Would You Like To Learn Shiatsu Massage

Shiatsu comes from Japan. It is a form of physical therapy that involves pressure on the acupuncture points in order to balance the body's energy and promote good health. Although its name means simply finger pressure, shiatsu is also applied with other parts of the hand, as well as with the elbows and knees. 

The art was given its name around the turn of the century, although its origins are ancient. It is a unique combination of classical Oriental medical theory, whose history stretches back to the beginnings of acupuncture 4000 years ago, and rich living tradition of folk medicine.

Shiatsu is the generic name for a wide variety of techniques, but all practitioners are linked by a common principle, the belief in a vital force known as ki which flows in connected channels or meridians throughout the body. Each meridian is linked to an organ or psycho-physical function, and its ki can be contacted at certain points along its path - these are the acupuncture points known in Japanese as tsubos.

In health, a balanced condition prevails, and the ki flows smoothly along the meridians, like fuel through a pipeline, supplying and maintaining all parts of the body. But when the body has been weakened by an immoderate lifestyle, emotional stress or injury, the ki no longer flows smoothly, becoming deficient in some areas and excessive in others and a state of disease exists.  

Most of us fall into the category of half-healthy people, in other words, our condition is not completely balanced. We may be liable to colds or stomach upsets or get moody and depressed. For such half-healthy people, or as a preventive against sickness, shiatsu is the ideal home remedy since it simply rebalances the ki so that the body can heal itself.

When beginning shiatsu, it is important to bear in mind that you are aiming to treat not only your client’s symptoms, but also their cause. To treat only the head for a headache is to ignore not only the whole supporting system of interconnecting meridians which makes shiatsu so effective, but also one of the fundamental principles of Oriental medicine – that body and mind are an indivisible, organic whole. To diagnose the exact cause of a person’s symptoms requires both a thorough grasp of Oriental medical theory and an understanding of that person’s emotional and psychological condition. Until such skills have been acquired, it is safer and more effective to treat the whole body.

As mentioned above, all diseases are caused by an excess of deficiency of ki. With practice you will learn to sense by touch the areas which show an excess of ki, called jitsu, and those where ki is deficient, which are called kyo. Usually the jitsu, or painful area, is the symptom and the kyo area cause, so you will treat client most effectively if you concentrate on kyo areas in your shiatsu. The kyo-jitsu method of treatment was advocated by the late Master Shizuto Masunaga as an alternative to the established school, which recommended formulae, or combinations of tsubos, for the treatment of specific problems.

Shiatsu is easy to learn. No special equipment is required, and no oil is used. All you need is a warm airy room, loose comfortable clothing for both giver and receiver, and a carpeted floor to work on. You can safely give shiatsu anywhere, and as often as once a day. A little background knowledge, the time to give a full body treatment, attention and sensitivity toward your client – this is all you need to begin to feel your way toward a real understanding of shiatsu.