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Manon Bolliger  16:24

Is that correct? Am I correct in that? So then this is where all the movement comes in. Right? Because all the meridians so let’s say let’s say you want it, I’m just trying to think of a condition. Well, one condition that a lot of people have now is neuralgia all kinds of neuralgia. So it’s the nervous system. Now, from a Chinese point of view. I mean, there’s not a nervous system Meridian for example, you know, you could do kidneys, you could you would have to kind of diagnose what the you know, is it an immune system weakness or what’s going on? But how would somebody who has, let’s say, you know, neuralgia after shingles, or you know, that kind of could be restless legs like there’s a lot of nervous impact to the latest tragedy in our world.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  17:33

Yes, because it’s everything is vibrating at such a fast mood computers, and they everything just comes and they keep us and then we have no time to read up. So no time to shut down. Every day there’s something comes to my, our phones and computer screens and they just too much. Yeah, so yeah, so the Shiatsu is you need to look into yourself, look inside of yourself, and relax the nervous system. So we are human beings, being together, I am being with my clients, I give my hands and then we breathe together. And then when you breathe in, breathe out and it is all the stagnant energy or nervous energy is and then put back in. So that’s simple Buddhist healing and the Buddhist art techniques together working on brother meridiam, which is around the spine, which is connected to the nerves sympathetic nerve. So I give my hands and the hands give a heat. So heat helps the water energy to come down.

 

Manon Bolliger  19:12

Hmm, yeah, yes. Just uh, ya know, so. So how young do you do you teach like children and that if they’re open?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  19:23

Oh my daughter was always with me when I taught the classes and I had in my daughter’s group, which was like for babies to five years old. And then they just hold on the movement. And then they’re, they’re definitely happy energy. And then they each become such a good friends. And then mother’s was observing And then they give a hand to the baby and they started to welcome their back or head and it was such a beautiful things to see. Yeah, anybody can do they have it just the size is different. And body size is much smaller. But they are heart is like so open. And then we start to move around calmly, peacefully and they want to follow.

 

Manon Bolliger  20:36

Right. Interesting. And if people do like a routine, like every day, let’s say to, you know, to get their back in balance or like that, how long do you recommend, if people you know, to do something on their own, let’s say they’re, you know,

 

Kumiko Kanayama  20:57

Well, it doesn’t take too long. I tell my clients to stretch, arms, move your arms. And that’s it doesn’t take much. But that’s we’re already stretching all the 12 meridians and the five elements that’s already balancing your energy flow.

 

Manon Bolliger  21:24

Can you can you show us like do a little demonstration? Yeah. Okay, go ahead. It’s good to go that you can say to you, I’m gonna, I’m gonna mute because there’s too much noise behind me but I’m with you.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  21:42

Yeah, just bring your arms in front of you. And then relax your fingertips. Visualize you’re touching the water or touching the air or touching the wind with fingertips near your fingertips. And then relax. Shoulders relax. Those are the moves as slow as possible. Do you feel Do you feel some kind of way you feel the vibration in the fingertips and then from here, I usually direct my spine which is the water element and stretch your water element. And then open the palms and pay attention to your thumbs and the yoga that is stretching your lung meridian metal energy so you are breathing in the energy into your system and the pay attention to your thumbs and then you’re stretching you’re rushing testing energy which is letting go relax. And then bring the arms and the 90 degree angle and then open your palms can see open in your palms like that 90 degree angle as just open as much as you can. And this is how to constrict the small fire industry so you feel heat also triple heater and the young side you feel the heat in your body so you just open and open your chest that’s how constrictor. So this is opening your heart, stretch, feel the heat and the energy in your body and then slowly release. Pay attention to your fingers which is like digestive system and stomach channel. So you release all the toxins from your body and relax your mind and then slowly release. Pay attention to your pinkies. This is your heart and small intestine energies, your fire energy and release fire is for you. That’s the quality of energy. And then slowly as you’re stretching your water energy and then open the palms, press the palm press your hands on your lap or just open the palms when you’re standing and feel the vibration in your palms or fingertips or your chest. Then they would put the both sides together in the ga show and then we thank to the universe thanks to them. Yeah, I’m strong health and balanced mind and they we keep going though the day.

 

Manon Bolliger  25:00

Seems simple enough. It’s a simple stretch. Yeah. Yeah,

 

Kumiko Kanayama  25:05

Yeah a simple stretch that balances the 5 elements.

 

Manon Bolliger  25:09

So you can do that without doing anything with a lower body.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  25:19

Because meridian through from head to toes. Pay attention, even. Just the stretching your fingertips. This is already connected the arms and the legs and everywhere. Yeah, instead of just doing it just pay attention, pay dearly attention and do it. And they energy follow us.

 

Manon Bolliger  25:41

Yeah. Yeah. So what is the difference between shiatsu and what you’re calling intuitive shiatsu?

 

Kumiko Kanayama  25:53

Yes, for the shirts is more like a pressure points for intuitive shiatsu, is we pay great attention to the giver. We also pay attention to the deceiver, but also giver has to be balanced. If the mind is going crazy, you cannot keep good sessions. So, we have to watch our diet, we have to do the exercise, meditation, breathing. And the way the two we don’t use any measurements. So, we are the measure of the energy balance for your client or your partner. So, we have to be clean as clean as possible. And then we could feel the energy and they will use the pressure points and meridians and the walk and the balance. And the balance your partner’s body and mind. And then connect to the Spirit. And then they feel good.

 

Manon Bolliger  27:07

So intuitive, it’s really so that you’re not an obstacle. In it’s like clearing it’s your journey, so that you’re able to assess and feel what the other person needs. Right.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  27:22

Exactly. Yeah. If you working together.

 

Manon Bolliger  27:26

Exactly. Instead of just a technique, you’re actually you’re getting input. And you learn to trust that.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  27:36

Mm hmm, exactly.

 

Manon Bolliger  27:37

So I mean, if we

 

Kumiko Kanayama  27:39

We are not like a dictator, so you have to do this, this this. This that’s we feel because yeah,

 

Manon Bolliger  27:46

That’s how it works. Yeah. So we have a couple more minutes. Is there anything else you wanted to share that people could find out either where they can learn this with you or yes, you want to share?.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  28:07

Yeah, please. Yeah, look at our web website, fivelightcentre.com. We have online courses. We have an in person courses. And then we did a macro home. Weekly resonance happens on Wednesdays at 3pm. New York time and we have makro keys. It’s a great and we have a retreat workshops in Italy. And we have a shiatsu summit in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. And then I go to crypto yoga centers, Omega Institute, holistic centers, and reach out to the community centers. Jewish Community Center JCC. And I just had I just did a presentation at the high school. All the kids are happy.

 

Manon Bolliger  29:09

It’s great. Well, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and your passion for this.

 

Kumiko Kanayama  29:20

Thank you Manon. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much. Thank you.

 

Ending

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