Yumi Matsumoto writes:
Shiatsu has become probably the most popular and well known among all the Japanese healing arts in the western world, with countless people gaining healing and relaxation from its massage techniques and its philosophy of life. At the heart of all the various systems of Shiatsu are the principles of cultivating harmony and balance, applying the principles of Yin and Yang, and diagnosing imbalance through detection of Kyosho (Empty) and Jisho (Full). The purpose of the different massage techniques and routines is to balance the meridian line (or Keiraku) system which carries Ki (also known as Chi or Qi) or life-energy through a network of twelve main meridian lines and eight extra-ordinary channels.
In the Eastern way of looking at the human being there are 12 main channels of energy running through the body. These channels run beneath the surface of the skin but at certain points they spring to the surface – it is via these points (also called pressure points or tsubo) that we can directly affect the flow of energy by massage.
One of the biggest challenges for a Shiatsu practitioner is how to diagnose and treat a meridian line which is in an empty state, in other words a meridian line which is damaged due to lack of energy passing through it. Forcefully massaging this line by mistake will cause even more damage.
Each meridian line is paired with another. This shows quite clearly that where there is a deficiency it will lead to an excess elsewhere, and also shows the close relationship between the paired meridian lines. A simple analogy is that of a road having a big damage on its surface – this is comparable to a Kyosho state. The road leading to it would then have a traffic jam, followed by an irregular flow of cars after it, both caused by the same road damage.
Over the years I have treated thousands of people affected by a broad variety of issues. A typical example is a patient of mine who was suffering from painful frozen shoulder for many weeks. She could not sleep on the painful side and had to take strong pain killers to deal with the pain. I am always careful to identify the main cause of the pain as it could be originated from a number of different reasons. In her case it was from a deficiency in her liver meridian line. Therefore I treated her Large Intestine and Gallbladder meridian lines instead of touching her painful shoulder directly. She experienced a very sharp pain being massaged on these lines but, within a few minutes, all pains were gone including her shoulder.
This is just an example of how shiatsu can help you to feel better and overcome a number of different issues. Please get in touch with me to arrange an appointment and try this amazing therapy.
______________________________________________