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Nepal Experience report

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Right after the 2013 Tao Sangha gathering in Thaïland, we took a trip to Nepal. Our wish was to discover a new land, a new culture, but also to offer Tao Shiatsu treatments to people in need. Oliver (Austrian Tao Shiatsu practitioner) had given us the contact of someone he knew in Kathmandu, and that’s how we met Mickaël. Formerly austrian, he now lives in Nepal with his wife and her three kids: two wonderful little girls and a very sick little boy (nearly whole body is disabled due to severe Meningitis). Invited at their home for supper, we offered treatments to the two parents and to the boy. Both parents felt very relaxed and refreshed. The boy seemed calmer and had a little less spasms. The next morning, Mickaël took us to a home for disabled people : Kaghendra (Nepali Disabled Association).Nepal 2

People who live at Kaghendra are all disabled physically and/or mentally. Most of them use wheelchairs, some can only move the head. Subas, the physiotherapist, introduced us to some residents who could be interested. At first, it was a very strange experience to treat people on parts of their body they could not feel. Everyone of them was unique in terms of mobility, feeling, sensitivity, ability to talk . . . Each of them was a new physical world to discover, with it’s suffering background. Mostly caused by accidents, these situations can obviously lead to a lot of frustrations. A bright future was sometime hard to imagine, but we adapted the form for each of them, treating on a mat, in the chair or on their bed, and we deepened our wish as much as we could.Nepal 3

We gave about seven treatments on the first day and we came back every day for two weeks. Some residents received treatments everyday, and quickly, new ones (curious and/or envious) were sometimes waiting in line for their turn ! They all felt relieved from tensions due to their injuries or to the position they have to stay in all day. Some say their spasms in disabled parts decreased after the treatment. Goma who can only move the eyes, mouth and a few fingers kept saying : “Massage : no pain ! No massage : pain !”. No doubt that our presences alone were already making a change in their hard life. But treatments made the experience even deeper.Nepal 4

In the evenings and nights, we stayed in a home for disabled children : Disabled New Life Children Home. After school, some of them had a physiotherapy session, during which we also offered some treatments. The kids really enjoyed receiving, and most of them wanted to learn. We gave them a few tips adapted to their condition, and some of them brought up the wish to become a “massage therapist” ! We wish them to continue to progress physically so that their body can take a bigger part in the realization of themselves.

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Also, it was very interesting to exchange about buddhism in Nepal. Many Nepali people relate to it directly, or through hinduism (Buddha as one of Vishnu’s reincarnations). People were surprised that we were interested in “Boddha”, and generally enthusiasts. It felt like if they appreciated treatments even more. Most of the conversations ended like this : ” We, Hindus, Buddhists . . . same, same . . . only one god !! “.Nepal 6

Through Tao Shiatsu practice, we had the opportunity to meet those people and share with them a wish of healing. Those were some of the deepest moments we’ve had in Nepal, overcoming the gap (and material wealth…) that divides cultures. We are deeply grateful to Tao Shiatsu and Amida Buddha for these encounters. We then headed for the Himalayas with light hearts . . .

There is more pictures on Gallery (click here)

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