Shiatsu Massage
by Krysta CardinaleShiatsu is a Japanese art of healing using both pressure and stretching techniques. It was developed over 5,000 years ago from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Shiatsu massagers have similar techniques to Acupressure, Massage, Osteopathy, and Lymphatic drainage. The overall goal of Shiatsu massage is to stimulate circulation and the flow of lymphatic fluids. This then causes the toxins in the body to be released. Shiatsu techniques also want to stimulate both the hormonal and immune systems. This allows the recipient to completely relax and get in touch with their own “healing power.”
Massagers and Shiatsu History
The actual date when Shiatsu was created is left arguable; however it is known that Tokujiro Namikoshi was the founder. Namikoshi founded the Japan Shiatsu College in 1940 where he established Shiatsu Massage Therapy. Apparently when Namikoshi was only seven years old, his mother was ailing from severe arthritis. Trying to soothe his mother’s pain, Namikoshi applied pressure and movements to the muscles around the joints. He then continued to develop this healing method into what we now know as Shiatsu. In 1957, Japan recognized Shiatsu officially as a separate and distinct therapy. Then in 1964, Shiatsu Massage was officially defined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan.
The Concepts of Shiatsu Massage
Shiatsu is based on the anatomy of the human body. Massagers and Shiatsu believe that the Qi (Chi in Chinese), is our “life essence.” It maintains and nurtures the human mind, spirit, and body. The Qi is located everywhere; the body is actually filled with flowing energy throughout its muscles, organs, tissues, and cells. This energy flows through certain channels and pathways through the body called meridians. Meridians form a network in the body that connects the organs, skin, muscles, and bones unifying it.
There are twelve meridians that link all the organs to the body. Massagers and Shiatsu believe that when a person is healthy the Qi runs through the meridians smoothly, and is distributed evenly throughout the body. However, when someone is feeling ill or in pain the Qi is blocked somewhere, thus preventing it from nurturing that part of the body. All of the meridians in the body end in the head, chest, hands or feet. A description of what the twelve meridians link is:
• Heart- It begins in the armpit, and finishes in the little finger.
• Heart Constrictor- It starts next to the nipple, and ends in the middle finger.
• Lung- Starts in the chest (in front of the shoulder), and ends in the thumb.
• Stomach- Begins right under the eye, and then finishes next to the nostril.
• Liver- It begins in the big toe, and then ends on the front of the chest and right below the nipple.
• Kidney- Starts on the bottom of the foot, and finishes in front of the ear.
• Large Intestine- It starts on the index finger, and ends on the side of the nostril.
• Small Intestine- It begins in the little finger, and it ends in front of the ear.
• Spleen- Begins on the big toe, and finishes on the side of the chest.
• Gall Bladder- Starts on the outside corner of the eye, and then finishes on the fourth toe.
• Urinary Bladder- This starts on the inside corner of the eye, and then ends at the little toe.
• Triple Heater- Begins in the ring finger, and finishes at the outside corner of the eyebrow.
All of the meridians start on the outside and finishes on the inside. This is how Shiatsu massagers can determine what your pain or soreness is actually from. Shiatsu massagers use the meridians, or channels, to determine the location and depth of the balance. The ends of the meridians are called pressure points. Massagers and Shiatsu believe that stimulating these points can relieve and help cure the pain or problem.
Basic Rules of Massagers and Shiatsu
Before practicing any form of Shiatsu, a practitioner such as a Shiatsu foot massager needs to know and follow certain rules. You should wear comfortable loose clothing. The room that is going to be used needs to be clean, neat, warm, and quiet. The recipient needs to feel completely comfortable and at ease in order to unblock the Qi. The recipient also needs to lie down on either a firm mattress or a mat. You need to make sure that the recipient has not just eaten; any food needs to be completely digested before Shiatsu can be performed. The pressure applied by a Shiatsu foot massager, or any massager, should be firm, but never painful. Pressure should also never be applied to broken veins, injuries, cuts or irritated skin, or broken bones. If a woman is pregnant, Shiatsu should be practiced cautiously and avoided in areas of the stomach, between the index finger and the thumb, each side of the neck, and anything below the knees. So, a Shiatsu foot massager should never perform therapy on a pregnant woman.
If these rules are followed correctly, benefits will be achieved from Shiatsu Therapy. These benefits include reduced stress and fatigue, increased circulation of the blood and lymph fluids, reduced blood pressure and muscle stiffness, and overall feeling of well-being. There are some people who do not receive any results from Shiatsu. These people are usually completely out of tune with their own bodies, and have no relationship with it.
