What do we touch when we reach out to another human being?
Body, emotions, story, space…?
Why do we reach out and touch another person?
What is our purpose?
What is the effect?
In Sei-Ki, all these questions come together and in this workshop we will dive into this philosophical area and the practical realities of how we touch and why we do so through the idea of tekiatsu or ‘appropriate touch’, from the Shiatsu tradition.
Join us on this journey into the essentials of touch; what it is to be human; what it means to be in contact with another person and why it is important to our health and wellbeing do so.
Alice Whieldon is assisted by Alexandra Gelny for these three days in Vienna.
The workshop is open to beginners and more experienced students of Sei-Ki.
This workshop is organized by Sei-Ki Hub in co-operation with the International Academy of Hara Shiatsu.
Sei-Ki is the way and the art of touch in undivided attention to the person and and to what is here, right now. It is about recognizing as “true” what we perceive, without judgement and without wanting to fix anything.
In this presence, a space opens where flow is possible and where health “remembers” itself. Sei-Ki is an “unfolding” into life, it is a space for encounter and recognition.
Sei-Ki is not easily accessible to modern thinking and cannot be learned by understanding theoretical concepts. Sei-Ki is presence and authenticity in touch. “Knowing” in Sei-Ki comes through the training of observation, attention and the willingness to engage with the reality of life movement with an empty mind.
Those who receive Sei-Ki often experience that they feel more like “themselves” and have a better sense of what they want – this can relate to small things, but over time also to big issues in life, such as work or relationships. As the body-mind wakes up and becomes more sensitive, life is experienced more immediately, more intensely and with more pleasure.
Practitioners experience something similar when they practise Sei-Ki with discipline and commitment: a greater connection to reality and quality in our work which continues into wider aspects of our lives.
We experience growth in wisdom and an understanding of clients from the roots of actually seeing how it is for them rather than relying on theory and maps.
Founded by Akinobu Kishi, Sei-Ki has had a major influence on Western Shiatsu since the early 1980s. Kishi trained in Shiatsu during its Golden Age in Japan and Sei-ki is an expression of the evolution of Japanese Shiatsu, as well as a return to its origins. Sei-Ki also refers to a body culture and health philosoophy practiced in Japanese traditions and arts that could not be found anywhere else. Many shiatsu teachers and practitioners refer to Kishi and his work as key to their development. Shiatsu
Sei-Ki connects back to the roots and feel of the original, Japanese Shiatsu; it is an echo we encourage you to ‘catch’ and use as you wish.
In essence, Sei-Ki is authentic and wholehearted relating.
(teacher). Alice has been working in the field of Sei-Ki and Shiatsu for over 35 years. Having worked with Kishi Akinobu since 1997, she co-authored“Sei-Ki: Life in Resonance – The Secret Art of Shiatsu” (2011)with him. She has been offering Sei-Ki workshops for over 20 years. Alice has a PhD in Feminist Philosophy, has worked in higher education for over 30 years, and also works with mind clearing. She is the author of “Mind Clearing: The Key to Mindfulness Mastery” (2016). Alice lives and works in Norfolk (UK).
In 2024, she founded Sei-Ki Hub together with Alexandra Gelny and Maria Kokori and launched The Sei-Ki Training.
(support | assistance and translation).
Alexandra has been involved with Shiatsu since 2004 and has been a Sei-Ki enthusiast since 2011 (workshops with Akinobu Kishi, Kyoko Kishi and Alice Whieldon). She practices Sei-Ki and Shiatsu in her practice in Vienna and has been teaching Sei-Ki since 2018. Alexandra is also an expert in women’s health.
In 2024, she co-founded Sei-Ki Hub with Alice Whieldon and Maria Kokori and, together they launched The Sei-Ki Training in September 2025.
www.seikhub.com | www.alexandragelny.com
Alice and Alexandra have known each other since 2017. After numerous joint workshops in which Alexandra translated and assisted Alice, an inspiring collaboration developed.
Feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions about the course content or schedule!
