After a thorough training in the theoretical basics and all those various treatment techniques of Shiatsu, my journey into the heart of Shiatsu began through my regular work with severely disabled adults. These encounters touched me deeply and made it even clearer to me than I had already known from my own previous experiences with Shiatsu: I discovered that the true magic of Shiatsu lies in the quiet moments of shared presence and connection. The core of Shiatsu is encounter, is authentic connection. I immersed myself in this exploration and, as Milton Erickson, the founder of hypnotherapy says: "Energy flows, where the attention goes." That's, what happened. I found myself surrounded by a community of fellow practitioners who shared their own insights and experiences on the subject of encounter in Shiatsu. That's how the idea for this book came about. It is intended to bundle the widely scattered experiences and insights like a magnifying glass and to draw the eye onto the core of Shiatsu, to connection, to encounter, to what happens between the two partners in the process. By shining a light on the subtle dynamics that unfold between practitioner and recipient, we can uncover a deeper understanding of the healing potential inherent in these connections.