〰️

Professional Training

〰️

Zen Shiatsu

〰️

Chinese Medicine

〰️ Professional Training 〰️ Zen Shiatsu 〰️ Chinese Medicine

Professional Training in Zen Shiatsu & Chinese Medicine

This certified course integrates traditional Zen Shiatsu with advanced energy work and chakra healing.

Zen Shiatsu is rooted in Oriental Medicine with it’s notions of energy flow, Meridians, Acupuncture points and Chakras; energy channels, points and vortexes. These are in fact informational fields and carry much more than just physical information.

The deeply relaxing effect of Shiatsu allows for healing on all levels including the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.

Zen Shiatsu is Energy Medicine at the deepest level, working directly with the life force, thereby enabling that profound healing of body, mind and soul. This can lead to tremendously effective healings of many common ailments and illnesses as well as chronic and degenerative diseases such as back pain, IBS, constipation, Crohn’s disease, asthma, skin problems, bloating, insomnia, period pains, headaches, stress, anxiety and even arthritis and cancer.

The course follows the EUROPEAN SHIATSU FEDERATION’s core syllabus and is based on hands-on, experiential understanding of Diagnosis and Treatment with pure theory making up 20% of each days program.

The Shiatsu Practitioner certification will allow graduates to work anywhere in the world and many of our students have joined various national federations and bodies upon returning to their own countries.

This unique program is taught by Gerry Rixen who brings his 40 years of practice and teaching of Shiatsu, TCM, Yoga and Martial Arts to the course. Guest teachers and assistants will also participate in some courses.

Each Module consists of a 3 Week residential course ! It is possible to do more than 1 module per year.

Graduates obtain the following certification with each module. The first year module can be done as a single certification course and is complete in itself.

“Attending Gerry’s Shiatsu training was a deeply enriching experience. Gerry is a gifted teacher who skillfully combines practical techniques with the spiritual roots of Shiatsu, supported by his diverse background in martial arts, yoga, archaeology, and astrology. The course offered a variety of practices that nurtured inner growth, sensitivity, and presence. Additional contributions from Paul and Sabrina added further depth, and the beautiful, peaceful setting in Vinaròs made the experience even more transformative.”

- Ilu Rogowska, Poland 2025 -

“Gerry’s Shiatsu is very generous and combines the best of practice and theory. The morning practice is just great, a combination of Do-In mixed with yoga and martial arts. Gerry succeeds very well in transmitting to us its dynamic, hara power, and flexibility, and allows us to enhance our energetic level as well. The presence of Sabrina and Paul also brings new energies to this training, new ways to experience the body and with the body. This module prepares us very well as Shiatsu practitioners: we gain a global practical and theoretical understanding of Masunaga Shiatsu as Gerry incorporates some revisions from modules 1 and 2 into it and brings new topics (Shiatsu practice at different vibrational levels, hara Shiatsu treatment, pathologies, chakras, and muscles according to Shiatsu...). Gerry’s Shiatsu is enthusiastic. He helps us feel comfortable and systematically stresses the most important issues we need to integrate. With Gerry, Shiatsu becomes a living experience. And as Gerry likes to say: “Now it is not the end of your training but just the beginning of your learning process as a Shiatsu practitioner.” Gratefulness.”

- Françoise Oehlenschläger, France, 2025 -

Basic Shiatsu Sequence Video

Zen Shiatsu Training - Full Program

Module 1 - Year 1:
Shiatsu Massage and Accupressure certification

Module 2 - Year 2:
Advanced Shiatsu certification

Module 3 - Year 3:
Shiatsu Practitioner Diploma

Each year consists of 1 three-week residential course. The full course is based on 480 hours of tuition plus 100 recorded treatments per year in addition to written assignments (Anatomy & Physiology, Chinese Medicine, case histories and a short thesis). The course follows the European Shiatsu Federation international standard as well as the core syllabus of the Shiatsu Society (of UK).

Course Breakdown

    •  ​Exercises: Yoga / Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation.

    • Principles of touch / Sensitivity to Qi and positive connection to receiver's Qi.

    • Continuity and fluency of movement / Mental and physical concentration.

    • Techniques : Shiatsu in prone, supine, side and sitting positions.

    • Contra-indications / Accurate location of the classical meridians.

    • Chinese organ and meridian functions

    • Anatomy & Physiology (part 1) / Palpation and diagnosis

    • Location and function of 110 common Acu-or Pressure points

      LU : 1,5,7,9,11 / LI : 1,4,10,11,15,20

    • ST : 1, 3, 9, 17, 25, 30, 36, 40, 44, 45 / SP : 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 15, 21

    • HT : 1,3,7,9 / SI : 1,3,9,10,11,19

    • BL: 1, 2, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 36, 40, 57, 60, 67 / KI : 1,3,6,10,16, 27

    • PE : 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 / TH : 1, 4, 5, 14, 23

    • GB : 1, 12, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 30, 34, 40, 44 / LV : 1, 3, 5, 8, 13, 14

    • GV : 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 16, 20, 26 / CV : 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 17, 24 

    • ​Exercises: Yoga / Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation

    • Anatomy and Physiology (part 2) / The Chakras

    • Yin-Yang, Zang-Fu / The 8 principles

    • Vital substances / Principles of energy circulation

    • The six divisions / The 3 burners

    • Causes of disease / Organ functions

    • Zen Shiatsu Meridians & functions / Kyo-jitsu theory and application

    • Meridian stretches and application / Palpation or touch diagnosis

    • The 5 elements or transformations / Signs & symptoms of imbalance

    • Oriental diagnosis: Observation (posture, face) / Listening (voice, breathing)

    • Questioning (symptoms, medical history) 

    • ​ Yoga practice and Meridian Stretching / Meditation / Relaxation

    • Diagnosis and treatment / Pathology / Nutrition

    • Case studies / Client practitioner relationship / Counceling and listening skills

    • Energy scanning & frequencies / The 7 main chakras & secondary chakras

    • Hara Shiatsu / Shiatsu: polarity & resonance

    • Shiatsu and the Western Holistic Tradition / Supervised treatments

    • Practice management  

Practical Information

Prerequisites

None.

Evaluation Procedure and Grading Criteria

  • Students will be required to have completed all the set assignments by the end of each module and pass the end exam

  • Students will be expected to show proficiency and improvement in their own practice, teaching and understanding.

  • The practical evaluation is based on continual assessment and students are expected to complete a minimum of 90% of contact hours.

Attendance

Trainees should attend a minimum of 90% of the course. Should trainees miss more than this minimum they will need to agree with the teacher which modules to re-take. SYM reserves the right to charge additional fees for these catch up modules.

Dress Code

Please wear comfortable plain white, yellow or blue clothes, no logos. We like to encourage students to wear positive happy colours which facilitate learning and energy work. Colour therapy and its association with the chakras will be discussed further during the course.

Location

calle Remel, Vinaros, VALENCIA, SPAIN

Dates & Fees

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd year program are all organised as 3-week intensive trainings.

Level 1 - First Year 2024 / 2025

(We run this module 3 times a year)

4 - 25 October 2025 (🇪🇸 Spain)

1 - 22 March 2026 (🇪🇸 Spain)

Level 2 - Second Year 2025

28 March - 18 April 2026 (🇪🇸 Spain)

Level 3 - Third Year 2025

25 April - 16 May 2026 (🇪🇸 Spain)

Cost for Each Level:

  • €1400 without accommodation

  • €1600 in twin room

  • €1900 in single room accommodation.

Shiatsu Post Graduate Course - 5 days

13 ~ 20 September 2025, Mikro Xorio, Vathi, Gythio, 🇬🇷 Greece

(Open to anyone in 3rd year or post graduate)

Teacher: Gerry Rixen 

Cost: € 350 Course only (plus 200 € accommodation in twin room or 350 € single room

Daily Schedule: 09:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 18:00

This course will concentrate on several topics: 

  1. The use of main and secondary Chakras in Shiatsu

  2. Hara (abdominal) Shiatsu

  3. Working with articulations

  4. Importance of the mother had and the kyo/Jitsu reaction

  5. How to use the ideas above to work with Trauma, C-section, scars, stress and insomnia

The course includes materials, breakfast and pick up / drop off from local bus station.

Dates include Arrival and Departure days

Example of daily schedule

09:00 - 10:00 - Yoga, Do-In, Meditation

10:00 - 10:30 - Break: Breakfast

10:30 - 13:00 - Shiatsu: Practice

13:00 - 15:00 - Lunch & Break

15:00 - 16:30 - Theory

16:30 - 16:45 - Break

16:45 - 18:30 - Shiatsu: Practice

18:30 - Free Time and Dinner

The schedule may change slightly due to season.

Gallery