Health Matters
From "Maple Street Co-op News", Oct/Nov 2004
Shiatsu: Going with the Flow
by Wayne Reid
The primary feature of Shiatsu is based on the premise that good health
relies on the restoration and maintenance of balance, harmony and order
to the body.
One of the great challenges is finding this balance: finding those things
we need to do, and doing them well, happily and with time to care for
our inner and outer environments. We can choose to live life in the
fast lane, but over time this leads to a decline in our quality of life.
Poor habits can develop unnoticed and we can slowly slip towards degeneration,
forgetting what vital and happy people we once were. We feel frustrated,
stressed, sore and sometimes over-reactive or emotional. Ignoring or
suppressing these signals from the body to make adjustments can eventually
lead to
much more serious disease or emotional dysfunction. The modern world
can offer all kinds of food, drugs and quick fixes, but ultimately the
changes must come from within.
In the bodies of all living beings (as in all matter), an all-pervading
energy is present that embodies natural laws and the universal creative
force. It is referred to as aether, prana, mana,
ki or, as in Shiatsu, qi (pronounced 'chee'). Naturally,
a healthy supply of qi or life energy flows through the body
like a river along the meridians or channels, giving life to all aspects
and functions of the living system as well as charging the chakras.
"These channels are invisible but according to oriental philosophy
exist as surely and definably as the nerves, and a Shiatsu patient is
often conscious of a surge of energy whilst being treated." (Ohashi)
Should the qi flow become blocked, or if there is an
inadequate supply of qi, the body fails to maintain harmony
and balance – resulting in aches, pains, illness or disease.
Shiatsu (shia, 'finger'; tsu, 'pressure') is an ancient
form of massage that originated in Japan but grew from an older and
proven storehouse of knowledge and wisdom, Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM), which views the body as a microcosm of the natural universe.
Western scientific and medical
ideologies acknowledge little of TCM's ability to maintain health and
to diagnose and treat illness effectively.
As a river can run dry or become obstructed, so too can the body's meridians.
Shiatsu, also known as acupressure, involves the use of the thumbs,
fingers, palms, elbows and knees to apply pressure to points (tsubos)
along the meridians and to tonify or clear blockages of qi.
These blockages are
evident in particular places in the body's skin or muscular system that
are numb, hurt or stiff and tired.
In Shiatsu, the points are manipulated to tonify or sedate the qi,
according to the natural laws of energy flow and the principles of Feng
Shui. This pressure initially may be uncomfortable or painful to the
patient, though in harmony with their breath it can facilitate a release.
Recognising stagnation with pressure gives the body a signal. As the
receiver's breath enters this area, he/she may consciously release the
blockage, allowing clean qi, oxygen, blood and nutrients to
flow into the obstructed area to clear stagnation, toxins and sometimes
old emotions stored chemically in the body.
In sympathy with the opposing yet complementary aspects of nature and
environment – yin and yang – and according
to natural laws that manifest as specific correspondences in the body,
Shiatsu practitioners identify the signs of body dysfunction. They pay
particular attention to the presenting condition
as well as the client's medical history, emotional state, general constitution,
pulse and appearance of the tongue.
Individualised treatment plans are based on confidential clinical diagnosis
and assessment. Treatment can involve a combination of Shiatsu, Shin-tai
(a Japanese form of non-intrusive skeletal alignment, similar to osteopathy),
cupping, moxibustion and Oki Do, a form of Japanese yoga based
on the toning of specific meridians.
[Wayne Reid provides Shiatsu, Shin-tai and related treatments in the
Co-op's Consultation Room on Tuesdays from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm. Shiatsu
courses from Level 1 to Diploma are available at the Queensland College
of Oriental Medicine on the Sunshine Coast. For an appointment with
Wayne,
phone him on 0431 583 123.]
[From "Maple Street Co-op News", Jun/Jul 2004; published by
The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny,
Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.coop@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]