I suppose I could copy and paste some information from the web or regurgitate something from a text book. However I thought it may be better to speak about how I find Shiatsu from my experience.
It's a grounded physical and energetic practice where I combine complex theories with intuition, to help the receiver’s body/mind to find balance when there has been unbalance (there is always unbalance)
Practised fully clothed (both parties) and normally on a futon (a hangover from its Japanese roots), the session normally lasts around 1 hour with the physical bit being around 40-45 mins. The none physical bit is a chat to get to know each other and to take a case history. I feel that 40 mins of touch and manipulation is about as much as the body/mind can take before overload takes place.
I will combine a mixture of very physical work such as stretches, rotations and manipulations with work designed to engage any number of the meridians/channels with pressure from thumbs, palms etc. The decision as to what to do will be based on observation, questioning, discussion and touch diagnosis, this last bit being an ongoing process.
All this talk of meridians and energy gives lots of people concerns. As a reasonable sceptical chap I have been wrestling with some of the more 'way out' elements of Shiatsu over the last few years.
My method has been to remain sceptical but not allow this to get in the way of feeling what was happening. What I found if I remanded open is that I do feel meridians as a tangible force, that I do see the sometimes startling results of working with energy and that the method does seem to work. This has resulted in a number of my previous sceptical concerns softening and in some cases melting away all together.
It may be useful to provide a bullet point type break down, if like me you are sentence challenged it may help, so Shiatsu is:
- A Japanese inspired physical bodywork
- Practised fully clothed using largely static pressure from thumbs, palms, elbows, knees but not normally heads.
- I use a lot of subos (Japanese for Acupuncture points) in my practice, I find them really effective.
- Is good for lots of common complaints such as, muscle aches and pains, headaches, stress, tension, sports injuries, back problems and can help with lots and lots of stuff (for a full list see the Shiatsu Society website)
- Takes place on a futon, a chair, a massage couch or other appropriate base.
- Lasts about one hour.
- No one really knows quite why it works, but it does, so ha ho.
- Will normally leave you feeling jolly good, but sometimes you can feel jolly crap and then jolly good.
One of the wonderful things about having trained with the British School of Shiatsu-Do is that we cover lots of additional methods and subjects. I have received training in;
Muscle Energy Technique, Rhythmic Joint Manipulation, Fascia Release and Structural Correction
Muscle Energy Technique, Rhythmic Joint Manipulation, Fascia Release and Structural Correction
