Karen livesey

Shiatsu Massage PractiTioner

I work with people to support their wellbeing, and have for over 20 years now. It’s deeply rewarding as I believe Shiatsu & Inner Qigong are particularly effective ways to feel more connected and navigate the ups and downs of life. As a shiatsu practitioner & QiGong teacher my role is to support people looking for a stronger mindbody connection.

People come for many different reasons: many to address musculo-skeletal and myofascial aches and pains; stress relief and relaxation; to improve sleep and digestion and others to reduce anxiety and maintain their well-being. Prior to this, I worked in Scotland, Sheffield & London as as a documentary film-maker in the often unpredictable and stressful broadcast industry. It was through having regular Shiatsu treatments that I learned to reset, and balance my energetic state to meet the various stresses and strains of working long hours, at a computer, and in unpredictable and challenging situations. I have also studied advanced Myofascial Release at JING School of advanced massage in Brighton. I continue to feed my practice with regular learning in Meditation at The Orchard in Herefordshire and Qigong & Movement Shiatsu with Bill Palmer. This ongoing study feeds my skill and passion for bodywork. in 2023, I qualified with Wise Goose Coaching, on the advanced diploma, coaching for success with a soul, and am happy to have added body-informed coaching to my toolkit. People often come to therapy wanting to change something.

My preferred way of working is by supporting rather than fixing, as we seem to have more chance of healing ourselves when we start from a place of self-acceptance. An interest in a meditative approach to life started at fifteen, when I was introduced to Aikido, by my English teacher. Aikido is a martial art based on a philosophy which focuses on harmonizing with your opponent to bring peaceful resolutions to situations involving conflict. It fuelled my belief that a strong mind-body connection is essential to health. Since then, meditation and experimentation have underpinned my life as a creative, in film-making and in practicing body work.