Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a form of massage therapy that has its origins in Japan. The name is a combination of simple concepts, expressed in Japanese: shi, which means finger, and atsu, which means pressure. There are primary approaches in Japanese shiatsu today. One is synthesized with western anatomical and physiological ideas. The other is rooted in Chinese traditional medicine.

Shiatsu is somewhat different from other massage therapies because in its pure form it consists of pressure applied using only the fingers, palms and thumbs, with an emphasis on the use of the thumbs. This pressure is applied to specific pressure points. They are related to the central and autonomic nervous systems, and have an effect on the whole body. Shiatsu requires the practitioner to be aware of the channels of energy distribution of the human body. Shiatsu also requires an extra element of connection to the patient, and supportiveness and empathy.

The defining principle of shiatsu is diagnosis and therapy combined. The practitioner uses the palms, fingers and thumbs to detect disharmony in the energy flow of the patient’s body. This disharmony often is expressed in the form of stiffness or slackness at the point of contact. Shiatsu also includes empirically established routines intended to correct any problems discovered in the process, for a one stop diagnose and treat approach.

Within the two schools of thought there are many different approaches to Shiatsu. Shiatsu based in Chinese medicine includes the Five Elements Shiatsu approach. In Five Elements Shiatsu, the practitioner considers the balance and interplay of these five phases of the body: earth, fire, metal, wood and water. Each of the elements corresponds to many parts and areas of the body, and one treats these parts of the body with shiatsu pressure to treat the elements. When there is disease in the body, it can be seen as an imbalance between the five elements.

The Macrobiotic approach to shiatsu combines both shiatsu techniques and macrobiotic nutrition for a comprehensive approach to health. The shiatsu techniques include the traditional finger and hand approach as well as an intuitive approach using the foot. The principles of macrobiotic shiatsu state that health is a natural condition of human beings, and illness and unhappiness are unnatural conditions. Health or sickness is not an accident or without explanation. It arises from how we think and how we live. The macrobiotic approach emphasizes food, stating that food is one of the more important factors in determining sickness or health. Natural foods are emphasized, and social interaction as well. The ultimate purpose of the shiatsu treatment is to get people to exceed their apparent limits.

Representing the other, western medicine-influenced approach, Integrative Eclectic Shiatsu combines traditional Japanese Shiatsu techniques, Chinese Medicine Theory and western scientific knowledge of anatomy, as well as western methods of soft tissue manipulation. Dietary and herbal methods are integrated into this approach, with an emphasis on creating a comprehensive treatment approach. It is a fluid and evolving approach to shiatsu and evolves by integrating new knowledge.

There are enough styles of shiatsu that you may choose from them and practice the approach and style that suits you best.

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