Why do people have Amatsu with me?
I have a deep understanding of how the body works and an appreciation that everything is connected. This means that when clients come to me feeling vulnerable and as if they have tried everything to get out of pain, I can look at them in a different way.
I understand that pain is a lot more than ‘It hurts’
What is Amatsu?
Thousands of years ago, martial artists in Japan devised ways of correcting injuries sustained during fights using their understanding of movement and their appreciation that everything in the body is connected. Amatsu practitioners still embody these principles which are combined with a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology to create Amatsu as it is today - a highly effective and unique therapy that is powerful but respectful to the body.
Amatsu is a truly holistic treatment as it views your body as a whole. This is extremely important because our modern medical understanding divides the body into distinct units and we may be referred to specialists who focus on individual body parts. As a result, we may miss vital clues as there is no-one who is able to help us to 'join the dots'.
Through my Amatsu work, I understand that everything in our lives is interconnected. Of course, we may have had an accident that causes us pain, but how we heal from it is dependent on a whole host of factors such as lifestyle, work, previous accidents or illnesses and mindset. We may also start to feel pain and not really know why or how it came about.
I believe that our body and mind are inextricably linked.
The way we view the world and the things that have happened to us, can and do, have an impact on our health and wellbeing. I am not daunted when people come to me with an issue that they don't know the cause of, or that hasn't responded to other treatments. In the body, there is always an answer - finding that answer may not be easy and may require us to be patient, and to make changes in our lives or to seek help, but the answer is there somewhere.
My absolute passion is working with and alongside you to find that answer.
How does Amatsu work?
Your body shows the history of your life. Any physical breaks, strains and blows, as well as emotional stresses and postural habits create the body in which you find yourself today. To help to illustrate this, let me share a metaphor:
Picture four people each holding a corner of a sheet, pulling it taut and keeping it in a state of balanced tension. A fifth person comes along and takes hold somewhere else and pulls too. Immediately, the sheet is distorted and pulled out of shape. The tension is no longer balanced.
Now use the sheet as a metaphor for your body. When the four people are holding the sheet, that balanced tension represents health in your body. If you have an accident or continually adopt specific postural or lifestyle habits, the natural balance of your body will change as though the fifth (or even sixth and seventh!) person takes a pull. You will compensate to reduce pain or favour one arm or leg when you do tasks. Over time, your body adopts a different shape that may or may not result in pain of some sort.
Amatsu works, not only to correct the symptom you are experiencing now, but to re-connect and balance the entire system of your body.
Is Amatsu for you?
If any of the below sound like you, Amatsu could be a great choice. You might…
…have had an accident or injured yourself and you are still feeling the after-effects or maybe you can't actually pinpoint the reason for your pain
…have been to see your GP who has suggested painkillers and a course of physiotherapy
…have felt improvement but you are still not feeling right
…have been online to Google your symptoms but not really known exactly what it is you are Googling as your issue is not clearly defined
…have tried yoga, acupuncture, massage, osteopathy or other complementary treatments which have helped, but they haven't had a lasting effect
…have had an MRI scan that hasn't been conclusive
…have been advised to do certain exercises to strengthen your muscles, but you are not sure that you are doing them correctly and you are afraid that you might be making things worse
…really like to avoid surgery if at all possible, but you wonder if that might be your only option to get rid of your pain
…just want to be able to do the simple things that other people take for granted such as exercising, shopping, gardening, travelling and making life plans without fear that your pain will get in the way
…like to feel comfortable to socialise with friends without the concern that too much sitting or standing will bring on your pain
…like to enjoy a good night's rest without being disturbed by your pain
…have just started to feel this pain or been living with it for a while
…have constant pain or have had this problem on and off for years and are almost resigned to the fact that it will always come back
…feel as though, for the past few years, you have had various different issues and you haven't really felt right for ages
…be wondering if the issues in your body are all somehow connected
…be starting to worry that your only option is to learn to live with the discomfort or limited range of movement.
Let me help you.
“I had enormous amounts of pain in my knee and at that point was willing to try anything. After just one session I felt immediate relief and within a few days was walking without a limp for the first time in many months. I was astounded by how quickly my body was improving.”
“I have suffered with severe back pain for many years.
Over the years I have tried all therapies with no successful outcome. This led to me feeling very down and depressed. I couldn’t do the daily activities with my family; I couldn’t stand and watch my kids play sports without having to stand and sit for short periods. I was told by a friend he had recently tried Amatsu Therapy and he was very impressed with the outcome.
This led me to contact Lorna and give Amatsu Therapy a go. At the time I wasn’t very optimistic about what this therapy would achieve due to the negative outcome of the other therapies. On the first appointment I left feeling confused as I wasn’t being pulled around as I was used to as the session was quite gentle and I wondered ‘How is this going to help?’ Over the week I found a slight benefit to my back pain. Since then, I have been to Lorna 6 times and I have little to no back pain and can stand and watch my kids play football without having to sit. This has also led to me waking up with more energy and not feeling down.
I would recommend anyone who suffers with pain to try out Amatsu Therapy but please note you need to stick with it as the results are fantastic.”
“I had been suffering from intense pain in my jaw. I had been to doctors and specialists and was facing the idea of taking pain management medication long term to alleviate the symptoms of the problem but there seemed little advice or help as to the treatment of the cause. When I found Lorna, through a personal recommendation, she not only relieved the pain but there were benefits for my whole body. Lorna was incredibly kind and helpful, she was always extremely focused in our sessions. She listened and asked lots of questions to understand my situation which meant that in turn I could understand more about the causes of my pain, which was liberating. I am now pain free and more aware of the underlying causes of the problem. ”
“Having suffered from many sports related injuries for most of my adult life, I had previously always relied on physiotherapy as a way of attempting to resolve the pain and discomfort from them. Physio would work short term, but the injury would reoccur not long after. A friend of mine who was already seeing Lorna suggested I try amatsu.
I will be forever grateful that she did, as after the first session I felt the most relaxed and mobile I have ever felt. Lorna is an incredibly gifted and intuitive practitioner, and has resolved the back and hip injury issues and made me feel balanced again. Having been used to traditional methods of healing, I was not expecting the more spiritual elements of the practice and the way in which Lorna can ‘read’ your body, knowing where physical or any emotional pain was being held, and working with energy to release this. It has been a truly profound experience and life changing on a number of levels.
I would not hesitate in recommending Lorna to anyone, in particular those that have struggled with traditional therapies and have not been getting the results they would hope for. It is a totally different way of working, so go with an open mind, no preconceptions and enjoy the experience. ”
I know that pain is so much more than 'It hurts'..
It is only natural that your mood may be affected by your pain.
Maybe...it makes you feel vulnerable, low and depressed and you find that you are more irritable, snappy and moody with the people around you which upsets you and them
...you put on a brave face for the people around you, but that may make you feel quite alone with the problem
...you wish that your loved ones and colleagues could understand how difficult it is to stay positive when you can't do the simple things in life without fear of pain
...your pain and movement restrictions have caused you to gain weight or affected your sex life, affecting your self-esteem and confidence
How is Amatsu different?
One of the things that makes Amatsu different to other treatments you may have come across is that the teachings explain that true health comes from many factors. These have been divided up into the 'Big Five' or 'Godai'
PHYSICAL
Impact, damage, wear-and-tear or imbalance in muscles, ligaments, bones, tendons
CHEMICAL
The food/drink we consume, how hydrated you are, drugs, alcohol, cosmetics, pollution
EMOTIONAL
Stress, trauma, depression, anxiety, (now or in the past)
ELECTRICAL
Nerve issues, exposure to computer screens, TV or mobile phones
ENVIRONMENTAL
The work we do, where we live, our pastimes and hobbies, time spent in Nature, our family circumstances, having support
When I am working with you, I am always aware of these factors and how they are impacting on your wellbeing as well as focusing on the pain or discomfort you are feeling in your body.
What to expect in an Amatsu session
I work out of a warm and comfortable clinic room within a larger holistic centre in East Dulwich.
The first Amatsu session will be one hour and begins with a thorough conversation about your current symptoms and your longer term health history. We will talk about lifestyle, stress levels, diet and other factors. This part of the session is very important as it starts to give me clues about how I can best help you. For the remainder of the session, you will be lying on a treatment couch. You will not need to undress as the treatment is carried out through your clothes, but it is more comfortable for you if you wear gym clothes or other soft garments. I will be asking you some questions and talking to you once you are on the treatment couch, but you can also use this time to relax and let go.
An essential part of the treatment is the assessment of your body using touch and movement of your limbs. I use muscle testing (also known as kinesiology) as a way of 'asking' your body which muscles, ligaments and other tissues are working optimally and which are not. This helps to give me a 3-D understanding of any imbalance in your body.
One of the things I love about Amatsu is it allows me to be specific. Every session is different, even for the same person, because I don't treat you using set points on your body. I feel for pulls, tightness and heat so that I know categorically where to work on you to release that. I can find exactly where your body needs to change that day to be balanced. If you are interested to know, I can tell you which vertebrae/ligaments/muscles are involved, and I know when I have made a change there. I can be a detective hunting for clues and seeing the mystery of your pain unravel!
How many sessions will I need?
One of the questions I get asked most frequently by my new clients is ‘How many sessions will I need?’
It’s only natural to ask this and I know I would do the same thing! Of course, we want to know how much time, money and commitment we have to put in so that we can feel OK again. We want to get on with our life.
However, if you’ve had a problem for some months or years, your body gradually changes shape. This may sound strange, but when you are in pain or you injure yourself, you start to do things differently. You walk, sit and do everyday tasks in a slightly different way over and over again. Over time, these new compensations crystallise into underdeveloped muscles in some places and overdeveloped in others. Your body changes shape gradually and that new shape - that imbalanced shape - might start to cause you pain in other places. Coming back to balance is also gradual and unfortunately, there is no fast-track to true health. Your muscles need to relax out of the spasm that’s held them taut, the bones that they have been holding out of position need to slide back, your pelvis needs to regain stability and with it your spine. It may take a little time.
As an tried and tested estimate, I suggest that you will need weekly sessions for at least 6 weeks to begin with. You are likely to see some changes much more quickly than that, but to give me and your body the best possible chance to make significant and lasting changes, some time is needed. I am always happy to discuss your needs with you and I offer discounts for block bookings to reduce the total financial investment.
Is Amatsu right for you?
Over the last 13 years of working with Amatsu, I now only accept clients that I feel I can help, for whom I am a great fit and who are as committed to achieving health and wellbeing as I am in assisting them in their process.
Having Amatsu with me will work best if:
you are ready to commit to weekly sessions for the time-frame suggested by me. This will be no less than 6 weeks and will depend on the severity of your condition and the length of time you have been experiencing it. The sessions will then continue at less frequent intervals as you show improvement. Most people choose to continue to have monthly balances to maintain well-being once the initial problem has been addressed.
you are willing to look at other lifestyle changes that may improve your general health.
you realise that we all have a responsibility to our own health and would like to be a participant in the process of your improving well-being.
you have some degree of flexibility. My London appointments are during normal working hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with availability on only one evening per week (Tuesday) and one Saturday per month. (My online availability is more flexible!)
We may not be a great fit for each other if:
You are unwilling to seek medical advice if advised
You are unsure that you will be able to commit to regular sessions due to time/financial restraints/working pattern.
You are not willing to look at possible lifestyle changes that can help the process of coming back to balance.
getting the most out of your sessions:
You can get the most out of working with me if you
make sure that you are hydrated before the session
turn your phone onto airplane mode before entering the clinic room
take time after the session to walk for at least 20 minutes to help to integrate the treatment
avoid any physical exercise other than walking for 24 hours afterwards
INVESTMENT
Amatsu works to define and correct the cause of your problem, not simply to ease the current symptoms. For this reason it works optimally with a series of sessions, which is why I do not offer one-off bookings.
The first session is one hour and includes time to go through your health questionnaire together and gives me the opportunity to find out more about your lifestyle and history of health concerns. There is then a full assessment of your body using touch, movement of your limbs and joints followed by an initial treatment of your body. All subsequent sessions are 45 minutes.
Three sessions - £285 (to be paid at the first session and valid for 6 weeks) Useful if you want to give Amatsu a try before committing to a greater investment.
Six sessions - £540 (to be paid at the first session and valid for 4 months) Best for new clients with a long term or very painful condition where a series of weekly sessions will be needed.
Nine sessions: £765 (to be paid at the first session and valid for 9 months) Good for new clients, or to pay for ongoing monthly support.
Subsequent single session (45 mins) - £110
I offer substantially discounted treatments for NHS workers. Please contact me for details.
You can pay by card on the day or a bank transfer (before your session please).
Cancellation policy
Please note that 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule your appointment and you must contact me via phone or text to do so please. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice are difficult to fill and by giving last minute notice you are preventing someone else from being scheduled into the time slot. Consequently, the full fee will be charged for the missed appointment. The cancellation charge will be waived if another client is able to fill the appointment slot at short notice.
If this all sounds good to you, get in touch and we can talk further!
Let’s work together..
using In-person amatsu and energy healing, or online energy coaching
..Or perhaps a combination of all three.
Get in touch to find out what would be the best approach for you.
