A Introduction to Shiatsu

This article is designed to take a brief look at shiatsu. It would be useful for anyone who would like a treatment but does not know what to expect. The article will look at a brief history of shiatsu and what a typical session would involve. There are many different types of shiatsu developed through the decades and depending on what you want out of the session there is a therapy to suit almost everyone.

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu is derived from the Eastern theory, that every life force in the universe has energy flowing though it. The Chinese call this chi; the Indians call this Prana and the Japanese call this Ki. In the eastern therapies the body is believed to have various channels of energy running all over the body these are called meridians. The word “shiatsu” means literally finger pressure.

In shiatsu there is 26 Meridians in the body and each side mirrors the other. They are put into two main groups Yin which is mainly found on the front of the body and Yang which is found on the back.

The meridians are named after the body parts which they help to treat. If there is a blockage of energy there or if the client is suffering with a specific ailment then the treatment has been said to alleviate the symptoms.

A Brief History

Shiatsu is a fairly new form of therapy. It was formed loosely in Japan around 1912 by Tokujiro Namikoshi. He lived on Shikoku Island, Japan and then moved to the more volatile climate of Hokkaido, Japan with his family. His mother then developed bad Rheumatoid arthritis in her body and Namikoshi found that by just using the finger and thumb pressure over the painful areas instead of the flowing pressure of massage it helped her to make a complete recovery from the Rheumatoid arthritis.

Namikoshi then developed this technique of treating people and the early beginnings of what we now know as shiatsu was formed. He opened up his first clinic in 1925 in Sapporo, which was followed in 1933 by a clinic opening in Tokyo so he could treat more people and get his work recognised.

Here he opened the Japan School of Shiatsu in 1940 and started to train shiatsupractors. It was a three year course and students had to complete 2500 hours of training before they could become fully qualified practitioners. Only people who passed from this school were recognised as shiatsupractors and could use this name. In 1955 shiatsu therapy was first recognised by the Japanese government and was approved by the ministry of health.

In 1953 Namikoshi was invited to the Palmer Chiropractic School in Iowa, USA to introduce the students to the concept of shiatsu. Here he developed a good working relationship with Dr B.J Palmer who was a founding member of chiropractic. Namikoshis’ son Toru Namikoshi Sensei stayed on at the school to develop a comparison study of shiatsu and chiropractic for 7 years. He then moved back to Japan furthering his knowledge of shiatsu based on modern anatomy and physiology.

Today there are quite a few different branches of shiatsu. The four key branches are:

Namikoshi (or Nippon shiatsu)

this one is most often practiced in Japan. It is a whole body routine including stretches. This treatment concentrates more on the pressure points than on the meridians themselves.

Zen Shiatsu

In this branch it has more importance put on the meridians. It can both be energetic or soothing depending on what the client requires. There is emphasis on the practitioner linking with the clients Ki.

Healing Shiatsu

meditation, this one mainly concentrates on being gentle. It is very similar to Zen shiatsu.

Shiatsu-Do

this one has more stretches and movement than in Zen. It can be vigorous and dynamic.

Movement shiatsu

this one works with the meridian systems in the body and uses light pressure on the points(tsubos), the gentle manipulations and guided movement brings awareness to the energy patterns within the body and to resolve inner conflicts.

Whathappensin a Treatment?

It depends on which type of shiatsu which is carried out as to what happens in a session. The most common one which is incorporated into therapeutic massage is Zen shiatsu. The client usually gets a relaxation massage first of all then the practitioner works on the client usually concentrating on the meridians which the client has stated they would like work done on. There would normally at the beginning of the consultation be a contraindications document gone through especially if the client has gone to a practitioner for a specific problem and it is the first time the practitioner has seen the client.

Along the meridians are pressure points known as Tsubos which when pressed by the thumb can cause a strange sensation. Sometimes these Tsubos can be painful to the touch and this can be due to a severe blockage which can be alleviated with further sessions.

It is recommended to have a session every couple of weeks to help the recipient to keep in full health.

For the qualifications of the practitioner it really depends on the country which you are in. You would have to look on your country’s web site or get in contact with the ministry of health as some countries do not recognise “alternative” therapies at all. As with all health issues, I would strongly recommend going to your doctor before commencing treatment of any illness.