Der Shiatsu-Therapeut Massimo Martino war ebenfalls Teil unseres allerersten Ferien(s)passes. Massimo stürzt sich auf Fougerette jeweils mit Begeisterung in seine leuchtend blau-gelbe Arbeitshose und packt auch bei körperlich anstrengenden Aufgaben an vorderster Front mit an. Wir haben ihn mit Blick auf den nächsten Ferienspass zu seinem Werdegang befragt, damit Du mehr über Shiatsu und Lu Jong erfährst. Vielleicht hast Du ja Lust, diesen Sommer dabei zu sein?! (Interview auf Englisch)
Massimo, what did you want to be when you were a little boy?
I actually wanted to be Bank Director! Living in Via Nassa, Lugano’s „Bahnhofstrasse“, where there were more banks than bars, I thought that was the career I should follow. Of course my parents were ecstatic about my decision, so they encouraged me to pursue this career : )
Economics may have been your first love, but there was a radical career change ahead…
Yes, indeed! I went on to study Economics, started my career and 11 years later transitioned from steel trading to the world of hedge funds, from raw materials to aethereal material. It was an exciting period during which I met wonderful people and worked hard. Then, I spent five months in a small Hedge Fund company in Zürich and one of the senior managers said to me: “Here we will give you a new shape”. That was my „Aha!“-moment. I had the impression that this guy saw me spending my life chained to my desk with the years just flipping past (an excellent illustration is: https://youtu.be/A-rEb0KuopI)! And I realised that for a long time already I had been feeling like a robot doing what was ordered, a Tin Woodman without vitality, without heart! So I began to listen to what my body, my inner doctor wanted to do … et voilà Shiatsu!!
Why Shiatsu?
Even as a kid, touch was an important way for me to connect. I was forever giving massages to my two brothers and became something of a „massage jukebox“ : ) Be it at university or before a concert with my band Carnasc, there was always someone asking for a quick session, and that’s also how I met my girlfriend. After checking out various appraoches, I decided to work with the Shiatsu method because it comes from Japan and because it enables both the client and the therapist to share a very deep experience in a safe place.
Is Shiatsu for everyone?
For me, Shiatsu is a way of living which allows people to take care of their soul and respect their body’s wisdom. It can be an interesting option for anyone who is curious, wants to stay healthy and maybe solve some annoying aches along the way. The Shiatsu method is based on the belief that all human beings are the result of the friction between the Energy of Heaven and Earth. This philosophical idea stems from an ancient conversation between The Yellow Emperor and his Minster Qi Bo about a healthy life. This philosophical text book is still the groundwork of Acupuncture, which Nobel prize winner Youyou Tu demonstrated in her work on the medical effects of Artemisia, and an inspiration for Shiatsu. Just like acupuncture, Shiatsu aims to harmonize the vital energy in the client by working on the meridians, but instead of using needles we use finger, elbow, knee and foot. Sounds a bit esoteric? Let’s do a little exercise, would you? Close your eyes and feel the rhythm of your breath, the beat of your heart, the temperature of your body. Don’t expect something big or bling bling… Just feel the movement of your eyes or your chest or limbs… Can you feel how your body moves each time you breathe in and out and whenever your heart beats? We call this: Ki, or vital energy or Qi or the cause of all changes. With the Shiatsu techniques, I look for the points where this energy doesn’t flow optimally and, together with the client, we try to find out how to let it flow optimally.
You are currently specialising in Shiatsu for pregnant women…
Working with pregnant women is amazing: they are The Force of Nature! I have enormous respect for this miracle that happens every day. I recently attended a course with Suzanne Yates to deepen my knowledge of the most natural chain reaction I know. During those spectacular life-changing 9 months the parent’s Ki and their ancestral contributions influence the structure of the baby directly. Thanks to Suzanne, I discovered the techniques on how to combine Shiatsu + parent’s Ki + baby’s Ki and cope with the hormonal changes, with baby breech, with nausea, mood changes and, most importantly, how to contribute to the connection between mother, baby and father. We can think about Ki as the interaction of the Yin and Yang energies. Women carry sleeper instructions (egg cells) which will be used to mold the amphitheater where the art of life will be played and our evolution has its foundation. I personally consider this the essence of Yin energy, which will express its Yang essence at the moment of birth. This special moment should not be considered trivial, because every time is a highly symbolic and intensely emotional event for the woman who suffers and for her entourage.
And how did your interest in Lu Jong come about?
Lu Jong, the Tibetan Yoga, combines movements and breath, which immediately grabbed my attention. I found it a powerful preparation before meditation. The preparation of the body’s focus for the appointment with the Ki… After having practised Lu Jong for nine months I am more convinced than ever that these are very powerful movements, and that they are very helpful when I need to challenge my energy.
Something else you are passionate about is healthy eating. Any tips to share?
Thanks to working with my body, I found that eating is often a short cut to bad habits, nurturing the evil inside… To be conscious of specific ingredients or dishes is the best bridge to knowing how you are nurturing your Ki. My suggestion would be to make a list of what you have been eating for more than 7 years for a woman and 8 years for a man. Now highlight those that cause you too many thoughts, in my case: Pizza, pasta, sugar – sweets in general, coffee and beer. Then choose one of these and drive these “too many thoughts” into something that is nurturing your intention. Meditate on it and feel what you should do or what is deviating you from having optimal thoughts on that particular food. Is it enough or do you want more? For me, too much works like a pain killer with its well-known side effects. Personally, a good training is to skip the evening meal, like I did last July during the FerienSpass. Think about food the way you think of the gym…
If you had to choose a motto for your life, what would it be?
Take care of your soul, respect your body and forget the outer world. Broaden your mind without lying to your body. The most important thing for me is to keep moving, following my intentions and needs. Asking myself: Is what I am doing nurturing my Ki? If yes continue, if not stop it ; -)
Massimo macht im Sommer 2016 genau wie Michelle Sabatini erneut beim Ferienspass mit (23. bis 31. Juli 2016). Er arbeitet in Zürich als Lu Jong-Lehrer und Shiatsu-Therapeut in eigener Praxis: http://meandshiatsu.ch.
