Monday, April 19, 2010

Shiatsu Massage Provides Many Beneficial Outcomes

By Tom Newberry

Shiatsu is another ancient form of therapy. It is a therapy designed to relieve stress in the body and to promote healing of bodily ailments. The roots of this interesting therapy are traced back to China, yet the Japanese have made it their own. By adding figure pressure, the Japanese are applying Acupuncture but without the needles. Shiatsu involves detecting energy blockages in the body. It helps on releasing them to restore the flow.

There are some similarities between shiatsu and acupressure. The difference mainly lies in the placement of the massage. Acupressure is mainly performed over the acu-pressure point. In the case of shiatsu, the massage will extend over a greater range and extend beyond just the acupoints.

Shiatsu also targets relief of muscles and soft tissue areas. An invigorating type of tapping action is used to enhance blood circulation in loosening up the muscles. Also, gradual pressure is also used especially in the acupressure points. This increasing pressure uses a rhythmical movement helps to release tension.

Both shiatsu and acupressure follow the principles regarding the energy flow through the body. This is common practice in many diverse Oriental medicines. There is a common belief in a life energy force which permeates throughout the body. Conflicts with this energy cause turmoil in the body.

Practitioners of shiatsu are able to locate blockages of energy in the body. They then concentrate on releasing this energy to restore balance. When the energy is upset, it is believed that it is the cause of a variety of health-related problems. Shiatsu is designed to bring the body back into balance and restore health.

Shiatsu uses a compression or holding massage. This is simply using the hands to hold around a given muscle or part of the body. Hands provide both touch and warm. This gentle squeeze it is done to initiate the healing process in the body.

Shiatsu involves many very subtle techniques and movements. These have evolved throughout the centuries and continue to this day. Practitioners of today use other variants of techniques in addition to the mainstream shiatsu techniques.

There is also a barefoot shiatsu version. Practitioners of the barefoot shiatsu actually walk on your back. The person is layed on a flat surface and the practitioner uses their bare feet to deliver the massage. The weight of the practitioner determines the force which can be applied to the person.

Shiatsu is been commonly used by massage practitioners around the world. It has become an alternative form of therapy under traditional medicine. It is fairly common to find shiatsu as one of the specialties of masseuses in different parts of the world.

Many of the elements of shiatsu massage are being integrated into massage chairs. Massage chairs are able to imitate the hand movements of a masseuse. Sophisticated software programs enable massage chairs to perform a scan of the back and make a map of individual acupoints. The program then feeds those coordinates and prioritizes them for relieving and soothing.

Shiatsu massage is quite an invigorating massage to obtain. You will definitely understand major relationships in your body. The tenseness and tightness of muscles will be found out quickly. The treatment to those areas to unblock energy is central to shiatsu philosophy. There are many subtle elements constituting shiatsu massage therapy.

The amazing variety of subtle relationships that combine to make shiatsu massage is very interesting. The use of acupressure points and soothing major muscle groups provides for a very effective in relieving massage. The popularity of shiatsu is a testament to its restorative potential. - 15440

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