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Definition :
Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage therapy . The word shiatsu in Japanese means " pressure by finger ".
Fingerpressure: Natural body weight is used when pressure is applied on special points on the body. Through this pressure the energy flowing in the meridians is influenced. This energy is called chi..
Introduction :
Shiatsu is a Japanese healing art deeply rooted in the philosophy and practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Shiatsu, which is similar to acupressure, emphasizes the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease rather than treating a specific ailment. The fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows, knees, and feet are used to apply pressure to points along the body's main energy channels, known as meridians. The goal is to release energy where there are blockages and bring energy into areas that are depleted.
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Shiatsu is a healing system that allows the patient to get in touch with their own healing abilities. It is a balance - an interactive relationship - between practitioner and patient, in which the healing power of both build upon each other to clear and balance the vital life force energy - known as Qi. The purpose was to bring the body into balance - the Yin/ Yang - which results in good health on all levels.
Overview:
In the 10th century, Japanese monks began to study Buddhism in China. They observed the healing methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine and took them back to Japan. They began to enhance its methods by new combinations, eventually achieving a unique Japanese form called shiatsu. Like the Japanese transformation of the Chinese tea ceremony and flower arrangement, shiatsu became uniquely Japanese. The word Shiatsu means ('Shi' means 'finger') - ('atsu' means 'pressure'). Shiatsu is more than pressure. It utilizes a combination of pressure and assisted-stretching tecniques.
It is a combination of many different techniques, including pressing, hooking, sweeping, shaking, rotating, grasping, vibrating, patting, plucking, lifting, pinching, rolling, brushing, and, in one school developed by Suzuki Yamamoto, barefoot shiatsu, it includes walking on the person's back, legs, and feet. The practioners hands are placed at various points of the body sending the energies to the more than 300 acupoints along the way - creating the healing. Shiatsu can be done with the patient lying on a mat on the floor - or on a table fully clothed with loose fitting clothing.
History
Using massage to enhance well-being is a tradition that dates back to ancient China . As far back as 5000 years ago - priests practiced a form of healing called Qigong - movements that cultivate life force - (Chi in Chinese) - (Ki in Japanese).
Chi by itself is invisible, but the way chi works can be seen in the body. When a wound is healing 'just by itself' it is the work of chi. Traditionally everything was seen as an expression of chi. Chi is the origin, the power of live. When chi stagnates, the body becomes ill.
The practice of touching specific points on the body was originally called anma (Massage ) by the Japanese. Over time, anma was dropped as a medical treatment and was used purely for pleasure and relaxation. However, in the twentieth century, a group of practitioners recognized the value of anma in easing muscle tension and soothing various kinds of aches and pains and began promote the art as a way to treat illness and changed the name to shiatsu.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Shizuto Masunaga, a Japanese psychologist and student of Zen, re-incorporated psychological and spiritual dimensions to shiatsu, once again transcending purely physical applications. |
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What are Meridians:
Meridians are channels of chi. Sometimes they follow the same line as muscles or blood-vessels. The meridians are represented by a great string of energy that goes up and down covering the human body from the head to the feet, forming a track that can be learned and be used in a systematic form. This string is divided in 12 pieces, being each piece a meridian, related with determined organic functions and certain psychological or emotional features
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The 12 meridians (pairs) of the basic system are the following:
Lungs
Heart Constrictor/Pericardium/Circulation-Sex
Heart
Small Intestine
Triple-Heater
Large Intestine
Spleen-Pancreas
Liver
Kidneys
Bladder
Gall Bladder
Stomach
The two arteries (odd meridians) are Conception-Vessel in the front of the body and Governor-Vessel in the posterior part of the body.
The functions of the meridians is:
• control the movement in the body (blood, gas, air, water)
• connect the arms, legs and head with the trunk
• communication from inside to the outside of the body (and from the outside to the inside) and from up to down (and from down to up)
• control the regulation of the organs.
How Does It Work?
Shiatsu is based on some of the same principles as acupuncture, tai chi, and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Being an oriental therapy, is based on the principles of the oriental medicine where the health is a balance question of the diverse existing forces in the human organism. It is not worried in eliminating the illness directly, but in normalizing the vital energy of the patient, creating, thus, conditions to the organism to eliminate the disease through its proper ways, being given emphasis to health and not to illness. Proponents believe that a shiatsu massage focused on these areas can clear blockages and help restore health by allowing energy to travel freely throughout the body.
A more scientific explanation for shiatsu's pain-relieving ability is that it initiates the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. It may also lower the levels of adrenaline and other stress hormones in the body, stimulating a relaxation response. |
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Treatment:
The practitioner will begin treatment by taking a medical history, asking questions about your lifestyle, past illnesses, diet, and how much you exercise. Your physical and emotional characteristics will also be observed and assessed. A shiatsu session usually lasts between 45 minutes and an hour. The number of sessions depends on the nature of the ailment of an individual. It may take about four to eight treatments to resolve an acute problem, such as tension headaches; long-term chronic conditions, such as low back pain, will probably require a more extensive regimen. During the treatment, you will lie fully clothed on a mat on the floor. The practitioner will touch certain areas of your body (often starting with your abdomen) to locate where your tension resides. The treatment will then focus on these areas, to lessen the tension and restore energy flow.
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There are many different types of shiatsu massage, and your practitioner may use a combination of techniques, including pressing, holding, stretching, and rotating parts of the body. But the mostly used means to make a diagnose are
• setsu-shin: touch, massage.
• bun-shin: listening to the sound of the voice and smelling the body and breath.
• mon-shin: asking question about the history of the disease, habits and preferences.
• bo-shin: looking to the shape and color of the body.
While the treatment is generally relaxing, you may experience odd-seeming reactions in your body, such as gurgling stomach noises or a shudder as you release tension. Or, if the therapist works on an area where you have been storing tension caused by emotional upset, you may feel like crying. This is not unusual. A good practitioner will act compassionately and be supportive.
At the end of the session, you will probably feel very relaxed and may wish to sleep. Some people, however, may feel invigorated and exuberant. This sense of well-being may last for a few days after a treatment. |
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Practitioner:
Look for a therapist who is certified , as shiatsu involves touch, be sure to find someone you feel comfortable with. You can check it out from your friends who are taking treatment and recommend you a best place to start. Having a short phone conversation with the therapist before you go for a visit can help you find out whether you could work together comfortably.
Health Benefits :
Shiatsu is an oriental (eastern) therapy of physical and energy rebalance. Shiatsu is most often used to maintain general health and prevent illness. It can be especially useful for easing stress-related conditions. Proponents claim that the therapy can help relieve pain from arthritis as well as back, neck, and shoulder pain. People suffering from headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, and menstrual cramps have reported improvement with shiatsu. It may also bring relief from asthma, constipation, and nausea correcting internal dysfunctions, promoting and keeping the health and treating specific illnesses..
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Gives flexibility to the skin
Improvement of the circulatory system
Gives flexibility to the muscular system
Aid to recuperate the balance of the bone system
Facilitation of the digestive system functions
Improvement of the endocrinous system control
Regulate the functions of the nervous system
Cautions :
One should Avoid shiatsu massage if you:
• Pregnant , in the first trimester.
• Have a fracture or a sprain.
• Have an open wound, a rash, or an infectious skin disease such as impetigo.
• Are prone to blood clots or have had recent surgery.
• Have phlebitis, varicose veins, or another circulatory ailment.
• Have an abdominal hernia.
• Have eaten within the past two hours.
• Have recently had chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Avoid massage in the area of a known tumor.
Conclusion:
SHIATSU is, in fact, used by health professionals to cure illnesses, normally in combination with other oriental therapies. It is of bigger utility to raise the level of energy of the patient, to regulate and to fortify the functioning of the organs and to stimulate the natural resistance of the body to the illnesses. It is truth that SHIATSU alleviates body pains and solves small organic riots, but its great potential is for the patient becoming conscientious of its proper "body". And the "body" is not only the physical body, but storing emotions and feelings equally, also reflecting our emotional state. |
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