Seitai Shiatsu DVD

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Shiatsu is traditional Japanese finger pressure massage therapy.  It is similar to acupressure and is used to improve the flow of vital life energy or qi in the body.  This system of Oriental bodywork is derived from Amma, a technique of body manipulation which started in India, and Do-In, a system of self-massage with roots which can be traced back to China. 

The word shiatsu is derived from the Japanese shi which means finger and atsu which means pressure.  Shiatsu literally means finger-pressure in Japanese.

Origins of this ancient health art goes back to ancient man, whose instinctive urge was to touch or hold a body part that was injured or in pain.  We still make the same instinctive type of move today.

Over 5000 years ago Chinese Taoist monks made formal observations of this human instinct of touch for self-healing.  It was adapted into a system called Tao-Yinn.  Derived from two Chinese words, Tao meaning "the way" and Yinn meaning "a gentle approach", it was used to sustain overall health and treat specific physical problems.  Today, it is known as Do-In.

Historically recorded nearly 3000 years ago in Central China, the roots of Shiatsu go back to the Yellow Emperor's dynasty.  At that time it was called Tien-An and early recordings of it correspond with the first mention of acupuncture.  Tien-An was later introduced to the Japanese in about the sixth century A.D. and was called Shiatsu.  For centuries it remained under the control of Buddhist monks.

It was in the Edo Period (1830) that Western medical practices (allopathic) were brought to Japan; this influence dominated Japanese medical thinking for over 100 years.  During this time Shiatsu fell into disuse.

In 1930 Dr. Tokujiro Namikoshi revived Shiatsu and founded the Nippon Shiatsu Institute in the middle 20th century.  Dr. Namikoshi is with the national licensing board.  Currently it is accepted by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare as an authorized health treatment.

Both a do-it-yourself self-help method and a therapy practiced by a professional practitioner, Shiatsu is oriented toward prevention of illness.  Its goal is to keep the body in good condition, and prevent the development of sickness rather than cure it.   As a therapy it stimulated the body's inherent natural curative powers and ability to recuperate from illness.

There are 660 neural trigger points or zones (tsubo) on the skin used in Shiatsu treatment.  Invisible to observation, these points are located on energy pathways or meridians.  It is in these areas where the blood vessels, lymph vessels, and ductless glands of the endocrine system end to concentrate or branch.

Shiatsu practitioners use palpation of the abdomen and other tissues to diagnose a person's condition and determine the specific type of therapy he requires.  This procedure is called "hara" diagnosis.  A fine sense of touch allows discovery of abnormalities in blood and lymphatic circulation, abnormal internal secretions, skeletal deformities, excessive pressure on nerves, and the condition of the muscles and skin.

The practitioner then uses carefully judged pressure, properly applied to specific points on the body's surface with the fingers, knuckles, hands, elbows, knees, feet, or other body parts.  The amount of pressure, method of pressing, and frequency of pressing are all variable.  The points are held for only a few seconds.  There is little or no massage done per se, although the practitioner may manipulate various parts of the body.

Therapy is pleasant and without a sensation of pain, even for those with stiff muscles.  It is a total treatment applied to all parts of the body with emphasis on those areas manifesting symptoms of pain or discomfort.  A treatment can be relaxing or stimulating and accomplished with the client fully clothed and lying on the floor.

Muscle tension causes energy blocks, and by stimulating certain points, energy blocks are removed.  With energy flowing freely once again, the body is able to remove waste products such as lactic acid and carbon monoxide which have accumulated in the tissues.  It is this accumulation of waste products that causes muscle stiffness and pain.

Shiatsu treatment may be used to release muscular tension throughout the body, to relieve pain from arthritis, to relieve pain from tension, sinus, and migraine headaches, to reduce discoloration caused by surface bruises, to reduce the severity of deep tissue and bone bruises, and many other problems.