Shiatsu
Shiatsu can:
• offer effective, relaxing treatments specifically tailored to your own personal needs and preferences
• produce long-term changes to your health and well-being
• improve your overall health and well-being and is ideal for people of all ages
• be used to improve the overall health of muscles throughout the body
• help us to understand what is happening to our bodies
• relieve general muscle tension and can aid joint mobility.
Shiatsu is:
• excellent for promoting relaxation and prevents the build-up of stresses we experience in everyday life
• a deeply relaxing experience that can help to calm the mind and can be effective in releasing muscular tension
• an excellent and very gentle treatment for body weaknesses and can get your body back to how nature intended it
• a therapy that works on the individual as a complete being – not just the physical body but also on an emotional and/or mental level
• effective on all levels – mind, body, spirit and emotionally, and is a true holistic therapy
• a superbly comfortable and relaxing experience, with real health benefits
• most effective as part of a healthy lifestyle combining exercise, meditation and good eating practices.
Shiatsu:
• helps produce a deep relaxation, increasing energy levels and bringing balance to the body
• begins with gentle stretching and manipulation to allow the stimulation of energy and relax the
muscles
• promotes general well-being and is also a method contributing to the healing of specific ailments
• promotes relaxation which in turn can improve your mood, relieve tension and aid your sleep.
I am a highly qualified and experienced as well as insured shiatsu practitioner, having completed not only the basic 3-year training required by The Shiatsu Society in order to practice but having gone on to do further advanced training leading to my becoming an accredited Member of the Register of Professional Practitioners of the Shiatsu Society.
Shiatsu is a holistic therapy that originates from Japan, and is influenced by both Chinese and Western knowledge. It is based on similar principles to acupuncture, but the shiatsu practitioner will use their hands rather than needles. Shiatsu acts to rebalance the body's energy channels of vital energy, to promote your well-being, support good health and prevent illness. However, you don't need to be ill to benefit from shiatsu. Cross-European research by the European Shiatsu Federation (ESF) into the experiences of shiatsu users found that between 39% and 59% of people who had shiatsu did so to maintain their health rather than heal or cure ill-health. In that study, by way of example of the the conditions typically treated by shiatsu, users gave the following reasons for having a treatment:
- Problems with body structure such as back pain or posture
- Relaxation and relief of tension or stress
- Low energy or fatigue
- Problems with digestion, breathing or blood pressure
- Menstrual pain
- Emotional support
- Self development.
Shiatsu moves stagnant energy, removes blockages and creates balance in the body's energy systems. By applying pressure to energy points, the flow of energy is restored. shiatsu practitioners facilitate this change. The body then begins to repair itself and all major systems begin to improve. The receiver of shiatsu begins to feel more empowered and more responsible for small changes so, over time, the body feels rejuvenated, calmer and more energized.
Continual stress leads to pain and illness. Ignoring the body's signals for sleep, exercise, good nourishing foods, and equally nurturing relationships, causes more stress and more illness. People who realise the importance of positive change seek shiatsu as a framework to help them make changes in their lives.
A regular shiatsu session can therefore make a real difference to your quality of life, both physically and emotionally.
For more information, see a summary of the findings of the research by the ESF, see Scientific evidence that shiatsu improves health.
How could you benefit from shiatsu - research findings
Besides the above specific conditions, shiatsu is likely to leave you feeling calmer and more relaxed, and it can also improve a variety of other symptoms. The ESF (European Shiatsu Federation) study found that between 94% and 95% of the 948 clients studied felt calmer or more relaxed following shiatsu. Both new and regular users of shiatsu felt "physically more mobile", "more energised", "more balanced", or "more able to cope with things". About 54% of regular shiatsu receivers sleep better following shiatsu. Shiatsu users' symptoms were significantly reduced and these reductions were maintained throughout the 6-month study. Between 85% and 89% of shiatsu users felt that shiatsu had been effective in treating their symptoms. Tension and stress, problems with muscles and body structure, such as back pain, joints and posture, low energy and fatigue responded best to shiatsu according to the research. Problems with digestion, menstruation, breathing and other body systems also showed improvements.
More than 90% of regular shiatsu users that were surveyed said that shiatsu helped to maintain their health. Both new and regular shiatsu users were more aware of themselves and their ability to help themselves, or felt more in touch with their emotions. After only 3 months of receiving shiatsu both new and regular shiatsu users were "more hopeful that my problems can be helped".
For more information on specific and non-specific benefits of shiatsu, see "Shiatsu...coping with life challenges" and "More benefits".
My other services: reflexology and reiki treatments, Swedish full body massage, and facial beauty treatments.
You may also like to listen to the two videos produced by The Shiatsu Society, the first being a general explanation about shiatsu and its benefits and the second being a testimonial video with one shiatsu practitioner's client sharing her experience of receiving shiatsu over the years.
General Shiatsu Society video
Testimonial Shiatsu Society video
