About Shiatsu
Where the Mind goes, the Qi follows, and where the Qi flows, the blood goes.....
In Japanese Shiatsu literally means “finger pressure”. The actual treatment approach and philosophy is based on the same philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. Unlike acupuncture, Shiatsu uses fingers and thumbs to apply pressure to pressure points instead of needles.
What defines the Shiatsu technique
Qi ( pronounced chee) means energy. Qi is the life force that flows through all living things.
The human body, the whole world & universe, is composed of energy, which circulates & vibrates at different frequencies. In your body Qi travels around a network of energy channels (meridians) in the same way that blood flows through the veins, supporting all organs and cells.
TCM believes when Qi flows freely through the meridians, the body is balanced and healthy. When this energy becomes blocked, stagnant or weak, it creates an imbalance in a person's body resulting in physical, mental or emotional ill health.
These blockages may result from exaggerated emotional responses such as: excess anger, over-excitement, stress, worry, anxiety, self-pity, deep grief or fear. Environmental factors such as cold, damp/humidity, wind, dryness, and heat can also cause an imbalance, also factors such as wrong diet, drugs, overwork and overexertion leading to Dis -ease.
How does it work ?
There are 12 main Meridians in the body and Acupressure uses pressure points along these Meridians to stimulate the flow of Qi to help the body restore balance. . These points can be needled, tapped, massaged, heated or held to open the body’s energy flow and promote self-healing.
Based on a client”s complaints, a practitioner will determine which points along the meridian require focus in treatment session.
These are the body's twelve meridians, which correspond to organs:
- Lung
- Large intestine
- Stomach
- Spleen
- Heart
- Small intestine
- Bladder
- Kidney
- Pericardium
- Triple heater ( does not correspond directly to a physical organ of the body)
- Gallbladder
- Liver
Shiatsu stimulates circulation and blood flow, enhancing the body's own ability to heal itself.
What are the benefits of receiving Shiatsu?
Shiatsu is performed by pressing, hooking, sweeping, rocking, patting, lifting, plucking, rolling and brushing. The practitioner uses his or hands, fingers, thumbs, forearms, knees, elbows and feet to achieve the desired result of a treatment
Benefits of receiving shiatsu
Shiatsu stimulates circulation and blood flow, enhancing the body's own ability to heal itself. Some of the many reasons Shiatsu works:
- Restores the following systems: nervous, lymphatic, hormonal and circulatory
- Increases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers
- Improves stamina, energy and vitality
- Enhances coordination and range of motion
- Speeds up healing from injury / trauma/ Recovery from sport
Shiatsu massage therapy helps treat a variety of conditions that include, but aren't limited to:
- Stress and tension
- Depression and anxiety
- Migraines and other headaches
- Sprains, strains and sports injuries
- Arthritis sufferers
- Back and Neck pain
- Frozen Shoulder, tennis elbow
- Chronic pain, including conditions like fibromyalgia
- PTSD
- Sinus and respiratory conditions, including common coughs and colds
- Insomnia and sleep disorders
- Digestive and bowel issues
- Morning sickness and other pregnancy related discomforts
- Menstrual problems
There are so many potential, talk to me how Shiatsu can support chronic or acute conditions you have, or just improve your all-around health and well-being.
Apart from bringing relief to symptoms, shiatsu gradually corrects long term postural and behavioral imbalances leading to improved body/ mind awareness and a general sense of well-being and peace of mind. It is possible that one session of shiatsu will be sufficient to remedy the problem by stimulating the flow of energy along the channels. This may be followed by recommendations of regular exercises and changes in diet and/or lifestyle. Shiatsu invokes a general feeling of good health in the whole person, not just in the physical sense. There are many benefits for both the giver and the receiver of shiatsu, both on a physical, mental and spiritual level.
What does Shiatsu feel like?
Receiving Shiatsu is relaxing, invigorating with a sense of being in touch with every part of your body.
Giving Shiatsu is like performing a moving meditation and leaves both giver and receiver feeling balanced and energized.
As the blocked Qi starts to flow, and the body tries to balance itself, a client may experience cold-like symptoms or tiredness after the first session. These symptoms should normally vanish within a few days.
A full body shiatsu treatment is applied to the entire body ; back, shoulders, legs, feet, arms, hands, head and face. A special Hara Shiatsu is performed on the Abdominal area by a trained Shiatsu practitioner. However, some parts of the body may be worked on more, or less, depending on the client’s complaints.
After warm up techniques are applied, physical manipulation of the soft tissue through palming and thumbing increases blood flow, releases muscle tension and lengthens the fascia around the muscles. Various stretches and ranges of motion are incorporated to increase flexibility of the joints and improve tissue health of the entire body
Shiatsu is done with deep sustained pressure. Breath work and intention by the practitioner play as important a role.
Shiatsu is non-invasive, and should not be a painful form of massage. It can be performed on any person, even during the course of convalescence. It is advisable to have shiatsu regularly as a part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.Shiatsu requires no special tools, equipment or oil and can be done anywhere on anyone.
Effects after Shiatsu Treatment
The immediate effect of treatments differs with each individual. A sense of well-being is common.Because of the deep relaxation that usually occurs and the stimulus to the major body systems, you may have some healing reactions.
Some people feel cold or flu-like symptoms, aches and pains, or headaches after the first treatment. These symptoms will only last for a day or so and usually subside with each subsequent treatment. It is like peeling layers of an onion. You can only reach the first layer in the first session. Generally, these are positive signs from your body telling you it is making an attempt to correct its own condition in a natural way. These are signs of elimination and the beginning of the healing process; sometimes known as the “healing crisis”.
Other effects after a treatment may include:
- Coughing and generation of mucus or symptoms of a cold: The coughing and production of mucus is due to the body being encouraged to rid itself of its surplus foods (such as sugars and fats) in this form.
- Feeling fluey, can sometimes develop when the mucus is produced, usually when the cells of the body are not healthy.
- A feeling of tiredness: Tiredness can occur, frequently with a person who suffers from nervous tension.
- A headache or other pains and ache, or just stiffness in an area that was previously blocked.
- Feeling emotional: Emotional feelings can occur while the energy is being stimulated to flow and balance is regained. The feelings may be connected with something from the past that has been suppressed and so, when these emotions resurface, it is best for them to be expressed in a way that is beneficial, such as crying.
- Nothing at all. This can happen and may be because a person is disconnected from their bodies and unaware of tension and stress or areas of weakness. Shiatsu can help you become more in touch with your body and emotions.
When not to receive Shiatsu
Shiatsu given by a qualified therapist is safe for everyone and particularly beneficial for pregnant
women, recovering from illness, surgery or injury and treating small children and the elderly.
The basic guidelines as to when not to receive Shiatsu :
- Times of high fever, especially when accompanied by local infection or inflammation or by
- Infectious disease of any sort; cancer; heart disease; and areas where there may be cuts,
- Bruises, scar tissue, injury or swelling. These areas can be avoided during a session. It is not always contra-indicated but the treatment may be uncomfortable,.
- Not recommended in the first trimester of pregnancy
However, it could still be possible to use the supportive quality by using some of the holding techniques, and working gently in most of these situations.
Shiatsu defined by the Japanese Ministry of Health
“Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hands to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining and promoting health. It is also a method contributing to the healing of specific illnesses.”
—Japanese medical department of the Ministry of Welfare (current Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) in December 1957.