In the body flows energy. Without energy, the body would be dead. The main part of the energy we receive when we are conceived. Then, during our life, we receive energy from food and air. If our lifestyle is not proper, the energy flow blocks. In some parts of the body energy accumulates and in the others it is missing. The wrong energy flow causes physical and psychological diseases.

 

Shiatsu literally means finger pressure. With fingers and palm we can harmonize the energy flow and activate self-healing processes in the body. It's nothing new. A type of acupressure is practiced among people eternally. When some problem occurs in our body, our first reaction is that we warm up or rub the problematic place with our hands. This therapeutic method has been developing from the instinctive treatments for hundreds of years. The professionalization of acupressure occurred in Japan in the 20th century. Currently, the Japanese Ministry of Health qualifies shiatsu as a healing method and defines it as a form of manual therapy that primarily by thumbs, fingers and palms corrects erroneous internal bodily function, promotes health and eliminates certain diseases. In 1997 shiatsu was accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a full alternative health care.

 

If we want to heal the body, first of all we need to solve the cause of the disease. In Western medicine we focus just on elimination of symptoms (pain, fever, etc.) and we do not deal with real source of the situation. In Eastern medicine we go to the roots of the disease, which often has psychological or spiritual origin. Shiatsu is characterized by a holistic approach, which means that the physical and mental is not distinguished here. They are just two manifestations of the same thing.

 

Shiatsu itself does not cure; it only starts the self-healing processes in the body. Shiatsu connects us with our body, which leads us into the themes that need to be changed and purified in our life. This change returns us into balance and health. The body has enormous power and has all the necessary tools to achieve balance and health on its own. It is up to us if we join the self-healing journey that shiatsu mediates.

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Shiatsu is often confused with a massage. In fact it is rather treatment or therapy. Classical (sport) massage works primarily with blood circulation in the muscle tissue, while shiatsu affects the functioning of the whole body, ie. functioning of the skin, muscles, nerves, bones, blood and lymphatic system. Another obvious difference is that shiatsu takes place on the ground (futon) and the patient has his/her clothes on.

 

During shiatsu treatment the patient and the therapist do not almost talk, which distinguish it from classic psychotherapy. We get to both physical and mental problems through the body, not words. The body is not bluffing and hiding anything unlike the mind. The body represents the truth and we can get to the truth thanks to shiatsu. By omitting the mind, we can get into the source of the problem in relatively short time. The client discovers the source of the problem on his/her own. The therapist is there only as a guide and support in difficult milestones on his/her path.