Some Magical Healing

Feeling stressed? Lacking the correct nutrition? Grossly out of balance, weak and unable to heal yourself?

Then Japanese Needling Therapy and a visit to The Karma Studio is exactly what you need.

Japanese Needling Therapy is an age old modality which originated in Japan over 1400 years ago; the particular stream practiced at The Karma Studio was developed by Dr Yoshio Manaka, poet, artist, physician, healer and pioneer of this version of the modality.

Here at The Karma Studio the modality has been available since 2007 and is growing in popularity at a rapid pace.

This modality aims to balance the Yin and Yang and 5-Phase systems, realigning the biorhythmic system completely. It works on ‘reading’ the energy information within a person that was created upon their conception and involves balancing the Ki (energy) which circulates throughout the body by pathways called meridians, which are responsible for the bodies health and wellbeing.

Japanese Needling Therapy uses many tools and processes including, needling, cupping, moxibustion (the act of burning Moxa Punk (a herbal substance made from mugwort leaves) to create a hugely pleasant warm sensation that deeply penetrates the tissue), colour and sound therapy, Sotai (postural realignment), Polarity Therapy (hands on healing, working with the body’s natural energies), magnets and other modality aspects, as suited to each individual.

This therapy leaves you feeling energized, strengthened and balanced allowing your body to come back to itsperfectly natural healthy state. It will treat any disease or complaint, as
long as you are able to trust in the process and take a vested interest in your personal healing journey. It is recommended that clients commit to a program of treatment, usually 6 sessions, including changing lifestyle habits to gain the most from this remarkable modality.

As a new member of the Karma Studio family I was very excited to receive my first session today and am now even more excited to get to share that with you via our blog.

First some interesting differences between Japanese Needling Therapy and Chinese Acupuncture –

Needling therapy is considered to be more comfortable than acupuncture, as the needles used are thinner and sharper and therefore almost, if not cmpletely pain free on insertion. The actual needling is also very shallow, only being inserted 1-5mm as opposed to the usual 10-50mm in traditional acupuncture. The sensation evoked when the acupuncture point is stimulated, is much gentler and more subtle and the warm treatment of ‘moxibustion’ is far more widely used.

So what IS Japanese Needling Therapy and what can you expect from your session?

As it is performed at The Karma Studio, it is actually a mix of several styles of acupuncture that was refined in Japan by Dr Manaka, one of Japans most respected Oriental practitioners, researchers, and theorists.

At your first appointment a thorough health and body history is recorded and discussed
in length, to ensure the correct meridians and acupuncture points are treated for the optimum benefit to you.

Confirmation and initial diagnosis is by palpation of the ‘hara’ (abdomen) and every
acupuncture point is palpated before treating it.

A Root treatment follows to balance your constitution. This involves non-insertion Silver Spike Points (silver-pointed electrodes) being attached to ‘extraordinary meridian vessels’ (acupressure points on your body relating to the diagnosis received through palpating the Hara) and Iron pumping cords are then attached to the SSPs allowing a very subtle current to pass through the body balancing the Chi.

Following comes systematic treatments including (but not solely)

Needling, with very fine needles, (Japanese Needling Therapy uses very thin needles and insertion is very shallow, providing a pain-free, mild and extremely effective stimulation).

Cupping (A partial vacuum is created in cups placed on the skin either by means of heat or
suction. This draws up the underlying tissues. When the cup is left in place on the skin for a few minutes, blood stasis is formed and localized healing takes place.)

Moxibustion (this is a prominent feature of Japanese Needling. Moxibustion is the warming of acupoints and/or needles by burning Moxa, a substance derived from the mugwort plant. This is amazing, especially through the needles. It creates deep and thorough warmth throughout the area which is extremely relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable)

After my hour long treatment I felt fantastic. I had commenced my treatment with a severely painful right upper arm and the pain had gone, completely. That’s not to say it
won’t return, which is why a commitment to 6 sessions is preferable, as it takes time for the constitution to stabilise and for you to maintain the energetic life-force.

All in all this was an amazing first experience with, what was to me, a brand new modality, and I am hooked! Jenn is gentle, nurturing and extremely thorough and the peaceful and calming treatment room was a delightful change for me, and one I’ll be looking forward to regularly!