What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu (literally “finger pressure” in Japanese) was developed in Japan and its roots go back to the more than 5000 year-old healing practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the rich cultural and spiritual context that nourished it. It is a hands-on therapy with enormous potential for supporting the innate ability of each person to create and maintain joyful wellbeing.

The style I trained in is called Zen Shiatsu and was developed by Sensei Masunaga from his work with Shiatsu founder Sensei Namikoshi. Masunaga combined his training in Western psychology and his research into the ancient texts of Traditional Chinese Medicine to form a style that is particularly well-suited to the needs of Western clients.

Using physical techniques (pressure, mobilizations, rhythm, intensity, alignement, etc) and internal techniques (self-observation, intention, resonance, amplification, imagery, etc), the practitioner communicates with the energetic (Qi or Ki) being of the client through the meridian system to develope a dialogue that facilitates the fullest appropriate expression of health and well-being.