THE STORY OF KAZUKO KURATOMI AND SHINDO

Kazuko Kuratomi was a Japanese figure skating coach, whose youngest daughter Chieko suffered from asthma and allergies when she was a baby. When her daughter was two years old, she started learning about old and new ways of promoting health so as to be able to help her daughter feel better. Dear memory of her´s which inspired her was the gentle touch of her Grandmother.

Firstly, she started treating her daughter’s toes and feet, then other parts of her body as well. To support her own well-being, she started stretching, using self-healing techniques, and doing relaxation exercises. She named her method Shindo. The Japanese character “shin” means heart or soul, and “do” means way or path. One possible way of translating this is to use the expression ‘the guidance of your heart’, which means the chance to learn to listen to yourself better with the help of bodywork.

Little by little, she found more patients, and interest in her method started to grow. Tadao Kawahara, a Japanese expert in martial arts, heard about Kuratomi and put his Finnish students in touch with her. He also assisted in teaching during the first few years. The first Shindo association, Shindo ry, was founded in Finland in 1996, and it celebrated its 20th anniversary in summer 2016.

The toe treatment is a beloved favourite of many, but later the Shindo treatment methods have expanded to cover most parts of the body. With time, Shindo has become a versatile method with practical solutions to many different situations. It works as a self-healing method, with a partner or as a group exercise, and Shindo treatment is also available. Distinct features of Shindo include the support techniques applied in stretching that promote relaxation, and a distinct and respectful touch used in the treatment that does not invade your personal space. When training on your own, it is important to maintain a gentle, considerate and respectful attitude towards yourself.

Sensei Kuratomi maintained her curiosity about the human body and its natural healing processes, and it deepened with time. To complement Shindo she also developed the Jomon method, with a number of practical self-healing exercises, and later the Kuratomi method that focuses on treatment techniques. All these techniques can be applied in Shindo treatment and classes.

Further information regarding Shindo can be found on the website of the Shindo association at www.shindo.fi (in Finnish).