Michael Woolley Dip.BSS, MRSS

My interest in Shiatsu
and in fact most things
Japanese came about
through my various visits
to Japan in the guise of
car photographer in the early 1980's.

After attending a ten evening introductory course in some musty North London Community Centre I became a regular 'body' at a small Shiatsu and Acupuncture school/clinic near Kingston (can travel, will travel) where I enjoyed sitting in on some of the classes. Then there was no turning back; my condition was kyo and only Shiatsu could fully satisfy that need.

I enrolled into the three-year diploma course at the British School of Shiatsu-Do which was then at the somewhat rough around the edges, but marvellous East West Centre and qualified in 1992.

I started work in a London clinic immediately and have continued to practise professionally ever since.

I continue my professional development by attending workshops and courses held by a number of well known teachers in the shiatsu world. Personal experience particularly of the teachings of Saul Goodman, Michael Rose, Kiiko Matsumoto, Ohashi and Pierre Clavreux have all influenced and 'informed' my work tremendously.

I continue to try and integrate the different styles and techniques I have been impressed by in my travels through Shiatsu, into a useful style of my own.

But needless to say, the most important teachers have been my many clients who over the years and many thousands of treatment hours have stimulated in me a continuing excitement in my chosen field.

I feel incredibly privileged that so many people from a variety of backgrounds, with so many different needs, problems and conditions, healthy or seriously ill, young, old, happy or desperately sad or frightened have entrusted themselves into my care.