Category Archives: …Is Shiatsu the Ultimate…?
Article by Terry Dunn: Is shiatsu the ultimate bodywork treatment/
Dr Oz Speaks on Shiatsu and its Cardiovascular Benefits
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A testimonial for shiatsu: (video approximately 9 minutes)
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Dr.Oz
Dr. Oz is best known as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He is a professor and Vice Chairman of Surgery at Columbia University in New York City.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is also the Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, and founder and Director for the Complementary Medicine Program at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Oz is a bestselling author, who has written such books as Healing from the Heart, YOU: The Owner’s Manual, and YOU: The Smart Patient.
Here he talks eloquently, specifically about the role of Shiatsu in his hospital with recovering heart patients.
Further, he addresses the limitations of cultural perspectives, and calls for an integrative medicine without boundaries.
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“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’, a part, limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
Albert Einstein
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An Oriental Medical Perspective
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The Philosophy behind Oriental Medicine
The philosophy underlying most forms of Shiatsu comes from Taoism.
The Western viewpoint is that things, if left to their own devices, will get more chaotic. Taoism explores the way in which some systems naturally start to re-balance themselves when they move away from equilibrium.
The Western viewpoint is largely true for simple non-living systems, but living organisms are good at adjusting themselves, and therefore are better described by Taoist philosophy.
Western medicine focuses on intervention to push an organism back into balance. In contrast, Oriental medicine believes that by helping the organism to activate its capacity for self-balancing, the body will naturally find equilibrium. From this viewpoint, problems occur when the natural process is not working and so you are stuck in the imbalanced state.
‘Treatment’ in Oriental Medicine is therefore treatment of the body’s self-balancing systems, which the Japanese call Ki (in Chinese it is called Chi). The closest analogy in Western terms would be if doctors had a way of boosting the immune system instead of giving antibiotics. Shiatsu and other Oriental therapies focus on getting these Ki systems moving when they are stuck and boosting them when they are weak. Then the natural process of re-adjustment will start to work again.
So it is possible that Shiatsu treatment may slightly increase the symptoms in the short term, going further into the condition, until the body has satisfied or exhausted this way of behaving and can start to transform of its own accord. The effect of this ‘natural transformation’ is believed to be more permanent than ‘transformation through intervention’ because the problem has completed it’s journey and is not just pushed under the carpet, waiting to reappear.
To be fair, most Western doctors believe the same thing. They are often reluctant to give antibiotics to children because they know that if they leave the child to get better naturally, it will strengthen the immune system and the child will be less likely to get that illness again.Returning the favour, Shiatsu therapists recognize the value of intervention if the organism has gone too far out of balance to adjust itself. They are trained to recognize when Western medicine may be more suitable and advise the client to seek medical help. In this case Shiatsu can be useful as an aid to the recovery process once the necessary intervention has been made.
Source:Why have Shiatsu?
5 Little Known Benefits of Shiatsu Massage
5 Little Known Benefits of Shiatsu Massage
by James Calvin
Shiatsu massage, also known as acupressure, is a point-pressure massage using the fingers. It is designed to help regulate the flow of energy within the body. During a shiatsu massage, thumb, fingers, palms or feet to the body apply pressure. This type of massage helps produce deep relaxation increases energy levels and brings balance to the body.
The history of shiatsu massage lies with the ancient Chinese. They used the principles of shiatsu in both their medical philosophy and practice. It was developed around 530 B.C. Later, shiatsu massage was exported into Japan, Southeast Asia, and Korea where it was widely practiced. In the 20th century, this therapy was used for treating simple muscular tension and providers were licensed. Shiatsu became popular in the United States, Europe and Australia in the 1970s.
Shiatsu massages last anywhere from forty minutes to one hour. It usually takes place on a padded mat on the floor. This type of massage begins with gentle stretching and manipulation of the skin to allow the stimulation of energy and relax the muscles. Depending on the need of the person receiving the massage, it can be very gentle and calming or used with high pressure, but should never hurt or feel painful. Acupressure massages are usually given using a rapid circular motion with medium pressure. The massages can last from five to fifteen minutes and include techniques such as rubbing, kneading, percussion, and vibration.
Today, shiatsu massages are performed not only for relaxation, but to aid a wide variety of ailments and symptoms. The following are five benefits of shiatsu massage.
Skin:
Shiatsu massages, or acupressure, help stimulate circulation in the capillaries of the skin’s soft tissues. The massage also serves to stimulate the secretion of the sebaceous glands and keeps skin moist and smooth. This helps give skin resilience and helps prevent wrinkling. A shiatsu massage will help improve the look and glow of the skin with improved blood circulation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Muscle Pain:
Shiatsu and acupressure massages can help alleviate the symptoms caused by arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the body’s tissue and it attacks the linings of the joints. This disease affects one percent of the world’s population. Shiatsu applied to the hands and feet are most effective when suffering from arthritis. Pressure from the massage can also be applied directly to any area affected by Rheumatoid arthritis. Shiatsu can also be used to improve the overall health of muscles throughout the body. Shiatsu helps limber muscles and gives muscles nutrition by improved circulation. It also helps reduce muscular pain.
Migraine Headaches:
Migraines are usually caused by a rapid widening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain or head, causing irritation and pain. Common symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, weakness, numbness and vision problems. Migraines are thought to be cause by changes in weather, stress, hunger, foods containing nitrates and sometimes caffeine. Shiatsu massages helps aid migraines by relaxing the body and increasing blood flow and circulation throughout the body.
Pregnancy:
Shiatsu massages have been used for thousands of years to aid women during monthly cycles to alleviate symptoms such as menstrual cramps and depression. This kind of massage has also been used for years for also for pregnancy as well. Shiatsu has been known to help women in labor and help babies turn in the womb. It can induce labor in women who are overdue and help ease morning sickness and swelling often caused by pregnancy.
Circulatory and Digestive System:
Shiatsu massages are also found to help aid the circulatory and digestive system. A gently massage helps improve circulation and cellular nutrition throughout the body. A massage also benefits the digestive system allowing food to digest more easily and aids in the elimination of waste products. A shiatsu massage also increases stamina by storing energy reserves and assists in fat metabolism and removal.
Learning basic shiatsu techniques at home is easy with a book or video. It can also reap huge benefits to practice basic techniques at home. When looking for a practitioner experienced with shiatsu, look for one that has at least three years worth of experience. Feeling comfortable with the provider is also important. A session of shiatsu massages generally last from thirty to ninety minutes and can cost anywhere from $30 to $80 for a more experienced practitioner.
Copyright James Calvin
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Shiatsu in Pregnancy Workshop
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I am attending this workshop and intend to share the benefits in my shiatsu therapy practice.
The Sage Surrenders…
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The Sage surrenders
to that which arises,
moment to moment.
Knowing her ultimate nature
she clings to nothing,
no illusions of the mind,
no resistances in the body.
She does not think about her actions,
they flow from the essence of her being,
she holds nothing back
living as if she has already embraced
her passage from this life.
- Lao Zi, Dao De Jing, #50
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