August 19, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
credit: BadruddeenSomeday I have heard about a form of massage which is known as shiatsu. I’m a fan of oriental culture and I like receiving massages.
I went to youtube.com and watched some videos with shiatsu massage. I wish I would have shiatsu someday. Even if shiatsu has appeared in the United States in the early 1970′s it is much older than we might think.
This Japanese massage has its existence for a century. Shiatsu is based on the knowledge and experience of thousands of years of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today there are three basic shiatsu schools, but Shizuto Masunaga’s school has the most holistic approach and it represents a complete view of shiatsu practice.
To be honest, I became so interested of this form of bodywork that I might even want to attend a shiatsu school someday, mainly because it is not simply a relaxing massage. The main technique in shiatsu is pressure applied with fingers, thumbs and elbows. A shiatsu therapist is sinking into specific points on the patient’s body to apply pressure along the energy pathways or also known as body meridians. An interesting approach is that shiatsu is performed on a fully-clothed patient which I see a benefit, because some patients don’t feel comfortable to undress near unknown person.
Besides the fact that shiatsu massage makes the patient fully relaxed it also provides holistic benefits. I had Swedish massage a felt relaxation only on the skin and muscle of my body. Shiatsu is a bit different because the therapists aim is to increase the energy flow in the meridians of the patient’s body. Applying pressure in synchronization with the patient’s breath, the therapist achieves a deeper level of relaxation of the patient. This kind of treatment increases one’s sense of well-being, balances energy or “chi” in the body and in the end this helps in prevention of diseases.
Updated August 19, 2011. Published May 11, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
