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Relaxing With Zen Shiatsu
Rebecca Prescott
The origin of zen shiatsu is in Oriental medicine, but it
was adapted to the Japanese environment.
All types of shiatsu stimulate blood circulation directly,
like western style massage such as Swedish. In doing so, both
of these systems help release poorly flowing blood in the
skin and muscles, and hence help ease tension and stiffness
that arise from that congestion.
But there are important differences, both in the way shiatsu
is practised, and its other effects. Unlike western style
massages, shiatsu uses the meridian system, which can be pictured
as like the arteries of our physically embodied energetic
system. Consequently, the effects of shiatsu go much deeper,
and can help the organs themselves, our autonomic nervous
system, and our hormones, as well as our joints, tendons and
muscles.
There are actually at least 6 different styles of shiatsu
practised in the West today, though some practitioners combine
the different approaches in one treatment session. Zen shiatsu
was developed by Shizuto Masunaga, and came out of a time
in Japan when the most popular style of shiatsu, taught by
Namikoshi's schools, had a strong alignment with western medicine.
Masunaga sought to bring back the traditional Oriental medical
approach and philosophy, as well as maintaining the advances
in physiology that had been developed in the West.
In developing zen shiatsu, Masunaga facilitated a more complete
understanding of the meridian system. He taught how to use
the meridians to balance a person's psychological and physical
systems so that the body was in a greater position to heal
itself.
Zen shiatsu is generally less painful than Namikoshi's style,
in the hands of a skilled practitioner. The reason is that
both hands are kept on the body, and the object is to find
the most 'kyo' and most 'jitsu' meridians, and work on these
together. Kyo refers to an 'empty' meridian - that is, one
with the least amount of energy. And jitsu in this context
means a meridian with an excessive amount of energy. So, by
working on the two together, the body achieves a state of
balance.
When a zen shiatsu practitioner is diagnosing for kyo and
jitsu, the awareness is on the relationship of meridians to
each other. They define each other. If a person's body was
in a complete state of balance, there would be no kyo or jitsu.
But if one meridian becomes kyo or jitsu, it causes an imbalance
in another. So the key is to assess the meridians in relation
to each other to find the 'match', that when treated, will
balance out.
Shiatsu can be practised at home, on oneself, on family and
friends. But a professional shiatsu involves the practitioner
having both a good grasp of treatment and diagnosis. Diagnosis,
in shiatsu and Oriental medicine, is quite different to the
western medical approach. Shiatsu takes a very individualized
approach - it doesn't look for a disease with a set criteria
of symptoms. Rather, it assesses the energetic and physical
balance - or imbalance- within the conditions the individual
is presenting, and treats accordingly. So even though two
people may come in with headaches, the treatment, the choice
of meridians, the combination of stretches, would be different.
Shiatsu is very effective at preventing disease by addressing
imbalances before they manifest as illnesses. Another difference
between it and a western approach is the integration of the
responsibility of the individual to maintain their own health,
through choices that support their own health. These choices
may be dietary, lifestyle, or more fundamental choices about
the direction their life is taking.
References:
1. Chris Jarmey and Gabriel Mojay, Shiatsu
2. Shizuto Masunaga and Wataru Ohashi, Zen Shiatsu
Rebecca Prescott runs the website www.articlehealthandfitness.com.
Learn more about Massage
Therapy and Bodywork here, and there are articles on aromatherapy
here.
Article Source: http://www.fetcharticles.com
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