The teachers
To know more about the Shiatsu experts coming just for you
For this second edition of BSS, we have been blessed by 4 international Shiatsu teachers.
Mike Mandl
Mike has been practicing Shiatsu full-time for 30 years, specializing in more complex subject areas and the healing arts aspect of Shiatsu. This includes the study of TCM and clinical practice in China. In addition to his shiatsu practice, he is the director of the International Academy for Hara Shiatsu in Vienna, which has been collaborating with clinical institutions for 25 years to create a synthesis between Western and Eastern medicine. Mike is also the director of the 5th European Shiatsu Congress, author of several successful books on Shiatsu and TCM, an international speaker with courses throughout Europe, a mountain lover and an enthusiastic father of three children.
Books
- I Yin you Yang: interpreting relationships the Chinese Way
- Meridians: map of the Soul
- And more in German…
Links
Fanny Roque
Fanny Roque is a Shiatsu practitioner and teacher, specialized in supporting people living with cancer as well as pathologies related to menstrual cycles. As President of the French Federation of Traditional Shiatsu (FFST), she promotes a rigorous, evidence-informed, and accessible approach to Shiatsu. For several years, she has been working directly in a hospital setting, notably in chemotherapy units, where she supports patients in managing treatment side effects and improving their overall well-being. Deeply committed to education, she leads training programs for healthcare professionals and Shiatsu practitioners, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences in France and abroad.
Links
Sanja Novko
Sanja brings over 25 years of dedicated Shiatsu practice to her work. For more than a decade, she was active both as Program Director and Teacher at the International Shiatsu School Croatia, where she shaped the curriculum and, in collaboration with a team of teachers, guided new generations of practitioners.
Grounded in the Zen Shiatsu approach and trained as a Holistic counsellor, her special area of interest lies in the integration of body and psyche, exploring how physical touch engages both inner experience and energetic flow—how challenges and stress affect the body and can also become possibilities for transformation.
She has a heartfelt passion for being an “ambassador” of Shiatsu—teaching complete beginners meridian awareness and introducing them to the transformative power of healing touch.
This year, she founded the Shiatsu Krug School, a collaborative circle of education dedicated to honoring the transformative connection between physical touch and psychological presence.
Grounded in the Zen Shiatsu approach and trained as a Holistic counsellor, her special area of interest lies in the integration of body and psyche, exploring how physical touch engages both inner experience and energetic flow—how challenges and stress affect the body and can also become possibilities for transformation.
She has a heartfelt passion for being an “ambassador” of Shiatsu—teaching complete beginners meridian awareness and introducing them to the transformative power of healing touch.
This year, she founded the Shiatsu Krug School, a collaborative circle of education dedicated to honoring the transformative connection between physical touch and psychological presence.
Links
- Website
- Facebook Profile
Paul Banester
With more than four decades dedicated to the path of well-being, Paul Banester brings a rich blend of experience and depth to his teaching. At 64, he has been practicing yoga for 40 years and sharing his knowledge as a yoga teacher for the past 20. His journey into Zen Shiatsu began 30 years ago, and for the last two decades, he has worked professionally in this field, with over 10 years of experience teaching shiatsu.
Paul’s skills are enriched by complementary studies in Thai massage, Osteothai, Cranio-sacral therapy, and Ayurvedic massage. He teaches at various shiatsu schools rather than running his own, valuing the exchange and diversity this brings.
For many years, Paul taught in Montpellier for Shiatsu Yoga Mediterráneo (SYM) before the school relocated to Spain, where he continues to teach under the direction of Gerry Rixen at Shiatsuyogaacademy. His teaching journey has taken him to Brussels, Angers, Ganges, Sète, and Lodève, and he is also a member of Ivan Bel’s teaching staff at the Ryoho Shiatsu group.
When not teaching internationally, Paul works from his practice in his hometown of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France, where he continues to offer treatments and share his passion for holistic health.
Paul’s skills are enriched by complementary studies in Thai massage, Osteothai, Cranio-sacral therapy, and Ayurvedic massage. He teaches at various shiatsu schools rather than running his own, valuing the exchange and diversity this brings.
For many years, Paul taught in Montpellier for Shiatsu Yoga Mediterráneo (SYM) before the school relocated to Spain, where he continues to teach under the direction of Gerry Rixen at Shiatsuyogaacademy. His teaching journey has taken him to Brussels, Angers, Ganges, Sète, and Lodève, and he is also a member of Ivan Bel’s teaching staff at the Ryoho Shiatsu group.
When not teaching internationally, Paul works from his practice in his hometown of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France, where he continues to offer treatments and share his passion for holistic health.
Links