A journey through traditional healing, dashed hopes, and the return to familiar ground.
My path into shiatsu began with a promise that never materialized. The school I attended in Toronto—originally known as the Shiatsu School of Canada and later evolving into the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (AIM) Academy—assured us that regulation was coming soon, that our credentials would be recognized and valued in the Canadian healthcare system. Founded in 1986, the school had been operating for decades and had built a reputation as one of Canada’s leading institutions for traditional healing practices. This promise of legitimacy and professional opportunity drew me into a three-year program of study, where I learned the art of healing touch, the meridian system, and the subtle energies that flow through the human body. But the regulation that was supposed to validate our training never came, leaving many of us in a professional limbo.