A GLASGOW shiatsu practitioner is bringing the ancient Chinese technique to children through a book which explores the stretching exercises through the adventures of a "grumpy" dragon.
Natalie Ventilla, a massage therapist who began studying shiatsu seven years ago, said she had seen the benefits in terms of improved concentration while running workshops in nursery schools and community centres.
She has now written a children's book, 'Mac the Dragon who Loves to Stretch', which she hopes will encourage parents and children to learn the practice at home.
Shiatsu - which was developed in Japan in the 1920s, but based on a form of therapeutic bodywork first introduced to the country by Buddhist monks in 700AD - uses a combination of kneading, pressing, soothing, tapping, and stretching motions to improve circulation and reduce tension.
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In the book, these are narrowed down to six simple stretch postures made by Mac the Dragon,which can be copied by children aged eight and under.
Ms Ventilla, 36, said: "They're essentially yoga postures, and then also some acupressure points on the body that children can use themselves for specific emotions, based on Chinese medicine.
"It's a conversation starter for parents because the story itself is about a dragon who wakes up feeling a bit stiff, a bit grumpy, then he goes on an adventure doing all of these six postures.
"The children just think they're making shapes with their body, but actually at the back of the book the theory is there about how to safely move into position and what mental, emotional and even physical attributes these postures are known for in Chinese medicine.
"For example, one of them is for when you're feeling a little bit nervous and one of them is for when you're feeling anxious or even sad and grieving.
"But from a children's perspective, it's an imaginative fun game and story."
Ms Ventilla, who is originally from Dundee and has three children including a seven and 10-year-old, said her own children "loved" learning the techniques.
She said it gave children "something they can tap into" to help manage certain emotions.
She said: "When I was training, I ran workshops in my son's nursery. They called them 'relaxation classes', and they were noticing the effects on the children - and also the staff - who were taking that moment to move their bodies and breathe.
"Breathing is a big factor. We're encouraging children to move with their breath, so there's this sense of feeling calm.
"My vision for it is that it's something that could be done in schools and nurseries as a way of calming and grounding children before they begin learning in the morning, or after playtime.
"Once you know the practice it's basically six stretches - very accessible stretches - and within 10 minutes they're feeling de-stressed and ready to focus.
"The health benefits are there as well in terms of better circulation, muscle tone, all the things that come from a physical exercise, but mentally and emotionally they're better able to concentrate."
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As well as UK sales, Ms Ventilla has sold copies of her book to buyers in Spain, France and Germany.
She said there was probably more need than ever for relaxation techniques in the classroom following the stresses of Covid and to help children with additional support needs, such as ADHD.
She said: "We have ADHD in our family and there are a lot of children in the school system that are not able to sit at a desk, or they struggle to do things and maybe don't feel part of the class because it's not easy for them to sit and focus all the time.
"I think having a story that is interactive and allows children to move all of this energy that they're coming in with in the morning or coming in with after playtime - allowing them to have this gateway into having to sit down and being more calm - I really think that's quite important."
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