Zen Shiatsu: Healing Touch Therapy
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By Ted Thomas, RST, R. Ac., Certified Zen Shiatsu Instructor
Coordinator, Shiatsu Therapy Program |
| From the April issue of The Balanced Lifemagazine |
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A child falls off the swing at the playground, and is scooped up in her mother’s arms. The screaming quickly gives way to quiet sobbing, and soon she is back with her friends, playing and laughing. A work colleague puts his arm around you after a stressful staff meeting, and your burden suddenly seems lighter. Your mate spontaneously embraces you for no apparent reason, and your heart and spirit are uplifted. When you bump your head on the cupboard door, what you do? Rub it. Simple examples from daily life that illustrate how human touch eases pain, relieves stress and calms the emotions. Touch is a natural response to pain, be it physical, emotional or spiritual, and we all need it to thrive. Touch heals.
 More and more people are seeking out the healing benefits of touch as part of their personal health care plan, recognizing that touch therapy plays an important role in restoring and maintaining their health and well being. Some feel drawn to study one of the many forms of touch therapy with the goal of becoming a therapist. They are responding to a need to reach out and help others, and pursue a career in the complementary health care field that is both professionally and personally satisfying.
One such career path is Zen Shiatsu. A growing number of individuals are becoming practitioners by completing the Shiatsu Practitioner Program offered by Langara College Continuing Studies, in partnership with Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre. The program provides comprehensive instruction in Zen Shiatsu, a form of Japanese physical therapy that utilizes firm sensitive pressure and gentle stretches to balance the flow of life force energy, or Ki, that underlies and energizes all of our functions. Developed by Shizuto Masunaga, Zen Shiatsu is an integration of Master Masunaga’s vast clinical and teaching experience in shiatsu, eastern medical philosophy, western anatomy and physiology, and psychology. The system recognizes that body, mind and spirit are a unified whole, and that touching another person is more than a purely physical act. As Masunaga himself writes in Chapter 1of his book, Zen Shiatsu: “In shiatsu, the giver and receiver create a warm and understanding human relationship through touch and body pressure and become sensitive to each other.”
In keeping with this philosophy of understanding human relationship through therapeutic touch, the Shiatsu Practitioner Program offers students a range of courses that challenge them to develop both professionally and personally. The foundation of the program is the study of Zen Shiatsu technique and theory. Students also learn anatomy, physiology, pathology, eastern medical theory, nutrition, business and marketing skills and participate in student clinics that offer treatments to the public. The personal awareness component of the program includes counselling skills, dance therapy, and a tai chi or yoga requirement.
All of the program instructors are qualified professionals with years of training and experience, actively working in their field of expertise. They are dedicated to providing the richest learning experience possible, and bring compassion and passion to their classes. All work toward creating a supportive learning environment, wherein students are encouraged to communicate honestly and compassionately through their touch and their words.
The program appeals to a wide range of individuals. Some feel the time has come for a career change. Others, already working as health care providers, wish to enhance their skills. Still others yearn to be self-employed and create a flexible work schedule. Whatever the motivation, there is a sincere desire to bring together personal awareness and professional development in their lives.
Recognizing that students come to the program from different backgrounds and situations, the Shiatsu Practitioner Program is offered as a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course of study. Students in the full time program may be eligible for student loans or other forms of funding. Successful graduates are eligible to join the Shiatsu Therapy Association of BC as Registered Shiatsu Therapists.
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ABOUT SHIATSU
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The Magic Touch: Stress Release With Shiatsu
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By Ted Thomas, RST, R. Ac., Certified Zen Shiatsu Instructor
Director, Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre |
| From the May 1990 issue of Shared Vision magazine |
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As I floated away from my first professional treatment, about three inches off the ground, I had a definite feeling of having made the right choice of studies. I had exchanged sessions with other shiatsu students, but this was different. My hip pain was gone, I was walking more gracefully and I couldn’t help smiling and chuckling to myself as I glided down the street.
The Japanese healing art of shiatsu is enjoying an increasing popularity all over the world as more of us discover its effectiveness, its benefits and the elegant simplicity of its approach to wellness, through balancing and harmonizing our natural rhythms.
Often called “finger pressure”, or “acupuncture without needles”, shiatsu is much more than these terms imply. Certainly, we use our fingers and thumbs in a treatment, we apply pressure on the body’s acupuncture points, and the results are sometimes similar to those of acupuncture, but for me, shiatsu is more the feeling of wholeness, of completion that comes with a close connection with another person during a treatment. Shiatsu then becomes a relationship wherein both compassionate giver and trusting receiver receive benefits.
Shiatsu’s roots
Shiatsu has its roots in traditional Eastern medicine, and more recently, evolved from traditional Japanese massage, or anma. Practiced since the beginning of the 20th century, shiatsu was officially recognized as a distinct specialty in 1964 by the Japanese government. Since then various styles have developed and are currently in use. Some that are popular in North America are the Namikoshi style, Masunaga style or Zen Shiatsu, and Barefoot Shiatsu. Underlying them all, however, is the understanding that touch can provide a basis for enhanced health, well being and resistance to stress and minor illnesses. When you press and rub the inner corners of your eyes after reading too long or staring at a computer screen all day, you are instinctively stimulating a point that is historically famous for clearing the vision and relaxing the eyes. A professional shiatsu practitioner combines this intuitive touch with theoretical knowledge and practical training to help you be more relaxed and in touch with your body.
Shiatsu theory and philosophy embraces the belief that body, mind and spirit are one, and are created, nourished and motivated by life force energy called Ki. This energy is both Yang (warm, assertive, logical, active) and Yin (cool, receptive, intuitive, calm). It is the interplay of these expressions of energy that provides the basis for health and balance. Our Ki circulates throughout the body in a continuous flow along defined passageways caller meridians. Furthermore there are many points on these pathways, called tsubo, that serve to regulate energy when stimulated and alert us to imbalance by their sensitivity to touch. This imbalance of energies is usually experienced as either a fullness (jitsu) or emptiness (kyo). It is this intricate network of energy flows and influential points that connects the inner with the outer, and enables the energies of giver and receiver to communicate by way of touch at the body’s surface.
Hara: the centre of universal energy
Any discussion of shiatsu would be incomplete without mention of breath and hara. Hara is our abdomen, and deep in the abdomen, just below the navel, is the tanden where the body’s “original” or “universal” energy is stored. When we breathe into the hara, we energize and connect with our centre and when the energy of hara moves through us into our hands, the effect is more powerful and more deeply relaxing for the receiver.
How does shiatsu work?
When an imbalance develops in our energy system it is communicated to the surface by way of the meridians and nervous system and may be experienced as pain or stiffness, fatigue, unclear thinking, etc. Although the discomfort may be localized, a shiatsu practitioner will work on the whole body as well as the affected area in order to help harmonize more completely and provide the basis for the body’s innate healing abilities to operate freely. Thus, although shiatsu may help relieve symptoms, it is most effective as a preventative treatment. Regular shiatsu will help you be more in tune with your body and its needs to that when lifestyle habits, diet or traumas generate imbalances, you can intervene in an appropriate way before it becomes more serious.
What happens in a treatment?
The tools required are simple; a pair of hands and a place to sit or lie down. Usually a cotton mat, or futon, is used, although some practitioners use a low table. The receiver wears loose cotton clothing and the treatment begins with them either sitting or lying down. The practitioner applies pressure with thumbs, fingers, hands, elbows, knees and sometimes the feet, according to the needs and body type of the receiver. Other techniques such as stretching, kneading and tapping may be included. A sensitive practitioner works with the breath, leaning to apply pressure on the exhale and releasing with the inhale, encouraging the release effortless release of tension and intake of fresh energy.
The pressure is applied with the whole body as the practitioner moves from his or her tanden, rocking into position and allowing their weight to provide the pressure rather than using physical strength. This approach us usually stronger and less invasive than pushing with the hands and thumbs and becomes a flowing, graceful activity that develops strength and flexibility for the giver. Each person is unique, so each treatment will be different as the practitioner responds to the current energy state of the individual. As the treatment unfolds, blockages are released, Ki from jitsu areas flows into the kyo areas, and both parties experience a greater sense of balance.
Essentially shiatsu is an exchange of healing energy. Sharing it has changed my life dramatically, and as a practitioner and teacher of shiatsu I have observed it inspire change in the lives of others. Learning to give and receive at this essential level may be the “ki” to greater health and harmony.
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ABOUT SHIN SO SHIATSU
What is Shin So Shiatsu?
By Ted Thomas, RST, R. Ac., Certified Zen Shiatsu Instructor
Director, Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre
The direct translation of Shin So Shiatsu is “deeper level shiatsu”. It is a system of shiatsu that enables the therapist to identify and treat energetic imbalances at a deeper level than traditional shiatsu. Developed by Master Tetsuro (Ted) Saito over three decades of research and practice, Shin So Shiatsu addresses not only the 12 Regular Meridians that meridian shiatsu practitioners are familiar with, but also engages the Extra, Divergent, Ocean and Cosmic meridians systems that are less well known.
For shiatsu therapists that focus on balancing ki, or life force energy, Shin So Shiatsu is nothing short of revolutionary. Our work becomes more precise; we are able to quickly locate the key areas of imbalance at superficial and deep levels, physically and energetically; our clients improve more quickly and results last longer, making the work more gratifying. More often than ever before, we hear their clients exclaim: “That’s exactly the spot! How did you know?” Using Shin So Shiatsu in the clinic brings a renewed sense of excitement, curiousity and purpose to the therapeutic relationship.
At the heart of the Shin So system is the Finger Test Method (FTM). This applied kinesiology technique, developed by acupuncturist Dr. Tadashi Irie, enabled Master Saito to begin the process of mapping the Regular Meridian pathways, and determine the complex relationships between them and the deeper systems. It is also used to diagnose and locate accurately the meridians and areas in which to focus the treatment, and provides the ability to confirm its effectiveness.
There are three goals of Shin So Shiatsu. One is to eliminate ja ki, the manifestation of energy that gets in the way of sei ki, the natural healing energy of the body, from performing its task of keeping the energy matrix of the human body balanced and healthy. Think of sei ki as a flowing river and ja ki as sediment that builds up and disrupts its flow. The second goal is to balance sei ki by working with the meridian imbalance and the “problem area”. The third goal is to remove meridian blockages by relaxing muscle tension. How these goals are approached will vary from client to client, depending on their condition at the time.
The Shin So Shiatsu therapist’s approach to realizing these goals is to determine, using a combination of the FTM and subvocal sounds what the deepest level of imbalance is, and applying the appropriate honji or “foundation treatment”. This supports all of the body’s energy system and prepares for the hyoji or “target treatment” that addresses the symptoms.
A Shin So treatment will be a blend of old and new. Shiatsu pressure along the affected meridians may of course be applied. Subtle energy techniques on specific points or areas are used to clear ja ki at various levels. Ted has introduced yaki hari technique, the use of a warm metal rod to treat zones of energetic and structural imbalance, as well as the use of ion pumping cords, a technique familiar to acupuncturists. He has even incorporated the use of electrical diodes that can be taped on the skin to continue clearing energetic blockages after the client leaves.
By bringing a precise diagnostic approach and a new range of treatment options into the hands of shiatsu therapists, Master Saito has deepened our effectiveness and broadened the range of conditions that we can treat as shiatsu therapists. Personally, it has brought a deeper appreciation of ki, the life force energy that animates and heals us into my personal and professional life. It is a powerful tool for understanding the human energy system and exploring it therapeutically.
Ted Saito comes to BC to teach twice a year. Contact me if you are wish to find out more about his training program or if you wish to experience a Shin So Shiatsu treatment.
Shin So Shiatsu and the Divergent Meridians
By Ted Thomas, RST, R. Ac., Certified Zen Shiatsu Instructor
Director, Sourcepoint Shiatsu Centre
It is unlikely that you learned anything about the Divergent Meridians in your shiatsu training. Even in my TCM training, we covered them briefly, going over their pathways and functions before moving on. However, they are an important component of the vast network of meridians that flow through the human energy system. They are the deeper branches of the Regular Meridians and connect the meridians to the organs. According to traditional theory, their functions are summarized as follows:
· To balance Qi by balancing Yin and Yang at a deep level
· To balance the flow of Qi between the body and the head
· To connect and integrate the internal organs
The Divergent meridians do not have their own points, but each Yin-Yang pair has Meeting point that connects them at a deep level. In acupuncture these points can be used in conjunction with others to deepen the treatment effect and treat both meridians in the pair simultaneously. A knowledge of the Divergent meridians is useful for using the Yang meridian to treat a problem of its Yin partner and vice versa. It also helps explain some of the associations between points and the areas and conditions they treat. An example is the use of Bladder 40 for lower back pain. It is the Lower Meeting point for the Bladder and Kidney Divergent meridians, and activates them both.
In Ted Saito’s Shin So Shiatsu system, the Divergent meridians are called into play when the Regular and Extra systems are unable to maintain energetic equilibrium. Imbalance at this level is therefore considered a deeper imbalance that can affect the internal organs if sustained for a long period. Clients suffering from chronic illness may display an ongoing Divergent diagnosis. It is therefore a critical level for us to be able to intervene in treatment and assist our clients in regaining energetic balance and promote the healing process.
As is the case with both the Regular and Extra meridian systems, Ted’s exploration of ki flows using the Finger Test Method has revealed a more complex map of the Divergent pathways than is taught in the acupuncture texts. The most obvious difference is the presence of not only a deep pathway for each organ, but a superficial pathway as well. Another intriguing discovery for me was that when checking Bladder 40 using the finger test, I found no Kidney ki flowing through the point, contradicting the traditional knowledge of it being a meeting point. Were the ancient masters of medicine wrong, or has the Divergent meridian system altered since their early discoveries?
Shin So Shiatsu enables therapists to accurately determine which Divergent meridian is affected, and offers four approaches to treatment at this deeper level, from quick and simple to more complex and profound. Proper treatment of the Divergent system will automatically correct imbalances in both the Extra and the Regular systems, and create more stability in the entire energy system. It also has the ability to prevent imbalances from initiating changes in the organs themselves, and may serve to prevent or delay the onset of some chronic illnesses.
As shiatsu therapists, incorporating Divergent meridian treatment enables us to treat at the honji (“foundation treatment”) level and use our Regular meridian treatment to treat at the hyoji (“target treatment”) and provide clients with a more profound healing experience. It also makes shiatsu therapy a more powerful tool for the treatment of chronic conditions
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