Shiatsu massage is a Japanese   acupressure method and, coming from a land so fertile in tradition, ritual, a sense of the sacred, it is a technique full of meaning and potential, close to those that are at the basis of the  do-in , of the ancient massage , acupuncture, osteopathy and chiropractic. It is a real treatment where the operator’s technique, knowledge and intuition come together.

>   The Shiatsu massage technique

>   The session

>   Benefits and contraindications of  Shiatsu massage

>   Curiosity

The Shiatsu massage technique

 Shiatsu literally means “pressure” ( atsu ), which is done with the fingers ( shi ), hands, elbows and knees on certain points ( tsubo ) to rebalance the energy ( ki ) along the meridians .

The massage technique dates back to the twentieth century and is based on the energy concept which is also typical of traditional Chinese medicine. In practice, an individual can experience a state of malaise in a jitsu area where there is an excess of ki , or in a kyo area where energy is lacking.

From jitsu we identify the symptom whose cause lies in the kyo . Shiatsu massage always proceeds on the double kyo-jitsu track , full and empty, because resolving a malaise does not only mean acting locally, but intervening on the psychophysical unity of the patient. 

The seat 

The masseur works on the meridians, along which ki flows . It is based on the acupuncture meridians which are 12 . Energy manifests itself in the 5 elements (fire, earth, water, metal, wood) and each of them is associated with an organ.

Each element corresponds to 2 meridians, one yin and one yang ; only the fire corresponds to 4. The meridians are bilateral so there are 24 in all. If the masseur presses the meridian in one point, that particular area will be stimulated, but also everything along that meridian.

The two main maneuvers performed are pressure and stretching practiced with hands, elbows, knees and feet. The masseur must always remain very relaxed while applying pressure, because he must draw strength directly from his hara.

The duration of a pressure varies from 5 to 7 seconds, around the neck never more than 3 seconds. A Shiatsu massage session usually lasts about an hour . 

We would like to clarify that a shiatsu session varies greatly depending on who performs it because  the hands of the shiatsu operator move according to what he feels and what the recipient’s body communicates to him, the responses that come from the person together. he is working on. 

Benefits and contraindications of Shiatsu massage

Shiatsu balances the body in depth. The technique works on the overall harmony of the person. It has good effects on anxiety and stress, reduces the typical symptoms of depression. It can be an alternative or an aid in the case of: problems related to t and stays, neck and back , stiffening of the joints, anxiety-inducing contractures from sports or work activity.

Among other benefits :  improvement of the relationship with others through contact, relaxation of stiffness and excessive tension , improve posture and posture, enhance motor skills, alleviate the consequences of various types of trauma , increase knowledge and control of the own body, restore the body’s energy balance .

Shiatsu should not be practiced on people with contagious diseases, serious problems with the heart , lungs , kidneys , liver , bleeding, ulcers, cancer, fractures. 

Curiosity 

The abdomen ( hara ) is for the Japanese the seat of the vital spirit : speaking of hara means speaking of the amount of energy a person has.

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