|
WellSpring
Practice Guides
Shiatsu
Locate a Shiatsu practitioner
Shiatsu is a traditional Japanese healing art. It has its roots
in ancient Oriental medicine and has evolved from Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Anma, a traditional Japanese form of massage. The philosophy underlying
Shiatsu is that vital energy (Qi in Chinese, Ki in Japanese) flows throughout
the body in a series of channels called meridians. For many different reasons,
Ki can stop flowing freely and this then produces a symptom. Shiatsu can
be beneficial for a wide range of conditions – from specific injuries
to more general symptoms of poor health. Shiatsu uses touch to affect the
flow of Ki in the meridians. A Shiatsu practitioner will consider your state
of health, the symptoms you are experiencing and depending on your constitution
and general energy levels, will use a variety of techniques to improve your
energy flow. These may include gentle holding, pressing with palms, thumbs,
fingers, elbows, knees and feet on the meridians, and when appropriate, more
dynamic rotations and stretches. As the quality of the Ki changes, the symptoms
associated with an imbalance in the movement of Ki will gradually improve.
Shiatsu is a therapy that works on the individual as a complete being – the
physical body and also on an emotional and/or mental level. Each treatment
will last approximately one hour. The first session will be longer since
a detailed case history will be taken to develop a complete picture of your
health according to the principles of Oriental Medicine. Each session usually
takes place on a padded mat or futon at floor level. The client stays fully
clothed. There are several different styles of Shiatsu, and most Shiatsu
Schools teach more than one style to their students. As a result, many practitioners
use a blend of treatment approaches to their practice of Shiatsu.
The main styles of Shiatsu:
Namikoshi Shiatsu : (also known as
shiatsu massage) places more emphasis on physical techniques
developed from Anma; using pressing and rubbing to specific areas
of the body to assist healing. It draws on Western knowledge
of anatomy, physiology and pathology and advice on diet, exercise
and lifestyle is usually given. This style tends to downplay
the significance of Yin and Yang, Ki and the Meridian System.
Zen Shiatsu : Developed from Namikoshi Shiatsu
by Shizuto Masunaga, this style is probably the most popular
form of Shiatsu. It blends Anma with the traditional Chinese
medicine concepts of Yin and Yang, Ki and Meridian theory and
uses these methods to affect the flow of Ki to restore balance
to the body. Masunaga extended the traditional network of acupuncture
meridians to cover the whole body and used Five Element Theory
which is a further classification of the types of Ki. He also
devised a method of palpating the abdomen to diagnose the quality
of Ki in the meridians and a theory of energy balance known
as Kyo-Jitsu. Treatment involves working the whole length of
the imbalanced meridian using two hands, rather than using
specific points only. Advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle
advice may also be given.Tsubo Therapy : This
style was developed by Katsusuke Serizawa and concentrates
on the nature of the acupoints (tsubo in Japanese). It is based
on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Meridian
Theory, but looks for a scientific explanation of the meridian
systems. Serizawa conducted research on the acupoints to demonstrate
that the electrical resistance of the skin changes over a tsubo
point. Treatment involves the stimulation of tsubo by means
of massage, needles, electrical devices and moxa. This style
is not as widespread in the West.
|
