Shiatsu came about in Japan in the early part of the twentieth century.
The art of Shiatsu is a cross between Anma and Do-In. Anma is like western
massage, while Do-In is like Yoga.
Shiatsu was created out of these two forms in order to treat illness.
Shiatsu is the application of pressure along the energy pathways or meridian
system of the body. This pressure is applied with the fingers, hands,
forearms, elbows, knees and feet. The meridian system is much like the
nervous system, except that there is no physical pathway. The meridians
are energetic in nature and structure. The meridian system connects the
internal organs to the exterior of the body and the exterior surface to
the interior organs. In this way, exterior influences can affect the interior
of the body and interior influences can affect the exterior surface of
the body.
The energy that runs in the meridians is called Chi, Ki, or Universal
life force. This energy is the very nature of all that is. Everything
is made up of, and supported by, Chi.
While Shiatsu can be learned as a purely mechanical process, it is not
until you start to feel and work with the energies of the body, that the
true understanding of Shiatsu emerges.
Understanding and working with Chi is one part of the true art of Shiatsu;
the other part is a knowledge of Eastern medicine.
Eastern medicine’s basic principal is to balance the internal and
external environments of an individual — this includes balancing
the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. Eastern medicine examines
the way in which external environmental influences specifically affect
the internal environment. Such influences include hot, cold, dryness,
dampness and wind. These five elements reflect the condition of our internal
“climate” as well as the external environment around us. If
a person has too much heat in their system, for example, they may have
various skin problems and/or headaches and/or dry mouth, as well as an
aversion to sun or hot summer weather, to list a few conditions.
The emotions also play a big part in an individual’s health and well-being.
The main emotions which affect us include grief, joy, anger, fear, and
anxiety. Each of the five emotions affects specific internal organs. For
example, grief affects the lungs, joy or lack of joy affects the heart,
anger the liver, fear the kidney, and anxiety the stomach. When an emotion
becomes imbalanced, this can create a blockage in the meridian system.
For example, if a person has an excess of fear in their emotional body,
they may experience low back pain and/or knee problems as well as bladder
infection and possibly hearing difficulties, amongst other things, in
their physical body.
Balancing the spiritual aspect of an individual is simply developing the
awareness of how one feels and how these feelings affect the environment
within us, as well as around us. Shiatsu is highly effective in the prevention
of dis-ease, as well as helping to heal dis-ease. Because of its gentle
application, it may be applied to people of all ages, from infants to
the elderly.
Shiatsu can effectively treat neck/back pain, carpel tunnel syndrome,
shoulder and joint pain, digestive disorders, menstrual problems, PMS,
cramps, headaches, and migraines, as well as various other stress-related
conditions and emotional difficulties.
Gregory Axelson ST CCIr
Essential Choices
416 934 9179
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