Meredith

..

Meredith Sands Keator is an honors graduate in both Shiatsu and Acupuncture from the Shiatsu School of Canada, one of only two North American schools that offer the most comprehensive training available outside of Japan.

For almost twenty years she has been an instructor of Somatic Stretch, a deep conditioning and realignment program created by her mother, Lilian Jarvis. Meredith teaches this technique to bodywork students and educators, as well as offering ongoing classes to the general public. Somatic Stretch is an essential component to all her workshops, particularly in the area of self-care.

She has been a teacher of Eastern medical Theory, Shiatsu and western sciences at various schools in both Canada and the U.S., and has created and taught many programs in California and Canada.

From 1996 until she moved to California in 2002, Meredith ran a successful private practice in the Annex area of Toronto, Canada, catering largely to the film and television industry.

Her current focus is teaching and offering workshops she has created for bodywork students, yoga and pilates instructors, and the general public. She is most interested in the synthesis of eastern and western sciences, and esoteric and contemporary philosophies in relation to energetic and physical dynamics in the human body. Her focus is on creating programs that inspire bodywork therapists. She has a private practice in Los Angeles and Ojai, CA as well as Toronto, Canada.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education

1994-1996
Shiatsu School of Canada
Diplomate of Shiatsu Therapy
Honours graduate
2,200 hour program

1999-2000
Shiatsu School of Canada
Acupuncture Honours Graduate
500 hour program

2000-2001
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
Anatomy Cadaver dissection program
150 hour program

Herbology studies with Michael Vertoli and John Redden
Toronto, Canada

Acupuncture and Shiatsu intern
The Victoria Pain Clinic
Victoria, B.C, Dec. 1996
Until Ontario Insurance laws thwarted efforts, Meredith was also an active proponent of plans to set up the Ontario sister clinic for their most progressive program of treating those afflicted with chronic pain.

Teaching Experience:

Current - Shiatsu Massage School of California
      Faculty member
      Santa Monica, CA
    ·Shiatsu instructor
    ·Creator and instructor of SMSC's 'Massage and Meridians' program

      Meredith currently teaches Shiatsu as well as her 'Massage and Meridians' program at the
       SMSC. She also offers her own workshops on an ongoing basis in various U.S and Canadian
       locations.

California Healing Arts College
      June 2005-June 2006
      West Los Angeles
      ·Creator and instructor of CHAC's 100-hour shiatsu curriculum

Healing Hands Institute
      Tujunga, CA
      2003-2004
      ·Eastern Medical Theory instructor

      Created by Meredith, this 50-hour program gave massage students an in-depth overview of the
      theoretical basis of Eastern philosophy in regards to health and illness. The program concluded
      with hands-on work, bringing theory into practice regardless of therapy style.

Chase College
      Los Angeles, CA
      2004
      ·Substitute teacher
      Teaching basic western sciences (anatomy, pathology, physiology) to medical assistants in
      training.

Shiatsu School of Canada
      Toronto, Canada
      2000-2002
      ·Shiatsu Clinic supervisor
       ·Somatic Stretch instructor

       As clinic supervisor Meredith was responsible for overseeing student protocol and treatment of
      client chief complaints while ensuring that clients were fully informed of both their condition
      and treatment expectations.

      Somatic Stretch instruction (deep stretch and realignment) focuses on teaching students how to
      relate to, and unwind, their own physical restrictions. This allows them to enhance their own
      body awareness, thereby increasing the ability to help clients as they gain insight into deeper
      body mechanics.

Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo
      Toronto, Canada
      2000-2002
      ·Eastern Medical Theory instructor (TCM)
        ·Somatic Stretch instructor

      As the SAT is a school dedicated to the work of Toru Namikoshi, Meredith’s students were taught
      the fundamentals of Eastern Medical Theory (70 hrs.) to enhance their knowledge of other
      shiatsu styles as well as to prepare them for the writing of board association exams as set in
      Canada. As an Ontario certified acupuncturist, Meredith also conducted acupuncture workshops
      to better acquaint them with other Eastern modalities.

Current - Somatic Stretch Instructor
      Toronto, Canada
      Since 1986

      Meredith is the daughter of Lilian Jarvis, a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of
     Canada who went on to create her own bodywork methodology. Through Meredith's lifelong
     exposure to this work, Lilian has provided her with extraordinary insight into the human body.
     Meredith began teaching this technique in 1986 and currently teaches ongoing classes in Southern
     California. For further information on this deep stretch and strengthening method, please go to
     our website, www.somaticstretch.com

Other involvements:

Co-creator and director of the Lu Ross Academy 600 hour massage program:
In conjunction with Acupuncturist and Shiatsu Therapist Alex Sima, Meredith created one of the most extensive programs to be found in Southern California combining both Western massage and sciences with its Eastern counterpart.

Vice-President of the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Ontario (S.T.A.O)
1999
As the Association stepped up its active pursuit of governmental regulation of Shiatsu in Canada, much of Meredith’s year was focused on presenting papers and leading discussion in all forums associated with this endeavour. She was also liaison between various schools and styles of Shiatsu in the attempt to create cohesion within an environment of conflicting opinion in regards to regulation. This culminated in a presentation to the College of Massage Therapy for co-regulation.

Student Liaison for the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Ontario
1998-2001
Meredith’s ability to bridge information and communicate effectively was also helpful in presenting the political environment to graduating students, giving them the opportunity to appreciate the complexities of alternative healthcare within the modern medical system. Answering all questions and encouraging students to become involved in order to protect the rights of alternative health care providers was the purpose of this position.

She was also the head of the Metro Licensing Committee as well as a board examiner for the association over the years.

Freelance Editor
Honored to work alongside Tetsuro Saito Sensei, Meredith was hired to help compile and edit portions of the book that represents his last twenty years of research. As a student of Masunaga and head of Shiatsu Research International, Tetsuro is an esteemed pioneer in the field of advanced Meridian research and diagnosis. To view his book and for more information please visit www.shinso-shiatsu.com