What is Shiatsu

What is Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a manual treatment modality that approaches healthcare through prevention, enhancing vitality, alleviating fatigue and stimulating the natural self healing properties by applying pressure on specific points of the body.
Also Shiatsu offers the comfort of mindful touch, which is an important aspect of treatment now that healthcare has become so high tech and specialized. The hectic nature of daily life is an enormous source of stress which in the long run can wreak havoc on the body and the mind.

Even children have busy schedules and have become prone to physical and mental fatigue. Many people have become concerned about the negative effects that modern life has on their health. Shiatsu helps us to become more aware of our body and to take better care of it. It offers you an opportunity to regain control of your health.

Do it yourself
It is possible to implement shiatsu on a daily basis to maintain a relationship with your own body. It is truly unnecessary to drag yourself through life in a litany of complaints. Patience and discipline are the way forward in improving your health, appearance and fitness. You can practice shiatsu together with friends and family to help each other develop a new physical awareness. Shiatsu is a wonderful way to offer care for as well as to receive care from each other without using words and sharing a pleasant relaxing moment together in an otherwise busy day.

When we experience tingling, stiffness or pain, our first instinct is to rub or press on the afflicted area. This simple act is actually already stimulating the natural performance of a variety of physiological systems. But when we systematically perform these actions, we activate the natural self healing ability of the body and restore the condition of the afflicted area. Although the more natural response would be to stretch and relax a certain area, most people prefer to ignore their discomfort or simply pop a pill.

Treatment
Shiatsu treatment consists of application of pressure with the tips of the thumbs and fingers as well as with the palms of the hands on specific points along the body. Traditionally these points are called Tsubo in Japanese, which means flask or jug. The Tsubo on the body are inclined to store stress and fatigue. Pressure on such points offers relief as our ancestors instinctively discovered long ago.

Around 1920 Tokujiro Namikoshi introduces Shiatsu as a therapeutic system and integrated it with modern anatomy and physiology. He came up with the word Shiatsu to describe his treatment system, which literally means “finger pressure”.

The Tsubo’s correspond with muscles, bones, arteries, nerves, lymphatic channels and endocrine glands. Applying pressure to these points not only stimulates the skin and alleviates muscle tension, but also has a regulating effect on the nervous system, stimulates the digestive system and supports blood and lymphatic circulation, which in turn promotes the total natural regenerative self healing potential of the body.

Shiatsu is based upon use of the hands both for diagnosis as well as for treatment. The sensitive finger tips can register differences in temperature and tension, which can be an indication of the state of the body. The type, depth and duration of the application of pressure needs to be custom made to the specific need of each part of the body as well as to each separate individual.

Although it is impossible to acquire the skills of a trained practitioner within one weekend, you should not shy away from discovering how Shiatsu could work for you whilst renewing your acquaintance with the human body. Giving Shiatsu to yourself and others on a regular basis will heighten your sensitivity in understanding what a body needs. This offers a start to recognizing the superficial condition which nonetheless represents irregularities within the body. The essence of Shiatsu is not only diagnosing and treating with the hands, but more so the comfort of the mothers touch. When the attitude of the practitioner is both careful as well as caring and the attitude of the recipient is open and receptive, this will strongly enhance the experience for both.